Gold Award DofE pupils complete their qualifying expedition

May 26th 2025

At the beginning of half term, twelve pupils made the long journey to the Lake District to complete their qualifying expedition for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards. After weeks of beautiful sunshine and warm weather, we were greeted by signs warning of the dangers of starting fires or cooking and the lack of fresh water sources on the tops of the mountains. The first day reflected this weather, with incredible scenery, challenging routes, and high spirits. Despite a long and tiring day, all pupils made it to our wild camp site. The weather, unfortunately, took a dramatic turn overnight with gale force winds and driving rain making for a restless night. Due to worsening conditions, the decision was taken to drop to lower altitude to avoid the worst of the weather, which did little to raise morale amongst the group. Three more days with wet and windy conditions and wet and heavy kit proved a substantial challenge to the group, but with some incredible grit and determination they all made it through and passed their expeditions. Whilst they were seriously beaten and exhausted by the conditions, I couldn't be more proud of their efforts; they have definitely earned their expedition pass the hard way!