Raft Building, Overnight Expedition and Climbing

Over the last two days I have been delivering raft building, Rock Climbing and assessing the students overnight expedition for their BTEC expedition skills unit.

Raft Building: On Wednesday morning the students were set a task to design and build a raft to transport them from one side of the bay back to the boat house. They got to choose their launch location, design and teams. After transporting their raft parts to the other side of the bay by canoe, the canoes were towed back and the students left to build their raft and paddle it back. The results were very opposite with one team succeeding and the other having a shocker!

Overnight Expedition: Following some previous training back at college and the completion of the mountain skills course over the last two days the students were tasked to plan a route from Wenallt back to the centre via the Aran Ridge. After being bused out to Wenallt both groups ascended Aran Fawddwy before dropping down to their chosen camp sites on the east side of the ridge. The following morning they made their way back to the centre in time for lunch.

Rock Climbing: Once the students had freshened up after their overnight Camp we headed to Barmouth Slabs for a spot of climbing in the afternoon sun. I took some of the students for some top roping on the lower tier, Gwilym took two students for a session on lead climbing and Rhys took the rest for some bottom roping on the upper tier. Rhys and I swopped our groups half way through the session. 

It was a great couple of days with the students really showing the skills they've learned over the past 13 months. All finished off with an ice cream in Barmouth before heading back to the centre. 

Hill Skills Day 1 on Dartmoor

It was a stunning day on Dartmoor to be delivering the first day of a Mountain Training Hill Skills course for the FdSc students from Bridgwater College. I took 8 students and Gwilym the other 8 around the Cramber Tor area to work on various parts of the syllabus. 

During the day we covered:

Collecting and Catching Features

Hand-railing

Contour recognition

Aiming Off

Grid and Magnetic Bearings

Pacing and Timing

Measuring Distance

Equipment 

Moorland Environment

The day started overcast but quickly cleared to a blue sky day, great for teaching map to ground navigation but not ideal for teaching bearings. 

PES assessed expeditions - Final day

After another night in the Bell Tent I was back out mountain biking with the final group of Level 3 Public Services students for their assessment. We rode the same 10.5 mile route as yesterday and monday with the weather remaining excellent. All the students did really well negotiating the technical terrain, road sections and some ascents. 

PES assessed expeditions - mountain biking day 2

Yesterday was the midweek turn around of groups. Level 2's and the Level 3 'C group took the short walk to Bossington from the campsite before returning back to college. We then collected the Level 3 'A' and 'B' groups for their 2.5 day expedition starting with a short walk from Bossington to Pool Bridge camp site. 

Today, I was out with the 'A' group for their assessed mountain bike ride. Hannah and I observed the groups skills on a 10.5 mile ride starting near the top of Dunkery Beacon and making their way back to Camp via Porlock post, Webbers Post and Horner. 

The group showed great team cohesion throughout the day welcoming another student to their team who couldn't make the early part of the week with her tutor group. This continued back at camp while finding large logs to use as benches to go around their camp fire.

Remote Supervision on Exmoor

My mountain bike was the mode of transport today to be out and about on Exmoor supervising the level 2 and 3 public services groups undertake their independently managed walks. I covered 20+ miles  of great trails to get between the groups and check their progress.

Tough job in the glorious sunshine, some great views too. 

PES assessed expeditions begin

Today is the start of a week working for Bridgwater College on the assessed expeditions for the Level 2 and 3 Public Services students.

We travelled with the Level 2 students and one of the level 3 tutor groups to Exmoor today. The Level 2's taking part in an accompanied hillwalking day while I took the Level 3 group mountain biking.

My group started near the top of Dunkery Beacon taking in a 10.5 mile route back to Pool Bridge Campsite. 

With the rest of the day the students set up camp and started their camp fires. Gail managed to persuade the campsite owner to let us use the bell tent for staff so Max got the log burner going. 

More Navigation Training on the Quantock Hills

 

 

 

 

 

Back out in the beautiful Quantock Hills AONB today with the other half of the Level 3 Outdoor Adventure students from Bridgwater College.

 

No snow on the ground this week but the morning did start with heavy fog and a very chilly northerly wind. The route took in open moorland, wooded valleys and managed forest over the 12km distance.

 

We spent the day going through some basic navigation techniques: Collecting and Catching Features, relating map to ground, contour lines, timing, pacing and grid bearings. As a group we also discussed the environmental impact of outdoor activities on the area and looked at some of the flora including Lichen such as Devil's Matchsticks and Pixie Cups. 

A really good day with the students being challenged both individually and in pairs. We even found time to shelter from the wind in the natural undulating terrain.

Navigation Training on the Quantock Hills with Level 3 Outdoor Education Students

Today I was out on the Quantock Hills with half of the Level 3 Outdoor Adventure Education and Leadership students teaching Navigation.

It was a chilly start to the day with the remnants of yesterdays snow still covering the higher ground and a biting northerly wind. The students made full use of their college branded outdoor clothing. 

We spent some time covering various terrain in the 12 kilometer route. Open moorland, wooded valleys  and managed forest were all incorporated in the route.

The students implemented some of the previously learned techniques from lower level walks and classroom sessions. Walking on bearings, timings, pacing, collecting and catching features as well as the relating the map to the ground were covered.   

Next Tuesday I will be taking the other half of the group for a similar day to make sure we are consistently covering the criteria for the course. 

More navigation training with Bridgwater College PES students

 

Back out again today with Level 3 Public and Emergency Services students from Bridgwater College teaching navigation. The session was pretty much a replica of Mondays session but with a different tutor group.

 

It was a very fresh day with many of the students reviewing their clothing choices. Each student independently led a leg to show their basic navigation skills and the last 4km was set as a group challenge to get us back to college.

 

Not as much wildlife today, just a few swans and a couple of buzzards. Another productive day preparing the students for their assessed expedition next May.

Haberdashers Aske's Boys School - Gold D of E assessment

For the last 4 days Robin and I have been on Dartmoor assessing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award for 39 boys from Haberdashers Aske's Boys school. They were in 6 teams and started their expedition  from Ivybridge Train Station and walked to Yeoford Train Station over 4 days and three nights in Dartmoor National Park.

They chose a mixture of wild camp sites and commercial campsites when planning their routes around their aims.

Robin and I debriefed the groups around a campfire before they departed Yeoford station. All 39 boys were sucesssful in completing their expedition and just need to present their aim to finish off the expedition section. I am looking forward to working with the other 30 boys from the school on their expedition in October.