We set off on the Duke of Edinburgh expedition early on Friday morning, ready for the unpredictable environment and weather. We arrived at the South Downs after two hours on the road, immediately braving the chilly weather as we began our adventure. The groups were unrecognisable under the layers of jackets and hoods we had bundled up in, somewhat protecting us from the brutal rain splashing into puddles on the muddy ground. Regardless of the mighty weather, we were in awe of the charming English countryside, with its misty scent, green carpet, and fragrant flowers. My group had high spirits as we talked and sang for the seven hours we walked for, sharing snacks (mostly chocolate) whenever we took a rare break.

In the evening we hurried to build our tents and cook food, hungry and tired but happy to be settled at camp. As the sun set the temperature dropped severely. During the first night I fell in and out of sleep from the cold but the second night I doubled my layers and was able to get a full night of sleep. The next two days were warmer. The sky was a bright blue, the sun blazed down on us, and our energy had come back. We packed up everything and began our trip to the next campsite. Our map led us up and down a maze of hills, where we encountered horses, cows, and roaming sheep.

The last day came around pleasantly. We were all looking forward to our warm beds and dry clothes. The thought of arriving at the coach gave us a burst of adrenalin and a strong purpose for the final hike. Our group noticed huge improvements in our map reading and pacing skills and were proud to hear that we had passed the assessment after more than forty kilometres of walking overall. Finally, we were down to the last stretch. Although difficult, we felt a shared sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, excited to do it again for gold.

Olive, Year 11