St Mary's Calne
Through an intense week of training, practice and assessment, the UIV achieved spectacular results with their DofE Bronze Expedition. The week started with two days of intense training with external instructors who put the girls through their paces as they learned navigation and campcraft skills, as well as rucksack packing and how to survive two days of walking with a heavy load on your back and without suffering with blisters.
The practice walk on Wednesday was an opportunity to put their newfound knowledge and enthusiasm to the test, albeit a fairly easy one. After three to four hours walking around the footpaths of Calne with light loads, the girls were ready to tackle probably the most challenging part of the week, menu shopping! With a tight budget and well-prepared menus for their expedition, the girls were let loose in the supermarket and returned with sufficient fuel to keep them going for the next phase.
After some intense packing and route-planning in gloomy but dry weather on Thursday morning, the heavens opened as the adventurers departed the school gates heading for the countryside around Avebury. In torrential rain they set off with determined smiles and through the morning found their way to the all-important checkpoint meetings with their assessors. Eventually, the conditions improved and the sun shone, and everyone made it to the campsite having dried off. After cooking a meal most slept well, and woke early to prepare for the return leg of their journey. Conditions were harder on Friday as the temperature rose and the sun beat down. However, the girls demonstrated incredible tenacity and determination. Despite a few minor directional errors, everyone completed their designated routes which led to a one hundred percent achievement of the Expedition for our UIV.
Huge congratulations to the girls who proved that they could last the course and safely find their way as a self-sufficient team across country in trying conditions.
Mr Simon Carter, Director of Co-curricular