Gold D of E Assessed Expedition: Lake District

This year the Gold group decided to visit the Lake District for their Assessed Expedition. Stunning scenery, wonderful wild camps and beautiful views were the reward for their hard work and the long drive up. Unfortunately as the area was uncharted territory to all the team, they had been a little optimistic in their planning and needed to do a bit of on the spot readjustment of their route to making a more realistic target.

The first day’s leg saw them thread their way through the gnarly knolls of Tilberthwaite from Langdale. This took much longer than expected and gave the team a better idea of the speed they would be able to move over the challenging ground. Day two saw their revised route take them round the back of the spectacular Hardknott Pass, guarded by its Roman fort, and up onto the flanks of Scafell Pike for a wild camp with views to remember for a lifetime. The weather continued to hold fair on day three as they wended their way on sore feet over Allen Crags and Glaramara to Watendlath and on to Thirlmere for the last night. Everyone was keen to get home on the last day so a very early start (reputedly four o’clock) had everyone trooping through Grasmere (too early to buy any gingerbread) and on past Rydal Water to finish with an ice-cream on the water’s edge at Ambleside.

Well done to a fantastic group on their fortitude and team spirit – it was great to see you look after each other so well.

Many thanks to our Assessor Ash St John Claire and to Andrea Young for accompanying us to the Lakes, but above all thanks to the team for their sterling performance, flexibility and determination. I do hope that in retrospect the “type II” fun will remain with you and that the memory of the sore feet will fade.

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