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The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award

The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award is an award you earn once you have completed six months of either learning a new skill, undertaking a physical activity or volunteering in the community. Once selected, you then spend three months completing the two categories remaining. When this is completed all participants go on a two day expedition. 

Twenty-three Abbs Cross year 9 students set out to complete the expedition at Riffhams Scout Camp in Chelmsford. We arrived at 8am and once everyone was there Mr O’Shea and the other assessors led the group to base camp where we were all given maps and compasses. We set off in a staggered formation. My group heading out in an anti-clockwise direction towards checkpoint five. To reach it safely we had to usd our map and compass skills and stay in our group. 

At each check point a member of staff was there to register us. We rested for at least 10 minutes at every checkpoint, filled up our water bottles, refuelled and prepared for the next section of the hike. 

The whole DofE cohort met up at checkpoint 3 to have lunch together and share tales of the expedition so far. After lunch, it was onto checkpoint 2 and a final push back to base camp. The whole day’s hiking took my group a gruelling six-hours. 

When we got back to camp we used the skills we had learned in our training sessions to put up our tents and cook a warm meal using a Trangia stove. Around 6pm everyone was having dinner and then we cleaned up our kit and made sure all of the stove pieces were present. When it started to get dark, Mr O’Shea built a campfire and shared out marshmallows and digestive biscuits so we could create s’mores, which made for a well-earned treat after a hard day walking. Whilst we were eating, the different groups shared key events of the day. These ranged from the different species of birds that were spotted, soundtracks to describe the hike and a ghost story. 

The next day we were up and having breakfast by 8am - tents were packed away and the camp cleaned. Aching and slightly tired we left for another day’s hike. 

Exhausting? Yes, but a wonderful experience that we will not forget!