The Year 12 Gold Training Expedition was a picturesque hike through the Lake District National Park, which took place over four days. We arrived at the Chapel House Farm camp site full of excitement and apprehension for the days of navigation ahead.
Firstly, we were tasked with assembling the tents, the teamwork shown encapsulated the comradery that the Duke of Edinburgh scheme strives to promote. Following this, we met with the expedition trainer and assessor Jon from ATNE, who showed the group the 14km route they would follow along the beautiful rivers that intertwine through the forests.
After a challenging day full of navigational work, we were then tasked with cooking our food using gas stoves where the quality was nothing short of Michelin star rated. We spent some time in the evening playing football and cricket after a day full of walking.
The second day started with a sharp rise at 7:30 am, where after a quick breakfast Jon sent the group of on a 6km walk to a checkpoint where they began the 801-metre ascent to the top of Green Gable, which was challenging to say the least. The trail back to civilisation was bliss with the beautiful Derwentwater and the Irish Sea.
The third day saw a change of campsite and a 23km walk over the everchanging terrain of the Lake District. The morale of the group was still high when navigating the landscape which saw the group venture through forests, up steep hills and many over many farmers fields. The new campsite was located next to a tranquil river, with the farmhouse dog making the experience even better after a challenging and gruelling day of navigation and endurance.
The final day came with much delight to us, with the prospect of returning to civilisation, having the use of services and sleeping in a bed. The final day was a blissful walk following a stream before following a 3km horse path up onto the summit of a hill before re-uniting with the teaching staff and the comfort of the minibus where we were encouraged to open windows - for obvious reasons.
Overall, the group walked an impressive 82.21 km over the four days, all of which were full of comradery and laughter. We are looking forward to putting the skills we learnt into action in our assessed expedition in July.
Inigo Keeper-Redshaw
Year 12
