1. Introduction to DofE Expeditions

2. Expedition
Aim
To inspire young people to develop initiative and a sense of adventure and discovery, by planning, training for and completing an adventurous journey as part of a team.

3. The expedition process
Forming Expedition Groups
Training
Practice Expedition
Planning
Qualifying Expedition
Presentation

4. Timescales for expeditions
Bronze
Silver
Gold

5. 20 Conditions of the expedition
1. Your expedition must be by your own physical effort, without any motorised or outside assistance.
2. Your expedition must be unaccompanied and self-sufficient.
3. Your expeditions must be supervised by an adult who is able to accept responsibility for the safety of you and your team.
4. Your expedition must have an aim.
5. You must be properly equipped for your expedition.
The 20 Conditions of the Expedition must be fulfilled to complete your Expedition section. If you have a condition or disability which you think will affect completion of one or more of the conditions, then please get in touch as we may be able to apply for a variation to that condition.
Some of these Conditions are elaborated on later on in the presentation, others should be quite self-explanatory. Don’t be afraid to ask about any of these Conditions if you have a question or concern.

6. 20 Conditions of the expedition
6. You must have completed the required training and practice expeditions.
7. At least one practice expedition must be undertaken at each level of the programme, in the same mode of travel in a similar environment to the qualifying expedition.
8. You and your team must plan and organise your expedition.
9. You must be assessed by an approved accredited Assessor to the DofE.
10. There must be between four and seven people in your team (eight people may be in a team for modes of travel which are tandem).

7. 20 Conditions of the expedition
11. You must be within the qualifying age of the DofE programme level.
12. Participants must be at the same level of assessment.
13. Your team must not include anyone who has completed the same or higher level DofE expedition.
14. Your overnight accommodation should be camping.
15. Your expedition must be the minimum number of days required for your DofE level.

8. 20 Conditions of the expedition
16. Your expedition should normally take place between the end of March and the end of October.
17. Your expedition should be in the recommended environment for your DofE level.
18. You must do the minimum hours of planned daily activity for your DofE level.
19. You should cook and eat a substantial meal each day.
20. You must create and deliver a presentation after your expedition to complete the section.

9. Mode of travel
1. Your expedition must be by your own physical effort, without any motorised or outside assistance.
Walking Kayaking Skateboarding
Cycling Sailing Wheelchair
Horse Riding Paddleboarding
These are some examples of ways people have completed their Expeditions in the past. Most groups choose walking as it is generally cheaper than some other options, and the majority of people have experience of walking.
If your group would like to choose a different mode of transport, either one listed above or a completely new idea, then you must still abide by the rest of the conditions of the Expedition but you must also be proficient in the mode of transport. If you’ve never ridden a horse before it is probably not a good idea to plan a horse-riding expedition unless you plan to do a lot of training beforehand.
The DofE prides itself on being open to all, so if you have a physical disability this should be no impediment to completing the Expedition section. There is specialist equipment available to help anyone who would have difficulty with the physical aspect of the Expedition, so please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

10. Expedition aim 4. Your expedition must have an aim.
About planning an effective, challenging expedition with a clear outcome – simply travelling through the countryside is not enough. 
Relate to the interests/abilities of participants
Relevant to the area you are travelling through
Aims can be anything, from drawing landscape, to bird identification, to performance art, to completing a foraging and cooking challenge, to creating a film, to exploring bothies, to finding out about the history of the landscape you pass through. You decide on one aim for the whole group, so all of your team mates should agree on the aim and work equally to achieve it. You can play to the strengths of your team members, or perhaps think about the geography or wildlife of the area you’ll be passing through. Remember that whatever you pick, you’ll have to carry relevant equipment in your pack, so be sensible about what you can achieve! Carrying out your aim will form part of the activity plan you will be asked to draw up for the Expedition.

11. Expedition kit 5. You must be properly equipped for your expedition.
ENSA has an Expedition kit store where you can borrow the following: tents, sleeping bags, roll mats, first aid kits, Trangia camping stoves, survival bags, emergency shelters, trowels, safety whistles, Ordinance Survey maps, map cases, compasses, lightweight camping mugs and cutlery, torches, rucksacks. You must provide your own personal clothing and footwear, and must make sure your prepare for all weather.
In your DofE Welcome Pack you should have a discount card for Cotswolds outdoors shop, which may be useful if you need to buy any personal items.
Your Expedition group may want to come in an look at the kit and do a ‘test pack’ of your rucksacks to see how much room you have for personal items. Just contact us if you would like to do this. The kit store is at Merchiston campus.

12. Expedition training
6. You must have completed the required training and practice expeditions.
First Aid
Camp craft
Navigation
1 practice expedition with Expedition Supervisor (or as many as it takes!)
All of your team must have completed the same amount of training before you head out on your Expedition, so you should motivate each other to complete it. The Expedition Supervisor will judge your performance on the Practice Expedition to decide whether you are ready to go on the Qualifying Expedition. The Expedition supervisor will be with your group at all times on the Practice Expedition, and you will probable learn a lot along the way and get a chance to put your newly learned skills into action. Your Practice Expedition should be in a similar environment to your Qualifying Expedition, but you do not need to complete an Expedition aim for the Practice.
Your Expedition will be assessed by a properly trained and certified DofE Expedition Assessor, who we will hire for you. The Expedition Assessor will meet you at various points along your Expedition to check your are keeping to your schedule, but also to check that your team are properly trained for the environment you’re in. If the Expedition Assessor thinks that your group are not properly trained, they will halt your Expedition and send you home.

13. Expedition planning
8. You and your team must plan and organise your expedition.
What mode of travel will you use?
Does your route meet the requirements of the DofE Level you are at?
Where will you go?
When will you go?
Have you submitted the relevant forms to us?
What will your expedition aim be?
Are you fit enough to undertake the expedition?
Have you all completed your training?
ENSA will support each group in planning their Expedition, and the Expedition Supervisor will be able to give you advice and training on planning routes and navigating the countryside. You need to plan your Expedition well in advance of undertaking it, as we need to submit planning forms to the DofE centrally 6 weeks before your Expedition, so that they can manage access to the countryside and so that we can arrange for an Expedition Assessor to be assigned to your group. As well as completing a Practice Expedition, your group might want to do some day walks or general fitness training to prepare.

14. Expedition season
16. Your expedition should normally take place between the end of March and the end of October.
Spring Expeditions
Summer Holidays
Winter Training
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
Though the Expedition season runs from March to October, you should take into account that all or some of your Expedition group may be away for the summer break which can make planning and carrying out Expeditions more difficult. ENSA is open all summer and we are happy to accommodate Expeditions throughout the season. September and October are also fine for Expeditions, but again you may need to get your group together during summer to give yourselves time to plan.
June
July
August
September
October

15. Expedition environment
17. Your expedition should be in the recommended environment for your DofE level.
Bronze
Land Environment (walking, cycling and horse riding)
Normal rural countryside which can be familiar to the participants.
Silver
Land Environment (walking, cycling and horse riding)
Normal rural open countryside or forest, which is unfamiliar to the participants. Where possible the expedition should be in, or at least include, areas of open country or forest.
Gold
Land Environment (walking, cycling and horse riding)
Wild country, remote from habitation, which is unfamiliar to participants. Remote estuaries, marshes, fens and coastal areas may provide an appropriate environment for an expedition with the emphasis on exploring rather than doing the journey.
You can carry out your Expedition anywhere in the world, although it will usually be cheaper and easier to plan an Expedition in the UK. The map on this slide shows the wild country Expedition areas in the UK which you can complete your Expeditions in. As you can see, Scotland has a lot of areas! You can find out more about the Expedition areas on the DofE website here:
It can be advantageous to do your Expedition in Scotland for two reasons, one is that you can wild camp in Scotland, which means you do not need to use approved camping sites like you might do in England, Wales and Northern Island. The second reason is that not many people go there! There are a lot of DofE groups in England and Wales and they tend to use the areas nearest them to complete their Expeditions, this means that Expedition areas there get very busy. DofE manage Expedition areas to ensure the countryside is not overused, and to ensure that Expedition groups do not have route clashes. In Scotland there is a lot more space to go around a small number of groups.
If you are doing a water based Expedition, there are still recommended environments to do these in. If you are interested in a water based Expedition please get in touch to discuss the requirements.
Wild country is defined as an area remote from habitation. DofE expeditions should be through, rather than over, wild country.

16. Expedition activity
18. You must do the minimum hours of planned daily activity for your DofE level.
Level
Minimum hours of planned activity each day
Bronze
At least 6 hours during the daytime (at least 3 of which must be spent journeying)
Silver
At least 7 hours during the daytime (at least 3½ of which must be spent journeying)
Gold
At least 8 hours during the daytime (at least 4 of which must be spent journeying)
When planning your Expedition you will fill out an Activity Planner for each day. This will include the start and end times for each day, your lunch and any other breaks you want to take, time set aside for the completion of your expedition aim, and the time you will be spending actually journeying. Your Activity Planner must show that you have something planned for 6/7/8 hours per day depending on the level of the award (see table in slide), and at least half of this time must be journeying. Your Activity Planner will be given to the DofE and the Expedition Assessor to check, and you should carry a copy with you while on the Expedition so you remember what you’re supposed to be doing.
Remember to pay attention to sunrise and sunset times!

17. Expedition food
19. You should cook and eat a substantial meal each day.
Communal cooking
Dietary requirements
Sharing equipment
No refrigeration
Nutritional needs
Health & safety
If you don’t eat properly on your Expedition, you will run out of energy quickly and may not be able to keep up with your planned itinerary. You will expend around 3,500 calories per full day of Expedition activity, and a bowl of Super Noodles won’t replenish this energy. You can use a menu planner like the one in the slide to think about what you will be eating for each meal. Remember that you will have to carry everything you want to cook, and water, so leave behind unnecessary packaging and tin cans.
You will only have one or two camping stoves to cook on, so cooking communally can reduce the queue to get your food ready. If you plan to cook together, check to see if anyone has any allergies or dietary requirements that might affect what you eat. Try to create balanced meals; surviving on sugary snacks will only give you short bursts of energy rather than sustained energy release.
You should probably avoid taking raw meat, and any other items that need refrigeration to be safe. Remember to wash your hands before cooking and eating, and wash everything up at the end.

18. Expedition presentation
20. You must create and deliver a presentation after your expedition to complete the section.
a written report
a comic strip or storyboard
a PowerPoint presentation
performed as interpretive dance/theatre/a skit/poetry/song
an exhibition
a product such as a leaflet, poster or film
The presentation aspect of the Expedition is the last thing you will do, and is a good chance to look back on your experiences and reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the Expedition. You can do your presentation as a group or an individual, and can tailor the presentation to your strengths. Listed in the slide are some ways of doing a presentation, but you can be as creative as you like. A DofE staff member must see your presentation, but you can also invite friends or family along, or share it more widely with the University community and the DofE nationally!

19. Have fun!
Expeditions are often said to be the most challenging aspect of the DofE, but overcoming those challenges is what makes the whole thing worth it. You will come home with fantastic stories, a strong team bond, and a sense of personal achievement. You might do things you never though you would, or discover new skills and strengths in your character. Wherever you go, and whatever you do for your Expedition, remember to enjoy it!