Questival

[lproven]

Questival

13^th - 15^th August 2010

Sequences of events can be odd things. In 2009, a small music festival I normally go to in late August was cancelled, so instead I chose the Centre for Fortean Zoology’s Weird Weekend in Woolfardisworthy in North Devon - and jolly fine it was, too. The next year, having a taste for something similarly unusual (not to say "weird"), I looked for something comparable, and stumbled across Questival and a competition in the Skeptic to win tickets. I shamelessly stole some ideas from Frank "Science Punk" Swain’s recent talk at Westminster Skeptics, entered and promptly forgot all about it.

So it came as something of a surprise to find I’d won, especially as I was drawing up plans for a second Weird Weekend. Instead, I found myself heading off up to the Yorkshire Dales National Park - sadly missing my train by 5min, which resulted in a two hour wait in Carnforth.

You don’t want to spend two hours in Carnforth. There’s nothing much to it. Even the Brief Encounter tribute shop was shut.

But eventually I arrived in Dalesbridge, a picturesque sort of Outward Bound centre, where there was a cheerful crowd of young skeptical types huddling under a gazebo from the drizzle and singeing bits of animal. But, as one excitedly informed me, there were bits of fake animal to singe, too!

And so Questival began. A fun weekend of mind-stretching conversation, random rounders games, impromptu 3AM meteor-spotting, roll-your-own-religion, stand-up comedy, serious debates about morality, sandwiches, a moiety competent of ale and cider, and a very pleasant stroll to, and up and over and around, Malham Cove, plus a picnic there, as well.

The organizers and attendees were a great bunch of guys and very welcoming; they made a grizzled ancient such as myself, nearly twice the age of the predominantly student Questees, feel very welcome. Camping is not my favourite form of accomodation - and indeed I was very grateful indeed for the help in erecting and striking my tent - but it’s a beautiful location for it, complete with showers and a handy kitchen for hot beverages on a damp Dales dawn.

Not that it's my place to suggest it, but if it were me, I'd go for slightly less rounders and two walks in the hills instead. It's a spectacular area, one I've never been to before, and well worth exploring.

Questival is essentially a sort of Camp Quest for grown-ups - a fun outdoorsy weekend with a like-minded bunch of intelligent, godless rationalists. If you like camping, countryside and smart company, I’d recommend it.