Duke of Edinburgh taster expedition for Year 9

25 boys in Year 9 spent two days – a Friday and a Saturday – in the Lake District with Mountain leaders from Simonside Outdoor Adventure. For some this was the first time that they had cooked outside or spent the night in a tent. By walking and camping overnight, the boys would find out what the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme was like. On Friday morning, the party drove straight to a large supermarket in Keswick. Each boy was allocated a tent group and then given £5 to spend with their tent group on enough food for a lunch, evening meal and breakfast. The party then drove to the campsite in Seathwaite, sorted out their wet weather kit and set off up a steep and slippery path on a a 7km hike to Watendlath and back. One boy dug deep to climb to the top and received a warm welcome when he reached the lunch stop at Watenlath Tarn, while his close friends remained by his side till the end of the walk. It gave everyone a real taste of what the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme is all about.

Once back in camp, the boys were shown how to put up a three-man tent and how to use Trangia cookers to cook their evening meal. The next day, after a hearty breakfast, they packed up and went around Derwent Water on the steamer under a blazing sun before heading back to school. The boys were: James B, Robbie B, Oscar B, Harry C, Ben G, Omar H, Finlay H, Lewis H, Matthew J, George M, Oliver N, Harry N, Christie O, Alex O, Mason P, Aryan R, Jake R, Josh R, Max R, Sebastian S, Oliver T, Daniel W, Benn W, Xavier W, Anis L. Many thanks to the two mountain leaders and to Mr Drax, Mr Smith and Miss Thompstone for supporting the expedition.