A challenge in the Brecon Beacons for Duke of Edinburgh students!

Duke of Edinburgh coordinator Mrs Kirby reports on the recent Gold and Silver Duke of Edinburgh expeditions in the Brecon Beacons:

We had a fabulous five days of very warm dry walking in the Brecon Beacons. On Thursday 11th July, the group travelled to Brecon for kit checks and acclimatization. On Friday morning, thirty four Year 10 Silver award students and six Year 12 Gold students began their expedition on the hills. They all worked hard to navigate the new environment and overcome the strenuous hill climbs that led to their camps. All students cooked their evening meals and set up camp. Two more glorious days of walking for the Silver groups and 3 further days for the Gold group ensued. The Silver students completed their expedition at Cadarn Bunk House, with sore feet at the conclusion of their achievement! It was here they spent the final day planning their expedition reports and presenting them to the staff and fellow students. Each expedition has to have an aim; this year we saw themes of "Impact of man on the environment", "How accurate was the weather forecast?" "Geology and landforms of the Brecon Beacons" and "Bird watching". Thirty three students completed their Silver expedition, thirteen of whom have now completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Gold group made great time on their final day with two students, Emilie and Hannah, completing their qualifying expedition and the other four students intending to do their qualifying expedition abroad next year. We look forward to hearing Emilie and Hannah's expedition report soon.

It was a fabulous trip. Thank you to all staff and parent volunteers who came to make sure the trip went smoothly. (Mr Taylor, Mrs Guirguis, Isabelle Hems, Norman Leinster, Simon Benson, Richard Shires and Mark Leveridge.)

A special mention is due to Mark Leveridge who has now completed 50 volunteer days on expedition, and many more hours helping pack and unload minibuses, checking route cards, planning training routes and much more. The school is very grateful for such tremendous support from our parents and the school community.

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