Well done to the year 9 and 10 DofE cohorts who have now completed the gruelling expedition element of the award.
Mrs Stanaway writes:
We left school on the Thursday morning – 38 excited but understandably nervous students accompanied by a small group of supervising staff – heading for Loggerheads Country Park near Mold in North Wales. Our mission: to complete the overnight expedition element of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
When we arrived, the skies were grey and drizzly. But this didn’t put the students off in the slightest. With their homes on their backs, they set off on foot for their campsite – the best part of five hours away – in good humour and high spirits.
The weather continued to be unkind to us on that first day. The rain fell, the wind howled and the hail bounced. Putting a tent up in those conditions is a serious challenge, and so I can only applaud the resilience and determination shown by the students.
The tent ‘village’ complete, the students demonstrated admirable self-reliance in preparing and cooking their evening meal – even doing their own washing up!
The evening was cold but, as if by magic, we woke early on the Friday morning to glorious sunshine and even more glorious views of the Welsh mountains. It was all we needed to get our tired arms and legs moving.
Having packed away (including checking that no litter was left behind), it was time for the long walk back to Loggerheads. The fantastic weather made this return journey much more enjoyable and we were able to take in and appreciate our stunning surroundings.
Congratulations to all our DofE participants. I am incredibly proud of you and what you have achieved!
My DofE experience has been brilliant. At the beginning of it all I was feeling nervous. I didn’t know what to expect or even how to read a map or use a compass, and who would I be hiking and sharing a tent with?
I have tried something new that I have never done before – involving things like reading a map, cooking my own food on the camping stove and hiking with friends – and I have really enjoyed it.
Since doing the expedition I have so much more confidence and feel a great sense of achievement.Austin, year 10
