by Meghana Y10

On Saturday 6th July till Monday 8th July, 45 Year 10 students , completed their final Silver DofE expedition and came back feeling that they had done a splendid job; persevering together as a team overcoming obstacles, reading maps only using a compass and testing and proving their spatial awareness but, pushing and helping each other, showing strong determination to reach their end goal of getting their Silver DofE award. This expedition has proved to many of us that we are a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for and shows that being surrounded by the right people, your goals can be achieved.

Our expedition took place in the Cotswolds which, when many of us had heard about the landscape beforehand, worried us slightly knowing how vast the area was and how daunting some of the steep hills could be but were rewarded with the sights of the ethereal fields and views of the tops of the hills.

On the first morning of our expedition, everyone was slowly waking up as we got onto the bus but nevertheless prepared for the journey we would embark over the next three days, thanks to the teachers who have arranged meetings to inform us and checked our routes which we have planned but also helped us on our practice expedition and given us tips and how to use our tools at our disposal. We got off to a strong start with everyone geared up and we all set off. That morning there was a quite bit of rain, but it was nothing none of us couldn’t handle and we pushed through it, making our first goal to have lunch as quick as we could since we were already hungry from all the walking but mainly I believe everybody just wanted to reach camp at the end of the day to have a lovely hot meal and have a good snooze.

As we reached camp on the first day, everyone was relieved to have gotten through the first day in one piece after going up and down steep hills which made our legs hurt, especially with the weight of our bags resting on our hips and shoulders. Everyone one arrived at camp at different times but after resting for a few minutes we swiftly got up and pegged down our tents and got ready for the evening and lit up our stoves prepping for the warm food we desired, from people having pasta, to chili con carne to boil in bags of curry and rice, while also watching the UEFA Euro Cup with the teachers and everyone’s loud cheers when England won. The campsite had a beautiful view, especially when the sun began to set over the horizon, so some of us sat on the makeshift benches and logs and watched the sunset while snacking. After chatting, playing a few games and a few of us squealing at bugs, we all went to hit the hay, some having a rejuvenating sleep while others not so much but nonetheless got up the next day ready for what the second day of our expedition would throw at us.

The next day, we all woke up, freshened up and got organized, getting our stuff out of the tents, and packed away, and lit our stoves up again to cook our hot breakfast. Some consisted of porridge, others were of waffles and the few with all English breakfast Wayfarers and the odd person cooking their lunch fresh for the day. We all prepped ourselves, and headed over to our assessor with our day 2 route ,which  we had planned, and set off , belting songs at the top of our lungs, whether it be One Direction, Adele, Disney songs or even songs from musicals like SIX and Hamilton but it boosted our morale and made the walk more enjoyable, walking to the beat of the songs in our heads, even through the harsh downpour! We got to the camp on day 2 right on time and everyone had a deserving break, and we once again followed the routine, and got organized a lot more quickly now that we had fell into the rhythm and we had quite a bit of time before dinner, so we all chatted and braided each other’s hair. After dinner, some people continued to natter about their day, while many others played frisbee, catch, even duck duck goose like we were back in primary school. We were greeted by another stunning sunset and so Miss Sparke took a group photo of all of us with the sunset in the background and some other photos of the individual groups.

Day 3, everyone was prompt to get up and make a swift clear up at the camp and have breakfast, as this was our last day and all we wanted to do was to go home, and have a lovely hot shower to wash away the dirt and to relax our muscles and sleep in our comfortable bed for a whole week , though we couldn’t as we had to go to school the next day, but regardless we powered on through that day, having our slight competitive side come through with each other seeing who would make it back first, though it wasn’t a race, it  fired us up, and were pleased with the lack of rain showers during the day. Everyone reached our last checkpoint, where the buses were, all at various times, but within the same 2–3-hour window after the first group’s arrival. We all had a deserving break, and some ate a bit of their emergency rations as the expedition was now over, and of course going on our phones. Our assessor congratulated us, but alongside the whole expedition, each group had a goal to complete like to make a song or a poem or to devise a play based on the expedition which to everyone’s enjoyment and amusement, was an immense joy to create and watch seeing what the other groups had devised. From a DofE version of ‘Shake it off’ by Taylor Swift, to recreating Christmas carols at the start of July like ‘The First Day of Christmas’ and original poems and songs, cracking a laugh out of everyone including many of the teachers!

Overall this expedition, though it had been arduous for all of us, and we were absolutely exhausted at the end of it, it has been rewarding and the experience was completely unique, the sights being absolutely stunning, some of the views looked like something out of a book. At least we know where those authors from years ago and even now get their inspiration for their stories. We have created memories which we would cherish with our time with our friends, how we have grown closer, picked each other up and cheered each other on, while also being self-sufficient. This expedition was a step up from Bronze but was worth it. If there is a will there is a way.

Thank you to Miss Sparke, Mrs. Hunt, Miss Wells, Mr. Rushworth, Mr. Brasier, Mr. Holbrook, Mrs. Dorset-Bailey, Miss Kearns, Mrs. King, who all accompanied us and prepared us well for our final expedition.