This post is based on this blog post written in 2020, with some updates based on changes to the eDofE mapping software introduced in 2023. The first step is to access eDofE Mapping from your eDofE account. If you are a participant, select 'Expedition Section' and look for 'Mapping' at the bottom of the page. …
Tag: Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Corrour Gold Reccy
For the team at Aspen, winter is a time for planning and doing reccies. A reccy (reconnoitre) is my favoured term for the joyous pastime of exploring a new area for the purposes of checking its suitability for clients, customers, and Duke of Edinburgh's Award participants. To this end, foremost in mind are considerations like: …
Dofe Bushcraft Residential, July 2022
During July's heatwave, me and Jen were running our first Aspen Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award Bushcraft residential at Wiston Lodge in South Lanarkshire. Eight Gold participants, from across the UK, took part, all eager to meet new people and learn new skills. The programme for the five-day residential included learning a wide range of …
Dofe Expeditions during Covid-19
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 …
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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 ; …