Pre-expedition information pack and dedicated contact at Wilderness Expertise to answer any questions you may have
Full supervision and training from our qualified and experienced Trainers
Accredited Assessors for Qualifying Expeditions
Group kit (tents, stoves, fuel, emergency shelters, maps)
Campsite booking and fees
Logistics and pre-departure support – uploading Assessor reports
Personal kit and equipment (such as clothing, sleeping bag, rucksack) – don’t worry, we’ll support you with what you need to buy.
Transport to and from the expedition location – this must be arranged by you
Food – in line with DofE requirements, all food must be planned and provided by participants
Set in the beautiful and historic Brecon Beacons national park, this is a stunning venue for your Gold expedition. You will be planning and trekking four separate routes, with the option to summit South Wales’ highest peak – Pen y Fan.
Day 1
Arrival at campsite. Set up camp and onsite training covering safety, camp craft including tents, safe use of stoves and responsible camping, first aid, introduction to maps and planning a route, kit and packing rucksacks.
Training continues from Day 1, covering all aspects of the Gold Award Training framework, including: first aid, introduction to maps and planning a route, kit and packing rucksacks.
Day 2
Building on the training from yesterday with an emphasis on navigation strategies (bearings, contour interpretation, aiming off, hand railing, pacing). Emergency procedures with practical exercises. Post dinner night navigation exercise to simulate poor weather navigation.
Day 3-4
Mini expedition. Teams will pack their rucksacks with all the kit needed for their Expedition including tents and stoves. You will complete a pre-planned route of 8 hours that will be remotely supervised by their Trainers finishing at the campsite. Carry on the expedition from the previous day, finishing back at the campsite. Once back at the site there will be a review of the course and further advice on how to prepare for the qualifying expedition.
Finish time approx. 4pm.
Starting from our basecamp, head up into the Borrowdale Fells, you’ll plan and follow your own routes, taking in the stunning hills surrounding the valley.
Day 0
Arrival at the campsite early afternoon for acclimatisation. Welcome and introductions, and safety brief for the programme. Set up camp and opportunity for refresher training. Route planning session.
Day 1 – Day 4
4 day Qualifying Expedition. This is your opportunity to put into action all the skills you’ve learnt during the practice, and make memories that will last a lifetime
On the final day there will be a presentation by the team of their aim to the Assessor. This will then be followed by a debrief by the Assessor, with an aim to finish at 4pm.
BOOK NOWWe can run bespoke Expeditions for pre-formed groups on dates to suit you. For example, you may be part of a group who have been unable to complete your DofE expedition within your school. If you can create a team, we can help run a private Expedition just for your group. Whether you need a stand-alone Practice or Qualifying Expedition, or would like to run these back-to-back over 7 days to get everything completed at once, we will work with you to create something tailored to your requirements and location.
Get in touch to book or discuss more details on how we can help by emailing
info@wilderness-expertise.co.uk
Costs and how to book your Open Gold
Practice expedition (4 days) cost £245 per person
Qualifying expedition (4.5 days) cost £250 per person
This includes group kit, supervision and assessment by our friendly, qualified Trainers, pre-exped support, campsites fees and bookings, and all the logistics and DofE admin taken care of for you. Download an information pack with more information
To book your place on one of our Gold Open Practice or Qualifying Expeditions, the first step is to complete a short online booking and medical form, here:
BOOK NOW (Full details of our T&C’s are outlined on the booking form. Please make sure to read these carefully.)
Once you have completed your booking form and selected the date or dates that you would like to book, you will need to make the deposit payment of £50 per event.
Once we have received your booking and payment we will be in touch to confirm your place and provide more details about your expedition.
You must be aged 16 to 24 to take part in the DofE Gold programme.
If you’re only completing the Qualifying Expedition with us, you will need to provide evidence of having completed your Practice Expedition elsewhere before you take part. If you completed your practice elsewhere, it must be in a different location to your Qualifier.
You must be physically fit enough to complete a 4-day expedition with 8 hours of planned activity each day
