Girls complete Forest of Dean expedition
Eight keen groups of girls travelled two hours to the Forest of Dean ready with full backpacks and countless snacks to start their silver Duke of Edinburgh award expedition.
Splitting up not long after they got to the Forest of Dean Sculpture trail, the separate groups, using their compasses and maps, set off into the Forest of Dean with the aim of getting to the campsite, Biblins, before it was too dark and too late.
Each group had had training of useful skills that would be needed on their expedition; such as simple first aid, navigation and cooking in the wilderness.
The girls had spent time in the previous week planning their route to make sure they fit the required briefs, including walking around 16km every day. Each group also had to spend time making a suitable meal plan that suited the tastes and requirements of each person in their group.
On top of all of that, each group also had to come up with an aim for their expedition. Some of these were identification of nature, teamwork and comparing different aspects of nature along their journey.
After many hours of continuous walking, the individual groups managed to come together to put up their tents, prepare and cook their meals and wash up after themselves. They also found time to interact with each other, specifically when all the groups came together to play a big game on the first night.
After many ups and downs in each group, everyone really enjoyed the experience and the amazing views in the Forest of Dean, especially after the final steep climb, which ended at the top of Symonds Yat where the walkers could see the beautiful view of the river below.
