Written by Hailey, Year 9
On Saturday 13th May, we went on our first Duke of Edinburgh’s Award training and planning expedition. It was a very fruitful and valuable experience.
We stayed at the Hill End Outdoor Education Centre for the first day to learn the various skills required, including setting up tents, using stoves and learning how to navigate. Under the guidance of the staff from Zest for Adventure, we learnt how to read maps and planned our routes and meals for the qualifying expedition. At night, we cooked our own dinners and slept in tents. To a lot of us, it was our first time camping, making it a really memorable experience.
On the second day, we put our map reading and navigation skills to the test, we went on a supervised big walk around the reservoir and villages by the campsite. With heavy rucksacks on our backs, we trundled through the footpaths and pavements, as well as worked through the various checkpoints on the way. Although it was exhausting, we learnt a lot and had a wonderful time!
