On the 1st of July of 2019 Johannes, Kian, Flora, Olivia and I started our Qualifying Duque of Edinburgh Silver Expedition. We had done practice expeditions before so we had an idea of what would happen but we where all still very nervous.
We walked about 18km a day during 3 days and camped in 2 different campsites with basic facilities. The group started the expedition with a lot of energy and enthusiasm however we must admit this run out throughout the expedition.
Our day life was pretty basic, we walked and walked and walked and stopped for one or two naps. We were pretty efficient in our map reading we took turns to lead the team and everything went pretty smoothly.
At the camping we frequently complained about our soar feet and anxiously waited for dinner time. Every evening after putting up the tent we practice yoga hopping that we would feel less soar in the morning.
A side from aiming to finish the expedition we aimed to review the North York Moors National Park’s byways. To complete this task, we recorded grid references and recorded some feedback to then share with the National Park.
We all worked very well in our group and enjoyed the expedition very much we recommend all students to take part in the Duke of Edinburg Award.
by Jimena
Food and Meals
My favourite part of the DofE Expedition was clearly the food. Johannes, my tent-mate, and I created a unique meal-plan, mainly consisting of bread and cured meat. Four loafs of bread and salamis, nine cans of tuna, two packs of pesto pasta and more goodies made every meal special and almost perfect. The three girls, Jimena, Olivia and Flora had also cooperated in preparation of the meal times. A plan of vegan food with ingredients cooked before the expedition and from cans made up for their nutrition.
by Kian
The Most Challenging Part
For me, the orienteering part was the hardest thing about the whole expedition, because I had never done it before. We took turns in reading the map everyday and helped each other out. But we still got lost at times, especially because the paths in the National Park aren’t always easy to find… All in all, it was still a lot of fun and we were all glad when we finally arrived at the campsite after 8 hours of walking.
by Flora
Johannessen’s review
I think the DofE expedition with its 2 practice walks were a very nice experience. Searching the route, walking through hidden nature spots and sleeping in a tent are an unforgettable experience. I am very happy I took part in the award.
A pleasant part as well, was to discover and share the experience with the other participants. It was nice to share meal times and cook together and get to know each other better. Since we spent the whole expedition with each other, we had a lot of time to talk about our lives at home, at school and other random topics. I think everyone enjoyed the conversations and discussions that came up during the hike.
Nevertheless, it was a big pleasure to be back at home and lay in bed.
by Johannes
Olivia’s Favourite Part
My favourite part of DofE was on a night when all of the group was together and we could cook our meals together and relax before another day of walking. This was also my favourite part, because we could discuss things I never normally would and also get to know people that I normally wouldn’t hang around with.
by Olivia