A group of 17 year 10 Duke of Edinburgh students went on their ‘Practice Camping Expedition’ to Epping Forest 7^th – 8th of June. Luckily, the weather was mild and clear as the students were required to hike for six hours each day carrying all of their equipment on their backs. This trip allowed the students to practice their orienteering skills, develop their camp craft and experience a lot of firsts, like sleeping in tents away from their families and cooking their own food outdoors.

The most important lessons learned were that teams need to work together to accomplish the tasks, maps need to be referenced constantly to stay on track and nonessential items can be left at home to lighten the load.

Wish the group luck on their Assessed Expedition coming up on 21^st – 22^nd June. If they pass this they are on their way to earning the internationally recognized Bronze Award through the Duke of Edinburgh Program.