My father died in a mountaineering accident and I had not spent time in the wilderness by the time I was in my late teens having grown up in cities. Doing the D of E Gold got me out in the mountains, with the skills to be safe, and gave me the ‘taste of the wild’ that has now meant I’ve hiked and climbed all over the world. I feel connected to my dad when I’m alone in the mountains in a way I can’t explain. These things are so profound in life, even if hard to articulate. The D of E is a wonderful thing.