It's been a tough time for running an outdoor business. It's been very hard on freelance instructors, there is a very real prospect that many outdoor education centres in Scotland will close and for my business, an Approved Activity Provider running Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions, I'd say we've only just managed to get through …
Tag: Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Pyrenees Snowshoe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition
Right now I'm in Barcelona, resting up and taking time to write a blog about a fantastic week snowshoeing in the French Pyrenees with Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award participants from Shrewsbury School. This week's qualifying expedition was the culmination of 18 months of planning and preparation. The expedition team began their training exactly a …
Continue reading Pyrenees Snowshoe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition
Recipe Ideas for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions
Looking for inspiration for your expedition grub, bored of dehydrated meals, unsatisfied with pot noodles? This blog presents three simple recipes for tasty campsite meals, cooked on a stove. There's: Toasted tortilla with cheese, ham and red pepper: 'Speedy Pasta', a simple but delicious pasta based meal with tomato sauce and grated cheese; and, French …
Continue reading Recipe Ideas for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions
Packing a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition Rucksack
https://youtu.be/2vXoStsZx4E This video explains how to pack a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition rucksack. There are items of kit that you'll share with your tent group. These items, things like the tent and stove, are called the group kit. Lay out all the items of group kit and decide with the people you're sharing a …
Continue reading Packing a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition Rucksack
Top tips for keeping dry on expedition
Keeping dry on a Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition is a skill learnt through good advice and experience. Once a young person has completed all levels of the Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold) they'll have done 18 days hiking and 12 nights camping. Not surprisingly, by that stage, they'll have some good tips to share …
What’s a bothy and how do you spell it?
This blog has been written by Al McGowan. Al works for Aspen Outdoors Ltd as an outdoor instructor. He's a blogger, hill runner, geologist, Duke of Edinburgh's Award supervisor and Assessor and holder of the Hill and Moorland Award. Check out is website and blog on http://www.hillsofhame.com. A team of instructors from Aspen Outdoors Ltd …
OUTXE Powerbank Review
Having a powerbank handy to charge up electonic stuff whilst in the outdoors has, for me, become an essential bit of kit. When guiding clients in the mountains I use my iPhone6 for photographs, navigation apps and as an emergency telephone. Some of the apps I like to use are: Mapping software like Memory Map ; …
Snowshoe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition
This February six 17 year olds from Shrewsbury School became Duke of Edinburgh's Award pioneers, undertaking the first ever snowshoe expedition. Normally expeditions happen between March and October, avoiding the winter. Our expedition however, after a great deal of planning and preperation, took place high in the snowy Cairngorm mountains in February. Here is an account …
Continue reading Snowshoe Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition
My top 10 views, summer 2017
With summer nearly over, here's my top ten views from hiking about Scotland, England and France. 1. Ben More from Stob Binnein. I like the way Ben More is in silhouette behind the rain cloud. I was out hillwalking with Isaac Wilkie. Read about our trip here. 2. Puig Castell Isard and Puig Carlit, French …
Hammock camping, campfire cooking trail runner
So my plan was to do a big 60km reccy of a gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award route in Perthshire, running it in two days travelling really lightweight, sleeping in my hammock and cooking on a fires - so no stove. My rucksack weighed 7kg with food and water and all my overnight kit. I …
Continue reading Hammock camping, campfire cooking trail runner
Aspen Outdoors Ltd 