Duke of Edinburgh

  This weekend it was Group 2 who had their training. We met at school early Saturday morning and set up the new Tri-space tents specifically bought with expeditions in mind. Rehearsing  camp-craft skills including; stoves, rucksack packing, and tent erection made for a more professional and organised approach on arrival at a very busy, Rowsley camp site. After lunch we headed into the area of East Moor in the White Peak where we concentrated on pacing and walking on a bearing....

This Weekend of training for the Canoe Gold groups was all about fine tuning the systems that the pupils would need for their practice and qualifying expeditions in the summer. These two days concentrated on the journeying aspects of an expedition. These included packing full expedition kit into their canoes, trying out (and testing!)various carrying and waterproofing  systems, paddling a fully loaded boats over the expedition daily distance, streamlining group and individual tasks and work...

The forecasted rain had arrived during Friday night and early Saturday morning and with it a marked drop in temperature. The campsite at Low Wray on the banks of Lake Windermere looked a little empty and careworn, this was the first weekend of business for this spring and repairs were still underway from the huge floods at the end of last year.  Soon I had paddled my way to the group shelter where breakfast was cooked with the 8 pupils who had made the trip, despite the weather tea...

The Gold Duke of Edinburgh award is, in my opinion, one of the hardest things I have done.  It tested my body, my mental endurance and my friendships, all in an attempt to better yourself and for an unbelievable experience. It was Monday morning, about 7:00 and the group (Simon, Josh, Laura, Kalvin and myself) started to slowly, very slowly, assemble on the school car park.  All but one had arrived.  When everyone was in place, we set off to Stansted Airport. Once we arrived at the airp...

Gold D of E Canoe training Hike Ben Hall & Michael Wells During hikes a group of willing lower sixth departed on the first stage of their gold Duke of Edinburgh training. This comprised of the group first heading off to Darley Abbey near Derby to do some initial skills, especially capsizing drills. As most people will agree the water was slightly below the temperature of the Atlantic sea, and spending a large amount of time in this we became rather chilly. This made it even more i...