Writes Lucian H. (L6th)
Amid this summer’s scorching heat came a week of cloud at the beginning of July. It was a relief to see the forecast showing temperatures in the twenties, not the thirties!
Our DofE Silver expedition took place in the Peak District. My small team of 4 was comprised of Ben Y. (L6th), Neel K. (L6th), Ollie H. (L6th) and myself. During the journey north, we plotted our route and stopped at a Tesco to buy food supplies. Oreos, Haribo’s, Bourbons, marshmallows, rice, pasta and more – it was fair to say we wouldn’t be short of food.
Our starting point was at the northern tip of Ladybower Reservoir. Day 1 offered us some relatively steep ascents and descents through woodlands and a valley, as well as a long walk across a ridgeway, from which we could see the rolling hills of the Peak District. With snacks and sunny intervals, I must say we were quite comfortable. Perhaps a little too comfortable.
At some point along the ridgeway, we suddenly realised we might have missed our turning onto a lower path which should have taken us down the slope. Had we gone too far or had we simply underestimated the distance? In reality, we had no idea. After failing to employ the surroundings to accurately inform us, we decided to assume that we had gone too far. Deciding not to take the more sensible option of retracing our steps, we climbed straight down part of the slope. With heavy rucksacks, a steep gradient and a good dose of bushwhacking, this was a challenge, especially as we went too far down and had to climb part of the way back up!
Thirty minutes later, we had found our path and were back on track, although still somewhat disorientated. We were sweaty, tired and given the sun’s low position in the sky, feared the need to continue in the dark. Fortunately for us, the remainder of the day turned out to be a breeze by comparison. We descended into a small town and then into the nearby campsite – Pindale Farm. A quick tent and Trangia setup later, we were cooking our hearty peri-peri chicken and rice and roasting marshmallows. We met a few other groups on DofE expeditions, including a Scouts group on their Gold practice expedition with whom we enjoyed a good laugh and a few rounds of cards and ‘Imposter’ before bed.
The next morning, we quickly had breakfast and packed up. Day 2 was our only full day hiking, and we spent much of it alongside the River Derwent. Blessed with minimal elevation gain, a fresh breeze and a straightforward route (we vouched to pay a little more attention to the map), Day 2 was considerably easier. Thanks to Day 2’s short distance, we could afford to take lengthy breaks during our hike. We stopped by the River Derwent for lunch, skipped stones, met some amusing farm animals, shared snacks and enjoyed each other’s company, and even spent some time by a level crossing where the boys allowed me to fulfil a passion for train spotting.
The campsite for the second night was North Lees campsite. We arrived in comfortable time to pitch our tents for the night. Upon arrival, we were greeted with downpour; I guess even during a drought there’s no way of escaping a wet DofE expedition! Like our practice in March, we had chicken and rice on Night 1 and pasta on Night 2. Unlike our practice in March, we decided to be adventurous on the second night. Neel K. (L6th) and I ventured out for crab pasta while Ben Y. (L6th) and Ollie H. (L6th) tried pasta with chicken in cream sauce. I can assure you they were not as appetising as they sound! To wash away the taste, we roasted our second bag of marshmallows and enjoyed the night with other fellow DofE groups and some Dobble in the tent.
Day 3 was our final day. In an endeavour to finish early and head home, we packed up quickly and left camp. We had a steep ascent to start, which took us up to Stanage Edge, near Robin Hood’s Cave! We walked along the impressive escarpment, enjoying the expansive views and the refreshing yet strong wind. We were in good spirits; having eaten most of our food, our rucksacks were light, which also allowed us to move along faster.
Through the fields and country lanes of Ughill we finished up our remaining snacks and enjoyed some on-the-go karaoke together, before arriving at our finishing point – Low Bradfield. It was an amazing feeling to finally release our rucksacks after 3 days, knowing we had accomplished our DofE Silver expedition. Whilst waiting for the tents to dry, we even managed to catch a photo with the one and only Joe Root! He just so happened to walk into the field we were having our debrief in, where he was bringing his son to play in a local cricket tournament!
Thanks to Mr. Firestone and Mr. Shirley for facilitating our expedition and supporting us throughout our Silver Award.
