Duke of Edinburgh preliminary expedition

Last weekend, 21 Year 9 boys took part in the second DofE preliminary expedition near Keswick in the Lake District. Like the first ‘taster’ weekend last year, the boys were given a taste of the challenge and benefits of living and coping out in the open to encourage them to sign up for the DofE Bronze award in Year 10 next September.

First each of the seven 3-man tent groups pooled their £5 allowance given by to buy their food supplies in a supermarket in Keswick. From there, they carried their rucksacks, including all the food they had bought, on a 12 kilometre route out of Keswick, up over Catbells, with spectacular views over Derwent Water, and down into the campsite at Hollows Farm, overlooked by the Tolkien-like tower of rock and slate called Castle Crag. Forced by tremendous winds to follow an alternative path below the summit,  the boys reached the campsite early, set up their tents and learned how to cook their evening meal using a trangia stove. Having gorged on pasta and meatballs, instructors led the boys up Castle Crag to visit the hermit’s cave that used to be a slate quarry. The next day, after a hearty breakfast cooked on the trangias and then several attempts during the cooking pots inspection to meet the instructor’s Skiddaw high standards of cleanliness, the boys hiked back to the lake to catch the ferry to Keswick. Many thanks to our two mountain leaders, Rob and Ash, to Miss Gott, Mr Thompson and to Mr Drax.