The Duke of Edinburgh pupils have been busy during the Easter break, taking on Bronze, Silver and Gold assessments as part of their overall certificates. Accompanied by Head of Outdoor Education and DofE Manager Mr Steve Macpherson, the group travelled to the Brecon Beacons and the Chilterns in order to complete some challenging physical activities. Thank you to Mr Macpherson for the following report on a successful excursion:
‘Four different expedition groups were undertaking their DofE assessments during the course of the Easter holidays, with three groups headed to the Brecon Beacons, and one group going to the Chilterns. In the Brecon Beacons the group working towards their Gold DofE award tackled a kayaking expedition and a walking expedition, whilst the Silver group also undertook a walking expedition. The kayaking group made great use of the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal to carry out their practice expedition – a steep learning curve for some! The canal is a fantastic place to get a first taste of the sport, as it is relatively safe and easily monitored by staff. The experiences here will definitely serve the group well when they travel to Scotland in the summer, on their qualifying expedition on the Great Glen canoe trail.
The Gold walking group were also given a challenge. Over the course of the four days, the group walked over the rugged but beautiful Brecon Beacons. Their route started in the far west of the mountain range, and finished in the east – a traverse of three mountain areas. The group started near to Llyn Y Fan Fach in the Mynydd Ddu (Black Mountain) range. The pupils also enjoyed the experience of wild camping, only using a commercial campsite once on the trip. The Silver walking group were also in the Brecon Beacons, although, with the exception of a little up the Sugarloaf mountain, they were mostly lower down in the valley. The group spent three days journeying along the many trails in the area, enjoying the pristine scenery that this part of the UK has to offer. The weather was uncharacteristically warm and sunny – not what we usually get on a DofE expedition! This was not without its challenges; the heat can be debilitating and brings the risk of heat-related injuries. All of the groups found it tough going, but looked after themselves well.
The group working towards their Bronze certificate undertook a qualifying expedition in the Chilterns. They were based at the National Trust-owned Chilterns Bunkhouse, near Tring. The area is crisscrossed with tracks and trails which made for interesting navigation! All the groups performed well and only had minor issues with navigating – much better than an orienteering group which turned up at our bunkhouse as they couldn’t find their car park!
Thank you to those members of staff who gave up their time to accompany the group on the expeditions. The pupils conducted themselves incredibly well and were a credit to the College.’