10 June 2024
Ella A, Year 10
At the start of the half term break, a group of us in Year 10 completed a practice expedition for our Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the New Forest in Hampshire. We were surprised by the vast number of wild horses we saw. It seemed that at every turn there was a foal with its parents, each more adorable than the last.
We had our waterproofs ready because it was forecast to rain. Luckily, however, we were in our tents before the downpour began and discovered there’s no more relaxing way to head for sleep than while listening to the rain.
On the last of the three days, each group managed to stop at the exact same spot for a break, so we decided to have lunch together. That was probably my favourite part of the whole expedition - everyone laughing and sharing food together, just a few hours from the end.
In my opinion, the hardest thing about the DofE expedition is getting your sleeping bag back into its case. The walking was fine, particularly when your group can make you laugh and keep you going, as ours did.
I can say with absolute certainty, if you get the chance to do DofE at least once in your lifetime, you should take it, even if you’re ‘not outdoorsy’. DofE teaches you so many things about yourself, your friends, and the world around us, as well making you forget about problems you may have elsewhere while you’re really getting stuck into the task at hand.
