Dales and Peaks

Now I'm not going to complain but what a hectic 7 days of work! Bloody awesome though :-)

The week started with a very early start for the Yorkshire Dales where we had a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Assessement on, where I was the assessor after newly 'qualifying'. I was being shadowed for the week but there isn't alot extra to do on top of the usual duties on working with a group. The Monday was an absolutely beautiful day that once all the kit was handed out, tents were up and lunch done with we basically spent the rest of the afternoon getting rather burnt while the British Gas apprentices were playing football and throwing a frisbee. We even had a brave guy who jumped into the plunge pool in the river, which was freezing! It was that hot though. I wound down in the evening after having drove all the way up there and organising for the afternoon, taking a walk up to the village of Middlesmoor whilst camping at Spean. It was a beautiful evening and the views out over the Dale was fantastic.

The week involved a sprightly jaunt up Great Whernside, keeping up with my ex-military co-worker, in the extreme heat. I really need to get fitter before heading off to Bolivia, where we met very slow walking groups but after the first day the guys starting getting used to the pain and hardship involved with carrying your life on your back. Another 3 days of checking pointing and walking sections with the groups as the weathers started to detiorate throughout the week, though spirits were still reasonably high.

A very successful 5 days though as the group walked from Spean, up and over Great Whernside to Kettlewell, north to Newbiggin, across over to Leyburn ending at Aysgarth Fall, and I passed them all aswell. I even got a dinner in with Claire on the Thursday night at a pub half way between us (time whys) which made the week!

Saturday and Sunday was spent in the Peak District starting out at Ilam Hall for a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Practice expedition. It made it very interesting with the comparison of such time and distance during the week to just one night camping at Hulme End and then walking to Waterhouses. It was long slow walk with kids that weren't used to the rucksacks, the weight, the distance, the whole experience really. I have a great group though who were reasonably enthusiast if not a little sneaky with wanting to cut corners when I wasn't there. Little did they realise was that I could see them all day! I must have walked another half of their walk though trying to meet up with them at different places. Who would say Bronze is easy?

Sunday ended not until around 7.30pm in the end as we had to talk the students back to their school in Swadlincote then over to Sponden to dump some kit until finally back to Stoke on Trent. Well and truely shattered I sit surrounded with smelly wet kit and the weather was truely abysmal. We were lucky to have a clear evening yesterday for tents to me put up and dinner to be cooked. Us instructors were even lucky enough for a BBQ in the evening once all the kids were sorted, by the SEL (Senior Expedition Leader). It was a great evening talking to the other instructors that we normally just pass by on collecting kids and straight out on the expedition.

Thankfully, or not so, I have 9 days off now to get vaccines for Bolivia sorted, packing arranged for Bolivia, the slow packing away of the Watford Street house plus the numerous other chores to get done. I'm even going to try and cook some bread sometime this week. We'll see, all before heading off to the New Forest for a Silver Duke of Edinburgh! Fun fun :-)