Over the Easter holidays, a dedicated group of Duke of Edinburgh pupils, keen to gain their Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, headed off on various expeditions across the South East. The Silver qualifying expedition and Gold practice expedition teams headed to the Brecon Beacons, whilst those pupils working towards their Bronze award participated in a qualifying expedition in the Chiltern Hills. Accompanied by Head of Outdoor Education Mr Stephen Macpherson, the trips provided excellent experience for the pupils as they work towards gaining the prestigious awards.
The Silver teams conducted walking expeditions, and were given the freedom to explore the entire Brecon Beacons national park. Between the teams, they covered an incredibly large area- and as a result didn’t bump into each other at any point during the trip! Checking in with their assessors and supervising staff at various points during the trip was compulsory, but otherwise the teams were completely independent throughout the expedition. The Gold teams were practising their kayaking skills ahead of their qualifying expedition in Scotland, which they will complete during the summer holidays. Using the Brecon Monmouthshire canal, the teams travelled along its entire length from Brecon to Cwmbran, camping at points along its route in campsites and permissible camping areas. The trip has given the teams enthusiasm for their upcoming challenge of kayaking across Scotland, from Fort William to Inverness along the Great Glen.
The Bronze groups travelled to the Chiltern Hills for their qualifying expedition. Using the Braid Wood near Chesham as the base, the groups walked along public footpaths and bridle ways around the local area. Although well marked, there are a lot of paths and this made navigation a challenge! However, the groups had plenty of practise beforehand, and looked on the challenge as a positive one! The weather for each expedition was typical of English spring; intermittently warm, wet, cold, dry and windy! However, the pupils were fantastic at dealing with the weather, enjoying the warm dry days and battling through the chillier ones!
The expeditions, supported and run independently the College staff, were a resounding success and the pupils conducted themselves in a professional manner. Mr Macpherson would like to thank the staff for using their holiday time to participate in these trips.
