Duke of Edinburgh practice walk

On a bright and frosty morning at the end of January, the Silver DofE teams met to begin their training for the expedition. The teams were guided by Mr Hake, Mr Francis-Black, Ms Huzzey and Mr Hodgson on a series of navigation exercises around the beautiful Ashton Court.

Despite only covering around 5km, the teams worked hard to constantly be aware of where they were. Teams had to use compasses and their map to find direction - a skill which will be much needed in the mists of Exmoor. Then they had to use the features and contours of the landscape to locate themselves within 10 metres which gives them confidence and certainty of knowing exactly where they are. Teams were trained in using a wide variety of strategies and given lots of tips to work together to navigate with accuracy. Hopefully, despite the beautiful day, these skills will serve them well in the coming expeditions.