Gold DofE on the Wye
In June, our Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award students headed to Whitney-on-Wye for four days of paddling, camping and teamwork. And with cows, capsizes and canoes, there was plenty of adventure!
Katherine Wright, our D of E Coordinator here at Esher, wrote this report.
The water levels were perfect for paddling, although we certainly had plenty of wind to contend with!
We arrived at a very windy Whitney-on-Wye, where pitching the tents highlighted the need for teamwork early in the expedition. Everyone enjoyed a hearty pub meal before getting stuck into the challenge of carrying, preparing and cooking every meal for the next four days.
The first day on the water proved quite a challenge, as it was the students’ first experience of moving water. With the encouragement and expertise of our brilliant instructors, they quickly began honing their skills and gaining confidence.
A routine soon developed: arrive at the campsite, put up the tents, cook dinner and then unwind. There was plenty of fun downtime too, with students playing football, cards and frisbee. It was great to see all the groups relaxing together after the hard work of paddling 20–45 km each day.
Every group had a little drama to spice up their journey, including being chased by cows and a couple of unexpected dips in the river!
As part of the expedition, students are also expected to work on a presentation to share with the instructors on the final evening, before developing and presenting it to staff back at college. This year’s presentations included talks on bird species along the river and water quality, a vlog, and the creation of a very amusing and brilliantly choreographed music video for Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. Click on the link to watch the video.
The final day saw the students take on the rapids in front of a crowd that had gathered to watch a slalom event. They all blasted down the course, hitting every pole! 
They were certainly tired by the time they reached the finish at Monmouth, but everyone successfully completed and passed their Qualifying Expedition – a fantastic achievement.
A huge congratulations to the entire team for your successful completion of the expedition. We thoroughly enjoyed being a long for the ride.
Our next expedition will be on foot, so get practising those map-reading skills!
Students can choose Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award as an Extension Study ‘Long Course’ in their first year, which is part of the College’s Enrichment programme.
