On June 18th, 23 intrepid Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award participants set off for the expedition of a lifetime – 4 days trekking in the Nepal Himalayas in order to complete the Adventurous Journey section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
On June 18th, 23 intrepid Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award participants set off for the expedition of a lifetime – 4 days trekking in the Nepal Himalayas in order to complete the Adventurous Journey section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Accompanied by Dr Warren, Miss Norrie and Mr Hine, the students flew to Kathmandu whereupon many were surprised to discover that they would be organising the rest of the trip. Very quickly, students were allocated roles and responsibilities for the whole group, such as taking control of the budget, organising white water rafting, booking hotels and buses, buying the food and buying last minute pieces of equipment.
The journey was extremely challenging. The up and down nature of a mountainous region was very different to anything they had experienced previously and several had to be persuaded to continue after the first day’s steep 6 hour ascent followed by pitching tents after dark in the leech-infested padi field chosen as the camp site.
The day of white water rafting after the trek was a highlight for many as they were able to swim and paddle in the wide and at times very rough Nepalese river.
The life skills learnt when participating in the DofE are some of the most essential skills young people can learn to prepare them for life after school. Students are encouraged to enrol in the Award from Years 9 to 12 allowing them to develop resilience, confidence, determination, organisation and time management to name just a few of the benefits of taking part.
