DofE diaries

05 Apr

  • Gold Practice Expedition: The Welsh path to the Alps
    15 Apr

    Thank you to Laura C, Oliver A and Izzy B for this joint diary entry DAY ONE It was an early start for ten adventurous year 12s; nervous and excited, we squeezed into the Bournside mini bus: it was a tight fit - our stuff took up most of the room and the boys in the back seats were completely hidden behind the barricade of backpacks! After a short journey mainly spent peering tentatively out of the windows at the threatening skies, we arrived in the Black Mountains and were met by our instructor, Stu. We spent some time gathering kit, checking the route, donning our brightly coloured backpack covers and our waterproofs before finally setting off on our expedition! Stu stayed with us and split his time between the two teams on the first day to make sure we kept on track, and it wasn’t long before we encountered our first taste of Welsh mud, which quickly became a recurring problem on the expedition; you get used to it, but it is really tough going, especially when it comes up to your ankles, and we found its traces on our clothes for weeks afterwards!
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  • Duke of Edinburgh Award Training Day 2024
    27 Feb

    Last weekend, we held a brilliant skills training day for our Duke of Edinburgh Award students working towards their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards this year. Run by our DofE expedition partner, H5 Adventure Ltd, the day helped students to prepare for the wide range of skills they’ll need to be able to complete their expeditions safely and successfully. The training included map reading and route planning, meal planning and cooking on Trangia’s, erecting tents and campcraft, first aid and emergency procedures, equipment and how to pack a rucksack (because all bags and equipment will need to be carried!) “It was a fabulous day, the DofE Award students did us proud. They were engaged and interested and seemed to learn a lot from the activities.
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  • Silver Expedition: The Forest of Dean, Uno Night, Tawny Owls, Bridges and Adventure
    13 Jul

    Thank you to Laura C, Year 10, Frank House, for her Silver DofE diary entry DAY ONE Memories of the practice expedition circling in our heads, one intrepid group of year 10s and 11s in an assortment of sun hats and weighed down by their 65 litre bags assembled on a clear July morning to embark on a scorching hot weekend of camping, navigating, laughter, tears, and most of all, walking… a very long way! Packing in my team was just as interesting as last time. Anna had stripped down to the bare essentials, Kady brought the fluffiest jumper imaginable, Eleanor had brought a Rubik’s cube and Emily had brought what can only be described as a small taser for any insects who might bite. We were all set for the trip!
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  • Gold practice expedition - Three days of sheep, wind and endless hills
    11 Apr

    Thank you to Laura, Year 12, Rowling House, for her Gold DofE diary entry DAY ONE "Five year 12s embarked on their treacherous Gold DofE journey at 7am on a Sunday morning in April, arriving at a pub near Abergavenny after a ride in the minibus. On day one we climbed the iconic Sugar Loaf, which the ascent we can all agree was not as sweet as it sounds, although the view from the top certainly was. Along that walk we had to go through a very muddy patch, which we managed to eventually cross with only one member of the group mistaking a puddle for a handy log and falling in... We also met some pigs at the end of the mud and were glad we didn’t climb over the fence to avoid it as they looked hungry!
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  • Practice Silver expedition in the New Forest
    18 Mar

    Thank you to Evie, Year 11, Rowling House, for her Silver DofE diary entry. “Bruised hips, sore shoulders, aching feet, blisters, shredded hands, feeble legs, wind-beaten lips, one hour of sleep - expect no less from a Silver DofE expedition. But, pain wasn’t the only outcome of our three-day trek; there also came extreme feelings of accomplishment, joy and excitement. I was lucky to have an amazing group of people to experience the wonders and misery of Silver DofE with - and without them - I might still be lost somewhere in the vast terrain of the New Forest!
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