Silver DofE Assessed Expedition

Miss Murray reports on a very successful Duke of Edinburgh expedition. “Having successfully completed their training and practice expedition in May, this year’s Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants arrived at school on Thursday 5th July eager and ready to get started on their assessed expedition: paddling down the River Wye from Hereford to Symonds Yat in the stunning Wye Valley.

They travelled by coach and arrived at Hereford Rowing Club campsite shortly before 8pm and were greeted by their WithDave expedition company instructors. After a quick briefing, the students set about erecting their tents and organising camp. Once this was done, the Silvers enjoyed some free time before bed. A good night’s sleep was vital in preparation for a long day of journeying ahead.

 

 

The students were up early on Friday morning and keen to get going on their first day of their expedition. Each group worked together to prepare and eat breakfast and disassemble their camping areas. They packed their kit into drybags and put their tents, equipment, and kit into water-tight barrels. They put on their buoyancy aids, which were then safety checked and adjusted. Group by group, the Silvers carried their barrels and canoes across the campsite to the launching area at the edge of the river. The instructors made sure the paddlers were confident about their route and knew where the instructors would be checkpointing them along the way. Once fully prepared, the first group were ready to start their adventure.

 

The first leg of the route was a 26km journey through the beautiful Wye Valley countryside. It was strenuous work, and the sun was hot and relentless, but despite this, the students were able to appreciate the peace and beauty of their surroundings and the wildlife they were sharing it with. One by one, during Friday early evening, the groups began to appear in the distance, paddling towards the second campsite at Hoarwithy. They arrived hot and exhausted and grateful to be able to climb out of their canoes onto dry land after an arduous, yet rewarding, day. Due to the late arrival at camp, the evening passed quickly. After dinner and after clearing up, the Silvers were more than ready to get into their sleeping bags for a second night’s sleep under the stars.

 

 

Saturday morning started early again and the Silver groups quickly and efficiently began their morning routine. In contrast to the previous morning, the weather had turned wet and grey, so hats and sun cream were replaced by waterproofs, as they set off again, this time their destination was Ross-on-Wye. By the time the students reached camp, the weather had improved, and they were able to set up camp in the sunshine. In addition to their tents, they also erected tarpaulin shelters to sit beneath should the weather become wet again (which it did!). Once the students had completed their evening tasks, they began work in their groups preparing a presentation for their expedition aim.

At the Silver level of the award, groups must agree on a suitable aim for their expedition. An aim can be anything that they observe, measure or create during their experience and the presentation is an opportunity for them to share their observations and investigations. It was a great pleasure to watch the groups deliver their presentations to me and one of the instructors. The groups had chosen interesting aims, which included reflecting on the environment, observing and counting different species of wildlife and understanding triggers for changes in their moods and emotions throughout the trip. They all presented their group aims in a thoughtful, but amusing way, and we particularly enjoyed the animal mimes and tales of grumpy fishermen.

Sunday morning heralded the final day of travelling, and the Silvers were keen to begin, their thoughts already full of home, a delicious home-cooked meal (or even better, a takeaway!) and their comfortable beds. All groups made swift work of decamping and setting off and were delighted when they reached the halfway checkpoint. At around 3pm, the first tired but elated team arrived at the final destination: Symonds Yat. The other groups followed shortly after and the thrill of successfully completing a three-day expedition was made even greater when they spotted an ice cream stand near the jetty. After portaging their canoes and kit to a grassy space, they quickly demolished ice-creams. The groups had a debriefing from their instructors before clambering aboard the coach bound for home.

I am incredibly proud of the Silvers for their efforts over the weekend. They faced and conquered a challenging journey and showed, throughout, an impressive team spirit and camaraderie. I look forward to them all completing their volunteering, physical and skills sections of the award and achieving the Silver DofE Award they have worked so hard towards.

Miss Helen Murray