Writes Pranay P. (L6th)
Over the half-term break, ten Lower-Sixth students embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award practice expedition in the Brecon Beacons. With four days of hiking, three nights of camping, and temperatures reaching an unrelenting 32°C, we knew we were in for a challenging few days in the Welsh mountains.
Day 1
Our expedition began with preparation rather than hiking. After the long drive from Sandy Lodge, we finally reached the campsite where we spent the day finalising route cards, mapping, organising equipment, and preparing meals for the days ahead. Whilst many of us had dreams of cooling off in a nearby waterfall, the swim remained firmly on our wish list as we rested up for the long next few days ahead.
Days 2–3
The real challenge began as we set off into the Brecon Beacons. Battling steep ascents, rough terrain, and intense sunshine, the team quickly discovered that even four packets of Haribo were no match for the terrain we faced. The highlight came when we successfully summited three peaks in a single day: Pen y Fan (886m), the highest mountain in southern Britain, alongside Cribyn and Corn Du. It was a great achievement alone, to climb all three peaks in less than seven hours, but with 18kg on our backs, the feeling at the summit was one of immense accomplishment and pride.
A particular highlight of the expedition was descending the Graig Fan Ddu ridge. The extremely steep terrain left us with little choice but to carefully follow the rocky path down towards camp. When we finally reached the base of the mountain, we turned around to look at the route we had taken and were astonished by just how steep it was. Despite our aching legs, thoughts quickly turned to the Uncle Ben’s rice waiting in our rucksacks to be cooked!
Day 4
The final day presented a different kind of challenge. Some of the paths on our planned route had seen little recent use, leaving sections completely overgrown by long grass and vegetation. This forced us to undertake some cross-country navigation, purely using our compass and bearings to walk East for what felt like hours!
Eventually, after four days of hiking and three nights under canvas, the finish point was in sight. However, the final 2km was by far the scariest part of the expedition. The team had to meander their way around a rocky path, over waterfalls, with an 80m drop to the left of us – the route perfectly summing up our DofE gold experience!
To round off an unforgettable week in the Welsh sunshine, the expedition concluded in the best way possible: a well-earned meal at Nando’s. After days of ration packs and camp cooking, it was the perfect ending to a fantastic Gold DofE practice expedition and excellent preparation for the qualifying expedition to come.
Thank you to Mr Firestone and Mr Shirley for accompanying us during the trip and for their continued support throughout.
