Gold Duke of Edinburgh Conquer Ben Nevis

This May half term, I, together with seven other Lingfield students, completed our Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition. The location was Scotland and the challenge was Ben Nevis.

It all started so early. Alarm clock ringing at 3am for the meet at Heathrow at 5am to catch the 7am plane to Glasgow.  All this without a teacher in sight. We had the chance to explore Glasgow, which largely centred around us finding food. We felt we had to stock up whilst we had the chance. We then jumped on a train for the four-hour scenic journey through the Scottish Highlands to Fort William. Here our camping began.

Over the course of the 4 days, we carried all our equipment, food and camping gear while walking around 17km each day through mountains and bogs – challenging terrain.   One of the highlights of my trip was summiting Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK. Whilst the UK was melting in record temperatures, we were wrapped up facing snow. Although the mount was physically demanding, the summit felt rewarding and the feeling made it worthwhile. After conquering Ben Nevis we then followed Glen Nevis to Spean Bridge to catch the train home.

Living outdoors for several days taught me valuable skills, such as resilience, teamwork and independence. We cooked our own meals on stoves each evening, and a challenge I found hard was managing my food supplies throughout the expedition. I am not sure if I will be able to stomach a super noodle for a while. The weather was ominous but kind. Luckily, we didn’t have too much rain, but the clouds never left.

Alongside the expedition, I am also volunteering for my local food bank, I am playing weekly football for a local club, and I am also learning touch typing. Each represents a different element of the Award. Overall, Gold DofE has been an incredible experience I would highly recommend. It has taught me many lessons, including most importantly, that everything tastes better after walking in the Scottish Highlands.

Harry, Year 12