On Friday 25^th June, 22 5^th Form pupils (4 DofE walking groups) dragged themselves away from their restful exam leave to do their silver DofE qualifying expedition on Exmoor.

Following a pre-expedition meal of take-away pizza at our idyllic campsite; Exe Valley Campsite near Dulverton on Friday evening, all settled down for a good night’s sleep. The campsite was basic for the pupils, offering no shower facilities, however, pupils were thrilled to be pitching their tents alongside a beautiful stream in which a good number could not resist a dip.  

Day 1 had groups leave the campsite and undertake a 20km route in a loop to the west of the campsite. Most groups were out of camp by 0830, and enjoying perfect walking conditions of around 18 degrees celsius and not a drop of rain in sight. Navigation was of a much higher standard to that seen on the practice, showing that much had been learnt about using a map and compass. That said, it turned out to be a long day in all, with most groups not getting back much before 6pm.

Day 2 was deliberately supposed to be the shortest walk of the 3 days, allowing for the conserving of energy for the challenging final day. This time, groups were sent on an easterly loop of the site, which involved a few tough hills and some complex navigation. The weather, however, was not quite what it had been, and as the day wore on, things started to feel increasingly damp. Luckily, it wasn’t until later in the afternoon that the rain arrived. So the challenge quickly became trying to keep dry. Again, all pupils did very well on the walk.

Day 3 began after a night of heavy rain, during which there was limited sleep. Pupils, however, dug deep and managed to be up and ready for the final adventure soon after 7am. Groups were then bussed to a point around 8km north of the campsite and dropped just south of Dunkery Beacon. The subsequent route then took groups up and over Dunkery Beacon; the highest point on Exmoor; and down some steep, rugged moorland towards Porlock Weir. Navigation proved to be a real challenge given heavy fog and continued rain, however, the groups by now were working with terrific teamwork and cool-headedness. And although misty, the tranquillity and beauty of the landscape through which they passed did not go unnoticed. All groups finally made it to Porlock Weir by 3.30pm, in time for a group-by-group debrief from the assessor and an ice-cream as they peered out to sea.

All pupils were outstanding throughout, both in terms of their individual and collective performances. Many regularly commented that they felt they had learnt a huge amount from the experience on both a personal and on a skills level. Particular mention must go to group 1’s permanently positive/chatty approach, group 2’s mesmerizingly improved navigation, group 3’s speed and efficiency and group 4’s stoicism and resilience. This silver qualifying expedition brought to an exciting end a very busy term of 4 DofE expeditions (silver & gold) here at King’s.

Mr Loveless would like to thank all pupils and the staff who helped make this trip such a success; Miss Flavell, Mr Thompson, Miss McLeod-Ash and our external assessor David Hamlin (Somerset DofE and Sexeys).

Tom Loveless - DofE Leader

Flickr album: DofE Silver Exmoor - 25th to 28th June 2021 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin