Four girls filled their rucksacks with a tent, safety equipment, spare clothes and enough food to last them for four days. Each rucksack weighed in excess of 15kgs! Starting at 08:00 from Belstone, the girls headed south over the North Moor, taking care to keep out of the Okehampton firing range! A strong SW wind blowing into their faces helped to keep the girls cool as they strode over the featureless moor. Navigating by compass bearing, they safely made their way to the first campsite – wild camping (no toilets or running water) in the ruins of Teignhead Farm. It poured with rain all night, dulling their enthusiasm as they emerged from their tent in the morning. However, after a hearty breakfast of bacon butties, the girls soon started on their 8 hour walk across the rest of North Moor, finishing at Sherberton Farm, another wild camp adjacent to a stream where all suffered from a major midge attack! Now dry and sunny, their spirits rose as they embarked on day 3 of their expedition. Studying the human impact on Dartmoor, the girls were able to gain plenty of evidence for their aim as they walked to Sheepstor on the South Moor. The final wild camp had the group nestled in a gully, out of a brisk wind. As they sat eating their final dinner of sausage, tomato sauce and pasta, they could reflect on their last night under canvass in the heat of the evening sun. A 07:30 start had the group walking along a contour as they headed for Princetown on the final day. Deviating only slightly, they demonstrated their excellent navigation skills by reaching the footpath junction exactly on time. An hour later, they completed their 4th day of their Gold DofE expedition, learning then that they had successfully fulfilled the 20 conditions. Next term we look forward to watching their presentation on their aim.
