12 October 2020
Forty seven Year 10 students enthusiastically undertook their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice expedition last weekend. With the expedition having been cancelled in the spring due to COVID-19, the students were more than ready for the challenge and the DoE instructors were very happy with the revised plan of camping in Woldingham’s grounds.
The students got straight down to kit on the morning of Saturday 10 October. Once this was complete, they repacked their bags and set off on their first hike, applying their map reading skills learnt earlier in the year. Back at school in the afternoon they pitched tents on Orchard Field – 47 of them, as they were all in single-person tents - and cooked dinner on their stoves. Retiring fairly early after their busy day helped most, if not quite all, find it easy to get up early on Sunday morning to cook breakfast. After cleaning stoves, packing away their tents into their rucksacks they embarked on day-long walks, half starting at school, and half from a spot several miles away. There were some ‘adventures’ along the way but they all successfully navigated themselves to their respective end points. They all finished a little tired but having had lots of fun and fresh air over the weekend in the company of friends and feeling deservedly proud of their achievements.