Early on Saturday morning, Messrs Black, Drax, Wells and Dr Holmes took 28 boys in Year 10 in three minibuses to two start points 30 km apart in Teesdale. Boys set off in six teams down three different routes, each about 16 km long, in order to reach the same campsite seven hours later on the banks of the River Tees near Middleton-in-Teesdale.
They had spent several weeks training for this moment: weekly training sessions on navigation during the spring term, an all-day navigation exercise north of Ponteland and a two-day practice expedition on Hadrian’s Wall.
Two assessors had inspected the boys’ kit and tested their knowledge of their route cards prior to departure. The boys were also given different projects: Alpha and Bravo teams had to study the geology and two waterfalls on the River Tees; Charlie and Delta had to research Hannah Hauxwell and talk to farmers about sheep-farming; Echo and Foxtrot visited the church in Romaldskirk and examined hay barns.
Drizzle and mist made conditions difficult for Charlie and Delta when they negotiated high ground on the Pennine Way. Delta discovered that Hannah’s old house was on the market for half a million pounds.
After an exhausting nine hour slog to the campsite on day one, Foxtrot literally danced up the 17 kilometre route along the river to finish first on day two, with Echo in hot pursuit. Bravo let Alpha overtake while they supported a team member who decided reluctantly to pull out because of a leg injury. Mr Black was impressed by the way in which the boys handled the situation on a foggy hill top. Both teams completed the route. Late on Sunday afternoon, Charlie found geocache containing a poem by Horace that summed up the general mood in the three buses on the way home:
‘Happy the man and happy he alone He who can call today his own He who secure within can say – Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today’
Many thanks to the two assessors, John Lamb and Geoff Wilson, and to the DofE Leaders Mr Black, Mr Drax, Dr Holmes and Mr Wells.