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Expectation vs reality: Pupil leaders reflect on their journey

23 Sep 2019

Before the end of last academic year, six groups of pupils from year 10 took on the ‘Adventurous Journey’ element of the Duke of Edinburgh programme by heading to the Lingshan Natural Scenic Area for a three-day hike among some of the most beautiful (yet challenging) terrain China has to offer.After they returned from their successful journey, we caught up with the pupil leaders – Alice, Julia, Ethan, Josh, Moksh and Aspen – to see how the realities of the trip matched up with the expectations they had developed during their training and preparations. What did you think of the ‘Adventurous Journey’ as a whole?

Julia: It was great fun. Sure, it was a lot of work and we were all wiped out afterwards but we learned so much from the experience.

Moksh: We faced a lot of different challenges as a group. While we struggled at first, I think this made it more fun and rewarding in the end. For example, at one point we lost our map key, which put us in a situation where we had to work hard together to find a good solution and find our way again.

Alice: The hiking was physically very demanding but it actually helped create lots of great memories throughout the trip as we spurred each other on.

Josh: I loved it, I was really proud of my team and how we pulled ourselves together despite the difficulties.

Ethan: I absolutely love nature, environment and hiking, so the trip was a blast. The last three hours was constant downhill trekking, which was the toughest part for me but it was still really great.

Aspen: The whole expedition was exhausting but totally worth it. I got so much closer with my teammates through lots of bonding experiences. I’m very proud of how we worked together to overcome challenges that were physical, mental and emotional.

How did your training and preparation sessions measure up to the real thing? Was there anything that caught you by surprise?

Moksh: The weather definitely took us by surprise! The weather forecast was totally wrong; we had beautiful blue clear skies on the drive up and then as soon as the cars dropped us it started to pour with rain. Everything got soaked very quickly!

Aspen: I think we were generally really well prepared for everything except the rain! Still I feel like we reacted and acclimatised pretty quickly.

Alice: After we finished the first day’s hike we realised that navigation was the area we would struggle with most. The terrain was so different to the practice hike and it’s very difficult when you have so few landmarks. Perhaps we could have prepared more there, but thanks to the orienteering sessions we still had a good idea of where we were going and with a bit of thinking on our feet we made it through.

How was the food and water situation? Did that turn out as you planned?

Ethan: In our group we ate a lot of pasta as we felt it was a good choice – it’s simple and quick to prepare, and it keeps you filled up and sustained for a long day’s hike. The only problem was that we needed a lot of water to boil the pasta in, and the water source at the second campsite was perhaps a 30-minute-walk away, so we had to carry a lot of water a long way. This really showed us how you need to account for everything when you go off the grid, not just what you’re eating and drinking but also what you need for cooking and washing. It brings it into sharp focus when you suddenly don’t have instant access to fresh water.

Aspen: Our group did well, we planned each meal for each day and we all pitched in to make sure that mealtimes went smoothly. This made a big difference in terms of keeping our spirits up.

Moksh: Everyone was given a role in the group and we kept our meals simple. Admittedly the first meal got burned but we salvaged something edible from it and quickly learned from the experience – this is something you often do when you’re hungry!

Aspen: It was tough when we were carrying a lot of water, as it became a lot of dead weight, but it’s better that than being dehydrated. We quickly realised that carrying a strategic reserve of water is very important when you don’t know how hot it will be or how hard the terrain will become.

As pupil leaders, how was the motivational element of the trip. Were you able to keep your team focused and happy?

Aspen: As we were getting used to the hiking, initially we were walking with our heads down and focused on where we were putting our feet. Still, we quickly lightened up and I soon discovered that breaking out the candy is very useful for an instant morale boost!

Alice: Within the first hour it struck us how tough this hike would be. I made sure that we were always buddied up in pairs to check that everyone was feeling okay and managing well. It was interesting to see everyone’s coping mechanisms when the hiking got tougher – for me it was doing mental maths, for others it was singing or playing word games. The best way to motivate people was to keep things fun, though chocolate and candy also helped for sure.

Josh: I think it’s easy to have little moments of feeling down and pessimistic when you’re doing something new and difficult. I felt like I could help the group stay motivated by keeping them focused on their individual tasks through clear instructions and lots of encouragement.

Moksh: Waking up in the morning after a cold wet night was perhaps the hardest part of the journey, but once we got going it was a lot better. My group was quiet at first, but then we really hit our stride, the team spirit was plain to see (and hear!) with lots of chatting, singing songs and planning ahead.

What was your favourite moment or element of the expedition?

Ethan: I love nature, so just walking through this amazing area and having an incredible view of mountainside filled me with joy because we don’t get to see that where we live. It was so fresh, with no pollution, plenty of beautiful trees, it really kept me upbeat and happy.

Josh: Weirdly, I think I liked the rain! It was a bonding experience for the group and also between our different teams.

Alice: Setting up camp was the best. We all shared food, played cards and swapped stories of how the day went. After a long hard day of hiking, it was so satisfying to just sit back and chat.

Moksh: Camping each night was so much fun. It felt so good to chill out after a hard day. There was a double rainbow moment that was pretty special too!

Julia: Getting together after the hike was my favourite time of the day. It felt like we had accomplished something and could be proud of ourselves. After all that, it was great to blow off steam, tell ghost stories and generally have a laugh. We woke up half an hour early on the second day to watch the sunrise, which was really special.

Aspen: Turning in for the night was a great time because everyone was relaxed and snuggled up in the tent as we talked about the day and the challenges we would face tomorrow. There was always such good camaraderie.

For any of your peers thinking of taking on the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, do you have any advice?

Ethan: Just go for it and have fun. You’re with friends, encountering things you haven’t before, so don’t stress – just get involved and enjoy it.

Josh: It’s a really fun trip and you might just surprise yourself with how quickly you can overcome a lot of different challenges.

Alice: You’ll make memories for a lifetime and though it can be hard, you’ll be proud of yourself once you’re done.

Moksh: Take the opportunity to try something new. I really wasn’t that into hiking before but I’d definitely do this again.

Julia: It’s a lot of work but it’s completely worth it.

Aspen: Use it as a reset button, unplug and get away from your everyday difficulties for a while by getting deep into nature and enjoying it with friends. You’ll learn a lot and have plenty of fun in the process.

To all pupils considering signing up for participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, please note that we will be organising the Adventurous Journey expedition for the same time this academic year, during the final week of the summer term. The International Award Bronze is currently open to all pupils in year 10, and this year we are also launching the more challenging International Award Silver for pupils in year 12. If you are thinking of testing yourself and would like to know more, please get in contact with Dr Nikki Bache at Nikki.Bache@wellingtoncollege.cn.

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