Duke of Edinburgh: Junior (S2) Expedition to Strathfillan Wigwams

Paul McClemont reports in about the S2 practice expedition along the West Highland Way:

A large amount of the Junior DoE section made their way by minibus to the Strathfillan Wigwams near Crianlarich for their weekend of camping, map and compass work, intended to improve their skill level prior to attempting the full Bronze award in S3.

As usual, the weather was very poor, with a thunder storm battering us as we travelled up the A82. Undaunted, the team set up their tents in the appalling wind and rain and then headed off after a briefing on the route to walk a few kilometres of the West Highland Way. The Wigwams that we were staying at were right on the Way and this meant that we had direct and easy access to the section of the walk we were doing.

After the walk the pupils then cooked their own meals in the campsite kitchen, although the state of the kitchen left a lot to be desired; they're not so good at cleaning up after themselves! The night brought a little respite in the rain and after one or two words the pupils were quiet, though few of us had a good night’s sleep and were a bit bleary in the morning.

It was decided to strike camp early as the pupils were all wet from the rain. So, after a chat about the proper boots needed for walking as well as how to pack a rucksack effectively and a bit more map and compass work, the minibuses were loaded and we headed back to the school. Quite a few lessons were learnt by the pupils and despite the weather they displayed resilience in coping with it, though their campcraft skills need to be improved, which is something to consider for the S3 course next year.