The last 5 days have been spent working with a group of 6th Form pupils from Oswestry School, preparing them for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Out of the group of seven, several were direct entrants, whilst others had quite a bit of experience already. Those new to hill walking found themselves on a steep learning curve with a great deal to learn about clothing, equipment, camping, food, emergency procedures, navigation as well as simply looking after themselves in the outdoor environment.

The first 2 days were a combination of classroom discussions and day walks. A lot of time was spent concentrating on map work, and all members of the group developed their skills significantly. The fine weather lulled some into a false sense of security, as it was not to last. The following 3 days saw us head into the Berwyns for a 2 night expedition, which was a great test of navigation skills as we spent a lot of time in the cloud with visibility down to 20m at times. We found ourselves off route a couple of times, but the group did really well in forming a plan to relocate themselves effectively.

Not only did we have the cloud to contend with, but the rain came in abundance on the first evening and the following day. However, the rain did ease off when the temperature dropped during the second night and the rain was replaced by snow! All in all, it was quite a testing couple of days, particularly for those new to the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, but I was impressed by how they kept each other going when things got difficult.