By Dr Howe (DofE Manager)

On Tuesday 26th May, our Lower Sixth students departed BGS to take on their four-day Duke of Edinburgh Gold practice expedition in the stunning Yorkshire Dales. Navigating, camping, and working as a team, this is a fantastic opportunity to build on the skills developed at Bronze and Silver level as they prepare for their assessed expedition in July.

The expedition proved to be a fantastic few days. With a range of weather conditions, stunning scenery, and a lot of determination, the students made great progress in developing the skills required to succeed. Gaining this ‘hands-on’ experience ensured they learned the importance of good navigation, packing the correct kit, and keeping their rucksacks as light as possible.

Imogen (Lower Sixth) reflected: “I found that this practice expedition was a real challenge for me, not only because of the vast amount of walking we were going to do, but also the unpredictable weather that continuously changed throughout.

“My favourite part of the whole trip was the fact that we climbed up Pen-y-Ghent it was so rewarding to look down and see how far we had come. I’d really recommend DofE Gold to those who feel that they want to push themselves both mentally and physically into things that may not necessarily feel comfortable but allow for an overwhelming amount of accomplishment.” 

We will be reflecting on this experience to ensure we are fully prepared for the qualifying expedition in the Lake District in July. The students and I are very grateful to Mr Bowden (Head of Physics) and Mrs Sadler (Head of History and Politics) for their time, expertise, and support in making this expedition possible.