By Stephanie Shergold

WHEN they were told they were going on a bear hunt, a county scout group did not expect to find Bear Grylls at the end.

Grylls joined the first Golden Valley Scout Group at Hay Festival where the 24 scouts, cubs and beavers set up camp for a weekend of pioneering, games and camp-fire cooking.

The adventurer, writer, television presenter and chief scout was accompanied by his two sons and wife Shara at the festival where he chatted to the youngsters and shared tips.

And he is in a good position to do so, having fulfilled his childhood dream of climbing Mount Everest just 18 months after breaking his back in a freefall parachuting accident in 1996.

The scout group presented Grylls with a district necker which he tied into a friendship knot before putting on.

The students had also reserved seats at Bear Grylls’ show, during which he talked about his life and adventures.

Raffle prize winner of the grand jamboree raffle, Guy Gardener and his son Josh, also met Grylls.

The raffle has raised £3,100 towards the cost of sending a number of the South Marches scouts and explorers to Holland and Japan in 2015.