Our adventurous Year 12 girls headed off for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition at the end of March at White Peak in England’s Peak District.

Up at the crack of dawn and rearing to go, the excited Year 12 students boarded the coach bound for the White Peak, a limestone plateau that forms the central and southern part of the Peak District in England and is mostly between 270 metres and 430 metres above sea-level.

Split into 4 walking groups, the girls had a kit check and left a sunny Tittesworth reservoir on the edge of the spectacular Peak District National Park. Little did they know at the time, that over the next four days they would have to endure soaking wet and cold conditions which would test their skills of resilience, collaboration, stamina and problem solving to the extreme.

The group displayed excellent teamwork skills throughout, real strength of character against a backdrop of persistent precipitation, they were mostly drenched, and they built up more advanced navigational skills each day. A particular highlight of the trip was setting up camp each night and cooking endless packets of Wayfarers food. Nalgene bottles, which double as drinking bottles, kept them warm overnight and endless supplies of sweets motivated and energised the group during the day.

Over the four day stretch the team gained a wealth of practical knowledge about pacing, the importance of trusting your compass bearings and taking it in turns to navigate the group. They are all looking forward to being assessed in July in the Dark Peaks.