For our Silver Expedition, we decided go further afield into a wild-country area, where the landscape is remote and rugged and the campsites are much more basic. Our groups were joined by a group of girls from Becky High School, who we invited to join us. Students were required to carry all their food and equipment for three days in rucksacks, whilst hiking long distances over challenging terrain in any weather.

Day 1: after collecting their tents, equipment and routecards from store, students organised and packed, ready for the expedition. We drove to the Peak District to our meeting point in Hathersage. Students hiked to their first campsite in Pindale. We thought we’d managed to avoid the showers, but sure enough, just before finishing the hike, the heavens opened up and left us with a very damp field in which to pitch tents. The students just got on with it, pitched camp and cooked their supper before an early night.

Day 2: students were up early, cooking breakfast, taking down their tents and sorting out their packs. After checking their routes/checkpoints once more, they were off in staggered groups for the longest day of hiking. There were numerous thigh-burning hills and ridges to negotiate on their route including Mam Tor at 517m (1690ft). The teachers met them at various check points, but otherwise they had to navigate and route-find themselves. There were a couple of wrong turns but they all managed to find their way successfully to all the checkpoints and to the second night’s campsite (actually a working farm) on schedule.

One of the day’s highlights was seeing a parascending club, jumping off the ridge near Mam Tor. (I took contact details and am considering this for a school trip in the future!) The view from the second night campsite could not have been more beautiful. It more than made up for the abundance of sheep droppings and very basic washing facilities. After they cooked their dinner, we relaxed by an open fire under the stars.

Day 3: clear skies meant a very cold night’s sleep for everyone under canvas, with frost on the tents and walking boots in the morning. Despite this, all were up bright and early for the last day of hiking on a pleasant route with a very steep descent through the woods from Winhill Pike to the meeting point at Bamford.  At 15.00 we drove back to The Chalfonts - tired but satisfied!