Our Year 12 Gold cohort had a very chilly time in Malham (a beautiful spot in Yorkshire where Harry Potter and Hermione visit to hide from Voldemort in The Deathly Hallows Part One) and were lucky to escape all of the rain in the second week. The moors and stiles kept them busy and all 3 groups had a very impressive fast walking pace (nearly as fast as our PE department’s Ms Gibbins’ DoE group when they did Gold at Channing)! We all look forward to their Assessed Expedition in The Black Mountains in July 2024. Well done everyone, from Ms Yun and Mr Hill

99 Problems & A Ditch Ain’t 1 Of Them by Gordale

On Friday 13 October, seventeen year 12 students set off in the rain to the Yorkshire Dales to complete the four-day Gold DoE practice expedition. Thankfully, the wet weather had cleared up by Saturday to make for a dry-ish start at Malham Youth Hostel, where we completed our short acclimatisation walk, did some last-minute shopping in the small town of Settle, and had a warm dinner at the Lister Arms Pub. Despite the cold, all the groups arrived at Littondale Campsite on Sunday evening in good spirits, if not for some soggy boots and achy shoulders. Nevertheless, all the groups can probably agree that the most scenic campsite was at Gordale Scar, where we could see an amazing natural waterfall flowing down from the hills. Over the three days of tough, hilly walks, all the groups maintained their high morale, meaning we made it to Settle early on Tuesday for the five hour drive back to London. I think we were all looking forward to having a hot meal and a working toilet when we arrived home, although all the groups enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the Yorkshire Dales, and made many great memories as a team in spite of the sometimes difficult conditions.

By 99 PROBLEMS BUT A DITCH AIN’T ONE OF THEM

Are We Out Of The Woods Yet by Settle

At break time on the last Friday of half term, we set off in the Chan Van to the Yorkshire Dales. After a long journey, we arrived in the youth hostel which we would be staying in for the next two nights. We unpacked, had our dinner and then started on a night walk (so that we were prepared for when we would inevitably be hiking in the dark). The next morning we had a full English breakfast and drove to Settle for a quick practice walk and to stock up on food and forgotten outdoor gear. Afterwards, we headed back to the hostel for a safety briefing, a gorgeous pub dinner and to make the final adjustments to our rucksack before our early start the next morning. We awoke early, had our last proper meal for a while, taped up our phones and headed off into the Yorkshire countryside. The next three days consisted of impressive hills, breathtaking views and a huge amount of effort. We trekked over the dales, fell into marshes, saw beautiful waterfalls and slept in below 0 temperatures. On the last day, we even managed to watch the sunrise as we walked after having left the campsite at 6am! Everyone had such a great time and we can’t wait for the real expedition in July.

By Are We Out Of The Woods Yet?

Grandma’s Footsteps by Malham Tarn

At Friday break, we headed up to the Yorkshire Dales in the Chan Van. On Saturday we hiked around Settle for 3 hours for an acclimatisation walk to get ready for the next few days, and then went grocery shopping for our actual expedition. On Sunday we set off around 8am after our last hostel breakfast. The first campsite was very nice, and we were told to appreciate it as the next one would be less pleasant! On Monday, we woke at 5am and started to pack and make breakfast for our 2nd day of walking, starting with another massive hill up a field. We had to cross many small rivers and a large flooded area which we all had to jump over- then realising there must have been an easier way as we were all soaked. We arrived at our last campsite at 3pm, set up our tents again and went on a walk to go see the gorgeous waterfall, Gordale Scar by our campsite. On our last day, we woke at 4am and had to cook and pack in the dark, and then walked for 2 hours with only the light from our head torches. We arrived at the finish, Settle, and couldn't wait to get back home (we had a great time- of course it was an amazing experience and we don't regret anything) with all the other groups and then had time for last-minute shopping before heading to the Chan Van for our long journey back to London. Do DofE :)

Lots of love, Grandma’s Footsteps