I completed my gold expedition in the Lake Ditrict during a heatwave in the mid 1980s. Some members of our group suffered from heatstroke and I had the worst blisters on my I’ve ever had.
That year many walkers were air lifted off the fell tops so we had to use our bad weather routes as the valley’s would be cooler.
We had all started our DofE adventure on the bronze award 3 years earlier and my friend and I now only had one days hiking to complete our gold award.
Although we knew it was going to be hard day we took it in turns to motivate each other to complete it; the hills were filled with the sound of really bad singing.
To much relief we all managed to complete that final hike and we’re rewarded with cheers from our teachers and other school mates.
The experience proved how we had grown, how determined and resilient we had become as a group and also as individuals.
From starting out as a shy introverted teenager I ended as a stronger more determined young woman.
I am pleased to say that the friend I made at 13 at the first bronze award meeting, that also suffered that gold award hike, became my lifelong friend and we are still close friends today.
I would encourage anyone thinking of doing their DofE to do it. They will grow as a person and get experiences, memories and friends they’d otherwise never make.