Another DoE Expedition
From the 9th to the 11th October, multiple small groups of Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh students went on an expedition across Shropshire. We all camped for two nights and spent three days walking across the many hills that Shropshire has to offer. Famous places we covered: The Long Mynd, the Stiperstones, and Hope Bowdler Hill. We had to be fully prepared for the expedition meaning we needed to be responsible for things like packing our own food, clothes, tent, sleeping bag, etc.
This expedition was just a practice and our main expedition will be held sometime near April 2022, where we will all have to make sure we travel a certain distance each day (for Silver DoE students it’s 16 km a day, for three days).
DoE is definitely a worthwhile experience at Concord because we get to see the beauty that Shropshire has to offer and learn many new skills – even though there is a slight chance we may get lost ha-ha!
Adam – Form 5
Silver DofE Reflections
After several months of waiting, the Duke of Edinburgh Silver group had finally finished their assessment expedition. Despite the group members facing a variety of difficulties and inconveniences like social distancing, walking in the cold rain and deep mud, they still managed to accomplish the assessment and received their silver certifications! And here is the short story of their expedition:
On the morning of 17th October, the Silver Duke of Edinburgh group ventured on their assessed expedition. There two groups of Form 5s and a group of 6.1s took part in an expedition that spanned over two nights and three days.
Our hike started in Montgomery, Wales and the day went fairly smoothly – a build up for the harder navigation and longer routes on days 2 and 3. Day 2 required a trek around Croyden Hill, a tricky route full of overgrown thorns and bushes that blocked some of the paths. After two days of tackling numerous steep hills whilst carrying heavy rucksacks (containing tents, food, water, clothing, and other kit), we mustered all our energy and ended the expedition on a high note.
We were fortunate to enjoy mostly great weather during the day, although it drizzled a bit from time to time. However, the temperatures reached close to zero on some nights. It was an interesting experience camping at school on the Hall Meadow, as normally we would have gone to a campsite. To boost our moods, our teachers organised a campfire, where we toasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate.
We are thankful for all the teachers that have helped us and guided us, allowing us to complete our expedition.
DofE Silver Team
Duke of Edinburgh – March 2019
It’s always good fun going on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Whether it’s the Friday night shopping in Sainsbury’s, the writing of route cards or maybe just spending time with friends, DofE always proves entertaining. This particular trip was an opportunity for us to develop our teamwork, map-reading and navigation skills, and more importantly, to help us prepare for our practice expedition this coming weekend.
We left Saturday morning and the early March weather treated us with some (not so) beautiful rain and wind… But we were prepared. Wrapped in Gore-Tex and cotton, we tackled the volatile climate with teamwork and smiles. Navigation duties were rotated around the group and soon, we were on a roll. After discovering an impressive series of dried-up lakes and reeds, we completed our tour of the Long Mynd and returned to the minibus which brought us to the magnificent, warm Bridges Youth Hostel.
After setting down our things, organising our rooms and getting ‘destroyed’ at chess, we started to cook our food. We made good use of our Trangias; Noah and Máté reheated some succulent pre-prepared chicken, Saad and Mohamed enjoyed their Halal options and Richie and I indulged in our chicken soup and pesto pasta. Shortly after, it was time to sleep.
In the morning, somehow in even wetter conditions than the day before, we powered home, aided by the delicious cooked breakfast we had had at the youth hostel. We felt reenergised from our good night’s sleep too. Muddy, wet and cold, we arrived at the Stiperstones carpark. We were triumphant and cheerful though. It was time to go home and have a nice, hot bath.
Joshua – F4