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On the 3rd – 6th of April, 20 Gold Duke of Edinburgh students participated in their training expedition in the Peak District in preparation for their qualifying expedition in July.

The expedition comprised of the students going through a refresher course focusing on key elements of survival when spending numerous days outdoors: nutrition and cooking, map reading, route planning, and basic first aid in case of emergency. The Sixth Form students plotted their own routes for two walks; one being circular around Mam Tor, and the other ending in the Chatsworth Estate.

The first expedition around Mam Tor proved challenging for students, who faced extreme weather conditions including heavy rain and winds reaching 45mph across some summits, putting their map reading skills to the test. When students arrived at camp they put their skills into practice cooking up healthy nutritious meals, with one group more adventurous than others cooking a mass Thai Green Curry. 

On the students second day of walking, the sun came out and the group saw the true beauty of the PeakDistrict, with Geographers in awe of the sandstone and limestone peaks. The students all arrived on time,and had a great sense of pride on what they had accomplished.

The Adventure Expedition’s staff, and the Blenheim staff in attendance were all extremely impressed with our students’ determination and resilience to overcome the challenges they faced. We wish them the best of luck with the qualifying expedition.