A group of Year 13 students have completed their Gold DofE expedition, putting them one step closer to gaining their award. Unfortunately, the group previously had their expedition put on hold because of the pandemic, so they were eager to get out and about once they had been given the green light! The expedition was completed in two parts: their practice, which was based on the Long Mynd, and the assessed section which was in the Peak District.
Students had to be completely self-sufficient for all four days, whilst navigating the wild terrain independently in two groups. They started at Ladybower reservoir ascending Winn Hill and finishing at Rowter Farm campsite, near Winnats Pass. Their second day involved crossing the ridge of Mam Tor, then moving campsite to Edale. During their trek, the group were lucky enough to see the filming of the Games of Thrones prequel “House of the Dragon”, and even spotted the acclaimed actor Matt Smith!
The third day proved to be their toughest challenge as the route involved navigating Kinder Scout and down to Jacobs Ladder, then returning to Edale.
Mr Moody, DofE Manager said, ‘Both the assessor and I were extremely impressed by all the students.’
Mr Moody continued, ‘When they reached the summit of Kinder Scout they all became very overwhelmed as this was, for many of them, the first time they had navigated and climbed over 600 metres into the mountains.’
‘When we were back at Edale they all could see the finishing line and I could personally see how all of them had matured and developed as young people from when they first started on their Bronze award.’
Students now have only the residential section left to complete, and they are in the process of planning what they are going to do. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a highly rewarding scheme providing students with a wealth of transferable skills to prepare students for the wider world.
