Silver
At the end of a busy term, the Silver Duke of Edinburgh participants faced one last challenge. They needed to spend two nights under canvas and three days navigating the Peak District to pass the Practice Expedition for their awards. Challenging enough for anyone putting their outdoor skills to the test, but the expedition clashed with some early April showers. This didn’t dampen the spirits of the Year 10 though and everyone put their best foot forward to pitch tents, get good rest and push on throughout their activities and treks.
Group C, team name ‘Campers’, were the first to reach the endpoint in Eyam, Derbyshire on our final day and were soon joined by the other 15 groups. A total of 96 Silver participants completed their practice expedition and join the additional 15 participants who already completed theirs the weekend before on an alternative expedition offered to those who headed off on the Cricket tour to UAE over the Easter break.
This means the College will have a total of 111 participants for the Assessed Expedition in June. Our fingers are very much crossed for better weather and all candidates can be incredibly proud of their achievements and confident of their skillsets ahead of their next expedition.
Gold
By Matthew Aris (Lower Sixth, Robinson)
On the last Wednesday of term, we made the long coach journey up to the Peak District to do our DofE gold practice expedition. There were nine groups of 6-7 which we chose prior to the expedition. We had to camp for three days; learning various skills each day to show our capability in map reading, camping, walking with heavy loads and cooking.
The first day was mainly a travel day with a short walk to the campsite after we got off the bus. However, rain began to fall as soon as we began to walk which then worsened during the night. The camping throughout the three days was difficult given the weather, although in the June heat the proper expedition could be a lot more enjoyable.
The second day was a navigating day where everyone tested their compass and map skills navigating through the peaks. The final two days were walking days with full kit in mixed showery weather. All groups sped through the route given by the instructors and finished both days early.
The walking was by far the most enjoyable part, as it was a chance to let off steam with a group of friends. This made the walking feel a lot easier than it was and it pushed us forward to the end. Each morning and night, we would have to cook a hot meal with some questionable food being cooked, although it provided a good chance to try different foods. The final walk finished at a local café which allowed everyone to indulge in some hot food and drink to cap off a fun learning experience.
