DofE Bronze Practice Expedition

Over a weekend in mid-March, 150 students took part in the Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition, where our groups hiked for 10 hours over gruelling terrain from Dr Challoner’s to Paccar Scout Camp, and all the way back again.

We left Dr Challoner’s in the morning and hiked for 5 hours, passing roads, parks and through numerous woodlands. We put into practice our orienteering skills whilst also using teamwork and communication to ensure we did not get lost too badly, and eventually ended up at the correct campsite. We had a few short breaks but they did not do much to break up the seemingly interminable hike, but we pushed through and got there in the end to Paccar.

The following day, we woke up to a frosty morning, and departed camp in the early hours of the morning. At first, we passed some allotments and a high street full of early morning errand runners, but soon we once again found ourselves on rocky terrain before shortly arriving at yet more woodland. We then traipsed all the way back through the countryside and climbed back up, exhausted, to Dr Challoner’s.

There are lots of things we learnt from our practice expedition and we are all eagerly awaiting the upcoming Qualifying Expedition in May!