sionnach.org

The Sionnach Adventure is open to Scout patrols of four young people aged 13 to 17, accompanied by a leader. To take part, a patrol needs basic hill-walking experience, the required equipment, and a leader willing to join them. The event is a backpacking adventure in some of Ireland's mountains and islands, and it is also designed to build navigation, lightweight backpacking, personal development and teamwork skills — with fun as the main goal.

The Participation Requirements

The website lists three conditions for a patrol to take part:

• Basic experience in hill walking — the patrol should already be comfortable on hill terrain before the event.
• The required equipment — the patrol must have the kit the adventure expects. The site does not publish a full equipment list on the page, so treat the information booklet as the place to confirm what is needed.
• A leader who will join them — the site puts this plainly: the patrol must be able to "persuade a leader to join them."

Patrol Size and Age

A patrol is 4 scouts between the ages of 13 and 17, plus one accompanying leader. Both the size and the age range are fixed conditions, not suggestions, so a group of three or five, or one that includes members outside the age range, does not match the stated format.

What the Event Involves

The Sionnach Adventure is described as an opportunity to backpack in Ireland's mountains and islands. Alongside the backpacking itself, participants develop:

• navigation skills
• lightweight backpacking skills
• personal development
• teamwork

The event's stated ethos is "take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints" — a leave-no-trace approach to wild countryside.

What the Cost Covers

The cost of each Sionnach Adventure includes the information booklet and the administration costs of the adventure. It does not include transport to and from the event, or food. Budget for travel and food separately when deciding whether your patrol can attend.

A Quick Check for Your Patrol

If every row is a yes, your patrol fits the published criteria. If the leader or equipment row is a no, that is the gap to close first — the site treats both as conditions of entry rather than optional extras.

The event fee covers the information booklet and the administration costs of the adventure. It does not cover transport to and from the event, and it does not cover food. In practice, a patrol should budget separately for travel and for all meals and snacks across the trip.

What the fee covers

According to the event site, the cost of each Sionnach Adventure includes:

• The information booklet — the event pack with the details a patrol needs to prepare.
• Administration costs of the adventure — the behind-the-scenes running of the event.

What the fee does not cover

Because the event involves backpacking in Ireland's mountains and islands, the food and transport exclusions matter more than they would for a single-day activity: participants need to carry and manage their own food for the duration, and arrange their own way to and from the event.

Who this applies to

The fee structure applies to participating patrols: groups of 4 scouts aged 13 to 17, accompanied by a leader. Patrols need basic hill-walking experience, the required equipment, and a leader willing to join them. If your patrol is still assembling a leader or equipment, those gaps are worth resolving before you treat the event cost as your only expense.

Budgeting takeaway

Treat the event fee as covering preparation materials and event administration only. Build a separate budget line for transport and for food, and confirm both before committing to the trip.

The Sionnach Adventure is a backpacking event in Ireland’s mountains and islands, organised for Scout patrols of four young people aged 13 to 17, accompanied by a leader. The website is the public face of that adventure: it explains who can take part, what skills the event is designed to develop, and what the participation cost covers. It is aimed at Scouts and their leaders who already have some hill-walking experience and the right equipment, rather than at the general public or at individual adult hikers.

What the event involves

The core activity is lightweight backpacking in wild countryside. According to the site, the adventure is “an opportunity to backpack in some of Ireland’s mountains and islands.” Alongside the walking itself, Sionnach is framed as a way to develop:

• navigation skills
• lightweight backpacking practice
• personal development
• teamwork

The site’s tagline — “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints…” — sets the tone: a leave-no-trace, experience-focused trip rather than a competitive or commercial holiday.

Who can take part

Participation is structured around Scout patrols, not individual entries. The conditions stated on the site are:

The “who can persuade a leader to join them” line is a light-hearted way of saying the patrol cannot take part without an accompanying adult leader. If your group does not already have a leader willing to go, that is the first practical obstacle to resolve.

What the cost covers — and what it does not

The site states that the cost of each Sionnach Adventure includes the information booklet and the administration costs of the adventure. It explicitly does not include transport to and from the event, or food. So a patrol budgeting for the trip needs to plan separately for travel and for all meals and snacks across the event. The site does not publish a price figure, so the current cost has to be confirmed through the event’s own booking or contact route rather than assumed from the page.

How to use the site

The site is small and informational rather than a booking platform. Its visible sections are “About” and “Social,” plus an “Upcoming Events” area. In practice, a leader or Scout considering the adventure would:

1. Read the About section to confirm the patrol meets the age, experience and equipment conditions.
2. Check the Upcoming Events listing for the next adventure.
3. Use the Social links to follow or contact the organisers for dates, cost and the information booklet.

There is no indication on the page of an online payment system, so treat the site as a starting point for enquiries rather than a place to complete registration.

Is it the right fit for your group?

Sionnach suits a Scout patrol that has already done some hill walking, can organise lightweight kit, and has a leader ready to commit. It is less suitable for complete beginners, for groups without a leader, or for anyone looking for a guided, catered trip — transport and food are the group’s own responsibility. If those conditions match, the site gives you enough to judge eligibility and to make first contact; the specific dates, cost and kit list need to come from the organisers.

The Sionnach Adventure site (sionnach.org) is the official information page for a backpacking adventure in Ireland's mountains and islands, run for Scout patrols. To find upcoming events, look for the Upcoming Events section referenced on the site; for background on the activity, use the About section; and to follow or reach the organisers, use the Social links. The page itself is a single informational page with these sections rather than a full events calendar with dates listed in the source material.

What the site covers

The site describes The Sionnach Adventure as an opportunity to backpack in some of Ireland's mountains and islands. It also frames the event as a way to develop navigation, lightweight backpacking, personal development and teamwork skills in wild countryside — and, in the organisers' words, "most of all to have fun."

The page's stated ethos appears in its heading: "Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints..."

Where to look for each thing

If the Upcoming Events section is empty or undated when you visit, the Social links are the practical route to ask about the next event or confirm details.

Who the event is for

According to the site, patrols of four Scouts aged 13 to 17, accompanied by a leader, can take part. Patrols need:

• Basic experience in hill walking
• The required equipment
• A leader who can be persuaded to join them

This matters when you are planning: an event search is only useful if your patrol meets these conditions, so check them before committing to dates.

What the cost covers — and what it doesn't

The site states that the cost of each Sionnach Adventure includes the information booklet and the administration costs of the adventure. It explicitly does not include transport to and from the event, or food. Budget for travel and meals separately when you plan around an upcoming event.

Practical next steps

1. Open sionnach.org and read the About section to confirm the format and requirements fit your patrol.
2. Check the Upcoming Events section for the next adventure.
3. Use the Social links to follow the organisers or ask about dates, entry and any details not covered on the page.
4. Confirm your patrol has four Scouts aged 13–17, a willing leader, basic hill-walking experience and the required equipment before applying.

The Sionnach Adventure is designed to help scouts build four core skills: navigation, lightweight backpacking, personal development, and teamwork — all while backpacking in some of Ireland's mountains and islands. The site describes it as an opportunity to develop these skills "in wild countryside, and most of all to have fun." These outcomes apply to eligible participants: patrols of four scouts aged 13 to 17, accompanied by a leader.

The Four Skill Areas

Navigation

Scouts practice finding their way through wild countryside. Because the event takes place in Ireland's mountains and islands, navigation is a practical, applied skill rather than a classroom exercise.

Lightweight Backpacking

The event is explicitly a backpacking adventure, and the site names "lightweight backpacking" as a skill participants develop. This means learning to carry only what is needed and to manage equipment over multiple days outdoors.

Personal Development

The site lists personal development as one of the intended outcomes. While it doesn't break this down further, the format — small patrols operating in wild terrain — places responsibility on each scout within the group.

Teamwork

Patrols are fixed at four scouts plus a leader, so the adventure is structured around small-group cooperation. Teamwork is named directly as a skill the event develops.

Who This Applies To

The skill-building is tied to eligibility. According to the site, patrols can take part if they have:

• Basic experience in hill walking
• The required equipment
• A leader willing to join them

Scouts must be between 13 and 17 years old, and patrols are made up of four scouts. A patrol that doesn't meet these conditions — for example, one without a committed leader or without basic hill-walking experience — isn't positioned to get the described benefits.

What the Cost Does and Doesn't Cover

If you're weighing participation, note what the fee includes: the information booklet and the administration costs of the adventure. It does not cover transport to and from the event, or food. Budget for those separately.

Practical Takeaways

• The adventure is a skills-development event, not just a trip — navigation, lightweight backpacking, personal development, and teamwork are the stated goals.
• Skills are developed in real wild countryside, so basic hill-walking experience is a prerequisite rather than something the event teaches from scratch.
• The four-scout patrol structure is central: teamwork and personal responsibility come from operating in a small group with a leader.
• Confirm equipment requirements and arrange transport and food before committing, since neither is included in the cost.