Another team of intrepid explorers completed their Duke of Edinburgh expedition this term. They all completed a questionnaire with their thoughts. Enjoy the insight into life on the road!

What were the best parts of the expedition experience?

• The at night camping with everyone.
• The warm showers
• Walking up the hills
• The bathroom chats
• Day 2 walk, going down the hills
• Cooking
• Day 2 walk going down fallland hill
• Day 2 walk
• Day 2 walk
• Having everything set up and relaxing
• Sleeping over in the tent

What were the most challenging parts of the experience?

• The walking in the rain and the East Lomond Hill stairs.
• Going up East Lomond
• Walking up the stairs in day 2
• Climbing up East Lomond
• Sleeping conditions/ camp site
• walking up the hills
• Sleeping/ camp site
• The sleeping conditions
• The camping
• Packing up
• Day 2 Walking up the stairs

Describe an example of a problem that arose on the expedition and how you overcame it. (personal or as a team)

• We got lost at a point on day 1 but we wrote compass points on our map and followed them.
• We all supported each other going up east Lomond
• I nearly twisted my knee my team helped me overcome my injury
• Packing up the tent
• Tent confusion and trying to sort out people that couldn’t get in their own tent
• Tents flooded
• Tent confusion and trying to sort out the people that couldn’t get in their own tent
• A tent flooded and they had to come into our tent so there was lots of people but we just had to try and sleep as best as we could
• Changing tents , we resolved this with teamwork
• Sore soggy feet positive mindset
• When the girls tents flooded everyone took initiative and tried to sort the problem as fast as we could to get everyone out of the rain we sorted this by splitting people in our tents.

Why do you think it is important to work as a team on an expedition, and how did you get on with each other?

• We got on very well and worked very well together with directions
• It is important to be in a team because we can all encourage each other and help us overcome stuff. I would say I got on with the team
• I think working as a team is good because your team could encourage you to do things you wouldn’t normally do
• So it runs smoothly and morale stays high
• Supporting each other through tough times
• Supporting each other
• Supporting each other through tough times
• You had to get on or everyone fell out and it made it harder
• We all had different roles
• Helped each other, chatted and had laughs
• I think it was important to work as a team and you couldn’t have done any of it yourself for example setting up the tent you couldn’t do yourself and it really helped having your team there to help

Did people take on different roles (leader, navigator, motivator, helper, chef) or did you all share the different roles? 

• Yes. We decided on the roles by how well we were good and enjoyed them.
• We mostly all did a mix of jobs I mostly was a navigator. We kinda just fit in to the jobs
• I carried the tent
• I was navigator, and we just stuck to people’s strong skills
• Cooking, tent, cleaning
• Cooking, cleaning , tent building , cleaning tent
• Cooking, tent, cleaning
• My role was to cook dinner, clean up the tent
• I was a chef, and a helper I also put up some tents
• I navigated the team
• We took on roles by deciding on what everyone enjoyed e.g. Skye was better at pouring the hot water out of the pot cause she has steady hands