1 May 2004 - Report on the Duke of Edinburgh practice walk for the Silver Award
Mud glorious mud! The three day walk mirrored the song uncomfortably well except I would say that it was anything but glorious!
It was the recent weekend of 16 - 18 April. We (the combatants Matthew and Daniel Webb, Matthew Fullylove, Shane Matthews and Amy Spragg together with instructors Neil Painter and Peter Dimbleby) were in Dovedale looking to complete a 30 mile walk over three days.
Day 1 started with lots of enthusiasm, rucksacks half full of food (that's the lad's rucksacks) and a determination not to get lost. We soon caught up with them generally going in the right direction but a little off the planned route, soon corrected. What followed was rain, a really muddy slope, more rain, being chased by calf's, even more rain, and a very unhappy and grumpy farmer. We finally made the campsite and with perfect timing it poured with rain!
Day 2 started early for me waking as I did at around 5 am, there was no sound from the others. We rose to be met by that misty rain which is deceptively wet, but it didn't slow us down. The camp was soon packed away. Given the wet conditions the team did very well on Day 2 but it ended with us setting up camp on a very wet and muddy site.
At this point let me return to the subject of food! The lads had made sure that what ever else happened they were not going to starve. Vast quantities of bacon and sausage were their staple diet, the smell of the cooking was wonderful but the state of the frying pan took some believing!
Again, heavy rain accompanied our slumbers.
Day 3 and the dilemma for me was - do we just pack up and go home (after all this was only the practice walk) or do I make the team complete the remainder of the walk? I was tempted to call it a day! By the time we had broken camp the rain had stopped so the compromise was a further 7k and then head for a bath!
There was no objection when finally I called a halt!
In very difficult conditions the group performed very well and proved that whatever the award expedition throws at them in August it cannot be as bad as what we had been through!
Neil Painter
It was the recent weekend of 16 - 18 April. We (the combatants Matthew and Daniel Webb, Matthew Fullylove, Shane Matthews and Amy Spragg together with instructors Neil Painter and Peter Dimbleby) were in Dovedale looking to complete a 30 mile walk over three days.
Day 1 started with lots of enthusiasm, rucksacks half full of food (that's the lad's rucksacks) and a determination not to get lost. We soon caught up with them generally going in the right direction but a little off the planned route, soon corrected. What followed was rain, a really muddy slope, more rain, being chased by calf's, even more rain, and a very unhappy and grumpy farmer. We finally made the campsite and with perfect timing it poured with rain!
Day 2 started early for me waking as I did at around 5 am, there was no sound from the others. We rose to be met by that misty rain which is deceptively wet, but it didn't slow us down. The camp was soon packed away. Given the wet conditions the team did very well on Day 2 but it ended with us setting up camp on a very wet and muddy site.
At this point let me return to the subject of food! The lads had made sure that what ever else happened they were not going to starve. Vast quantities of bacon and sausage were their staple diet, the smell of the cooking was wonderful but the state of the frying pan took some believing!
Again, heavy rain accompanied our slumbers.
Day 3 and the dilemma for me was - do we just pack up and go home (after all this was only the practice walk) or do I make the team complete the remainder of the walk? I was tempted to call it a day! By the time we had broken camp the rain had stopped so the compromise was a further 7k and then head for a bath!
There was no objection when finally I called a halt!
In very difficult conditions the group performed very well and proved that whatever the award expedition throws at them in August it cannot be as bad as what we had been through!
Neil Painter