Perse students go for Gold in tough Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition

As part of their PES Peak Gold Programme, five resilient teams of Perse students walked through the Lake District, covering 43km on foot.

Twenty-eight students set out for a wet and windy, four-day Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Gold practice expedition based around Ullswater, including a day directly supervised by the school’s qualified Mountain Leaders.

The DofE Award primarily encourages self-reliance and independence. Therefore, once they arrived, all aspects of their journey were planned by the students themselves. Their hiking routes, food, equipment and packing were all in their control, with the guidance of the supervising staff and volunteers.

After arriving in the evening, tents were quickly set up and dinner was cooked before settling down for the night. Hot drinks were made quickly as the temperature dropped as low as 7°c overnight.

They began their expedition with a training day with an accompanying staff member. Despite their original route being changed due to wind gusts, this did not hold back their activities, and the students had group lunch at Angel Tarn before running through and practicing emergency scenarios.

The first day of independent walking promised a dry start with a wet and windy weather to follow. After hiking up to the first checkpoint, the students encountered the rain and persevered with the help of teamwork and resilience. The practice day paid off as some students had lunch in their shelter to maintain warmth, while others headed to lower heights, avoiding the challenging terrain. The next campsite had warm showers and underfloor heating, which was a very welcome treat for the students, who were keen to get some rest before their final day of hiking.

The final day saw the students head from the north end of Ullswater towards Glenridding, travelling through quaint Lake District towns like Pooley Bridge. The long distance was to give an idea of scale for their qualifying expedition in Italy in May 2026. After enjoying the sights at Aira Force, a short walk to the Glencoyne Bay Car Park saw their finish point. Here the students were able to relax on the waterfront in the sunshine before the long drive home.

Perse Venture Leader and DofE co-ordinator Thomas Robinson said: “This practice expedition looked both at technical mountain skills and physical endurance, both of which are necessary for their qualifying expedition in Italy.

“Despite the undesirable weather, the pupils pushed through together and gained some well-earned experience putting them in good stead for the future.”