During the last week of the summer holidays, Sixth Form students Laura Fisher, Lauren Lewis and Rebecca Nisbet undertook their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award qualifying expedition accompanied by Charlie Spencer (Upper Sixth), Mr Ellis (DofE Manager), Mr Bowden (Head of Physics) and Miss Greig (Second in Mathematics). Here is a summary of their expedition:
On Sunday 26th August, we travelled to the Lake District to stay in a village hall ready to begin cycling coast-to-coast from St Bees the next day for our Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition. We cycled for five days, over the course of the week covering 210km in total.
When we arrived at the coast, it was cold and raining, we all suddenly seemed to realise the extent of what we were about to do. We picked up our hire bikes and somehow managed to fit the week’s equipment into two panniers each before setting off. Despite having a premature puncture on only the first day, we made it to the campsite.
Tuesday was increasingly eventful with the gears of a bike breaking and one twisted ankle. What was supposed to be the ‘rest day’ left us unsure how the rest of the week would go with the hardest days yet to come. However, we supported each other through it and with inspirational speeches from the staff; we were ready for the next day.
On Wednesday, we reached Hartside summit cafe at a height of 1903ft, despite being incredibly windy at the top it was amazing to be able to look back and see how far we had come, across the Lake District and now into the North Pennines.
The best moment of the trip has to have been on Thursday afternoon, having just climbed the third large hill of the day, we were relieved to have a relatively flat and downhill ride back to the bunkhouse. It was amazing being up so high and seeing the scenery whilst having the wind brush against you as you go downhill. Lauren Lewis summed up the experience the best saying that she had ‘never felt so alive’.
Arriving at Sunderland, the next day was amazing. It is incredible to think that we have cycled from one side of the country to the other and we have made some fantastic memories that we will never forget.
We would like to thank Mr Ellis, Mr Bowden and Miss Greig, without whom the expedition couldn't have happened. It was inspiring to see how they made it up every hill no matter how tough it was. Despite some of the lows we felt when cycling up some steep hills that seemed to have no end, we all enjoyed the experience and are so glad and incredibly proud that we have completed it. We have all found a new love for cycling, and are already planning our next challenges to face.
