Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Gold Award students enjoy a rainy but exciting weekend in the Peak District

Despite being up against some rather heavy rainfall over the weekend, our Duke of Edinburgh Gold and Silver participants have completed their expedition navigation training.

On Friday, seven Year 13 students completed their Gold expedition navigation training in the Peak District, a fun-filled day learning how to walk on a compass bearing which certainly came in useful in poor visibility! On Friday evening, the Gold students were joined by twenty seven Year 11 students (Silver) and stayed in school to cook their expedition evening meal. The Year 11s working towards their Silver DofE, also completed their planning for the final expedition in November using physical and digital maps. 

On Saturday, the Gold DofE group met to complete an 18km circular walk on Birchen Edge and around Big Moor, finding stone circles and ancient monuments, finishing at Eric Byne campsite to cook their evening meal. Meanwhile, the Silver groups met in Baslow and completed a 16km walk following either the River Derwent and then Curbar Edge; or Froggatt Edge and then White Edge to finish at Eric Byne campsite to cook. While the weather was not on our side as it rained all day long, the girls showed resilience, positivity, and determination!

To conclude their adventurous weekend, the Gold DofE group met at Ringinglow to walk over to Redmires and then onto Ladybower Reservoir whilst the Silver groups took a route from Wyming Brook to Ladybower Reservoir.

Over the weekend, all teams were ‘remotely supervised’ and had to complete the journey independently, meaning they had to make their own decisions including navigation, when and where to stop for lunch.

“I was so impressed with their unfaltering positive attitude and smiles. They were an utter joy to be around this weekend and the pouring rain didn’t seem to phase them one bit - they knew they just had to get stuck in and enjoy it.”
Mrs Rogers, Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator