Spring has finally arrived in North Yorkshire, and with the physical, skills and volunteering sections well underway, it is now time to get ready for the expedition season!

During our first DofE training session in 2022, our Bronze group have learnt how to cook a substantial meal on a Trangia camping cooker – we had a buffet of couscous, mac ‘n’ cheese, pasta pesto, jasmine rice, and pancakes with melted cheese, and I think they did a great job. The participants can now confidently set up and light the burners, and they know what food is good to take on expedition (we are not going for fresh salmon, eggs or salad leaves), and they got an idea of how to cook different foods. And, just in case, we talked about how to treat burns and scalds.

In the second session, for which we had glorious sunshine and almost summery weather, we practiced tent pitching. Some could make good use of family camping experience, whereas for others it was the first time they pitched a tent. However: In the end everybody had a tent up which would even satisfy the fiercest expedition assessor’s standards. And we even had some time left in which we tried out the rucksacks, and worked out how to adjust them, so that they can be carried comfortably.

What’s next? After the Easter holidays we will go for a day’s practice walk for, during which the group will practice their map reading and compass skills, and have a go at carrying a fully packed rucksack. The final training session will be all about first aid, and expedition safety in general.

And then all there is left to do is planning the practice and the qualifying expedition. So – watch this space for the expedition blog!

Regine Trotter, Duke of Edinburgh Manager