Last weekend, 17 boys in Year 11 did their DofE Silver practice expedition. Eleven went canoeing down the River Tyne near Hexham while the other six walked up Swaledale. Weather conditions tested their mettle but all completed the expedition and they are now ready to tackle the three day qualifying expeditions in June – the walkers will go to the Lake District near Keswick and the canoeists will paddle down the River Tweed from Peebles to the sea.
What did they learn? “Never, ever, ever paddle on the same side of the canoe” said one canoeist ruefully and then added “calm down when you get stuck to a rock”. Another said “never attempt to paddle upstream in a gale force wind”. The canoeists worked in pairs and learned the differing roles between the front and back of the canoe. Many boys were surprised by the pace of the river.
The walkers were drenched on the first day and some regretted not having packed their sleeping bag in a dry bag inside their rucksack. They also learned that in poor conditions like those they encountered, the first priority is to get the tent up. The mountain leader instructor got up three times during Saturday night to check that the tents had not been blown over by the powerful gusts of wind.
Many thanks to Allen and Mike from the Simonside Outdoor Adventure Centre, Rob O’Connor and to Mr Tucker, Miss Jackson, Mr Henderson and Mr Smith.