Gold DofE Expeditions

The Gold Expedition is frequently seen as the culmination of a participant’s DofE Award and consists of a four day expedition, with three nights spent camping. There should be eight hours minimum of activity planned each day, with at least four of these hours journeying. This replaces the old distance requirements for expeditions, but is in reality approximately the same.

The format is as described on our DofE Programmes outline page with a training programme, followed by the expedition elements.

We also organise Open Gold Expeditions for participants who need an expedition, please find details here

Locations

TrekCo organise Gold Expeditions for the DofE in three main areas: The Peak District, The Lake District and North Wales. These are classified as Wild Country in DofE guidelines and therefore are suitable for Gold Expeditions.

We can also run Gold Expeditions in many other locations; please ask.

Programme Costs for Schools and Colleges

Guide price for group bookings: £385+ vat (= £462) per participant for two expeditions

To see prices for individuals please see ‘Open Expeditions’ here

The Price includes:

• One day of pre expedition training at the location prior to the training expedition
• One day of refresher training, familiarisation and preparation the day before the assessment expedition

Please note – This in reality means two five-day trips to your location

• Training expedition – four days, three nights
• Qualifying Expedition – four days, three nights
• Free use of group equipment – tents, stoves, maps, compasses, emergency shelters
• Free use of reserve equipment for individual participants where requested by the school – rucksacks, sleeping bags, waterproofs.
• Campsite fees for four nights on each of the practice and qualifying expeditions (3 expedition nights + the first night)

Not included:

• Food
• Transport
• Insurance (other than Public Liability Cover)

Optional Extras:

• Arrive the night before; campsite fee, duty instructor – £20 + vat per participant
• Extra training – approximately £30 + vat per day per participant
• Alternatives:- If you only need a part of the programme, please call us on 01273 487509. For example, if the group has completed training and a practice expedition then the supervising member of staff has left your school, you may only need the assessment. A guide price is £45 + vat per day. Everyone has a different situation, so please get in touch.

Open Gold Expeditions – click here

1.  In general participants are expected, as an inherent part of the programme, to provide their own personal equipment. We recognise that for some the purchase of this equipment would be prohibitive, and may perhaps only be used once (or have a perceived single use in the short term). To this end we provide free equipment on the understanding that it will be replaced in the event of loss or damage. Please talk to us about this as soon as possible – there may be other groups requesting this at the same time. In any event we would usually not lend equipment without prior request, as this would indicate insufficient preparation, and preparation is a key part of the expedition. At Gold level it would be unusual for participants not to have, or to have organised for themselves, the majority of their own personal equipment.

2.  DofE participants are expected as a part of the programme to select and prepare their own food.

3. This information is for Group bookings – schools, colleges or similar. The minimum size for a group for the DofE is 4 participants. For individuals or 2 or 3 participants, please see the ‘Open Expeditions’ page where participants may book individually.

3.  Insurance – we hold £10m Public Liability Insurance. School journey or travel type insurance is not included; your LEA or other body will require that insurance be taken out. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award do provide a limited accident cover for participants and leaders – please see their website.

4. Kit – a DofE kit list can be found here: on the DofE website: https://www.dofe.org/shopping/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DofE-Expedition-Kit-List-Jan-22.pdf