Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold Qualifying Expedition

At the start of the summer holiday, 11 students and three members of staff travelled to the Lake District for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold qualifying expedition.

Having trained in the Peak District in June, this time the pupils had to convince external assessors that they could look after themselves in remote, wild country on a 4-day expedition. The weather conditions were excellent, fortunately avoiding the subsequent heatwave.

The first day was particularly tough due to the long route chosen, and overall it was a demanding expedition across a distance of around 75km, with everyone concluding the Lake District should not be underestimated. The boys enjoyed camping in the remote wilderness, supporting each other, and successfully completed the expedition.

Well done to all participants; we hope they will now be inspired to undertake their own adventures in the mountains. The current Lower Eighth Form are encouraged to register now for the DofE Gold Award and we hope they will join similar expeditions next summer.