The DoE Experience at Glenalmond College

My Personal Reflection - Lucy Hems

A famous American poet once said "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." I feel that this quotation perfectly sums up my experience of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Canoe Expedition 2009. For many girls, the thought of spending four days on expedition with five other boys the year below would perhaps not be too appealing, and I must admit that I was a little apprehensive at first, but it was my strong desire to achieve my Gold Duke of Edinburgh that drove me. However, from as early as the first meeting, I knew I had nothing to worry about and I could not have asked for a better group of people to go on expedition with.

The boys were helpful, kind, considerate and were always making me laugh; they treated me just as they would any other individual. I cannot think of a moment when group morale lowered, it only ever increased! This does not mean that I had an easy ride as many would presume from being the only girl amongst a group of boys; I got myself stuck in just like all the others, even in perhaps the more physically challenging tasks such as the portaging, (which was a test of both logic and physical ability) and even the latter part of Loch Ness, which gradually became trickier as the wind turned against us and time was clocking on.

As a group, we grew stronger with each day that passed, and I think the weather also helped this. After reversing our route plan in the hope of a better weather forecast, in particular wind conditions, I began to wonder whether this was a worthwhile decision after several hours paddling on the first day and yet we still seemed to remain on the canal. After a hard portage (or what seemed like a hard portage despite it only being around 100m), we headed out into the loch, but even then the weather was not looking anymore promising, with the wind blowing against us. However, this did not discourage us, and we continued paddling along, playing games as we went, we weren't at all surprised by some of the strange looks we got passing yachtsmen while we were attempting to cover a version of 'hakuna matata' or playing 'guess the tune'. (At this point it was not our arms that began to hurt but our ears.) As time drew on, it looked as if the weather was going to close in on us - signs of this included a rather amusing episode of a man helplessly trying to tack his boat, we set about trying to find a suitable camp site because we knew that we were not going to reach our original aim of Urquhart Bay. I was seriously impressed by the campsite we found! There was ample space to pitch the tents and a group tarp shelter. There was more than enough to keep us busy in the evening, from stone skimming, to following through with our aim and preparing lunch.

Early Tuesday morning, as most pupils were still sleeping quietly in their beds in a last minute bid to savour every minute of sleep they could grasp, we were all up bright and breezy, (although perhaps not bushy-tailed - well...Maybe my hair qualified) ready to tackle the day ahead of us. One of the most beautiful moments for me was washing the dishes (you don't tend to hear that from a 17 year old) just as the sun was rising over a calm loch; the reflection was so clear it was like a mirror. We reached Urquhart Bay just in time for elevenses, much earlier than anticipated. The sun was shining and spirits were high. After stopping briefly at Urquhart Castle for a quick break to soak up the sights, loosen the shoulders and to recover from my momentary scare of Reynolds' 'Nessie' sighting (it was the reflection of a grey cloud creating a shadow-like image below us), we continued on our journey. The wind began to pick up and when we stopped for lunch, we all had to huddle together under the shelter of some trees to keep warm. After lunch, we decided we would attempt to sail, even though at first we were rather cynical. Against our original thoughts, the wind continued to pick up and as it did so, we gathered speed. Before we knew it, we were swiftly moving down the loch at pace, although we did get some strange looks as other boaters passed us. The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by, we continued along for a good few hours, but just as we were starting to get those hunger pangs again (it wasn't thunder we were hearing but Reynolds' stomach), the wind began to die down again so we took down our improvised sail. We started looking for suitable campsites but without great success, a lot of the land we came across was privately owned. Euan and Douglas did find a tiny patch of land but none of us were greatly convinced and we were certain we could find something better. After a good few minutes out of the canoes searching for a campsite and stretching the legs, we started paddling onwards, and as we did, much to our surprise (and luck) the wind began to pick up again. Once again, we set up our innovative orange sail (which somewhat added surprising 'style' for a Duke of Edinburgh expedition) and continued along our journey. Although Fort Augustus was still a little further, we were confident we could reach there in good time, especially with the wind behind us. Although, as usual, the wind died down again and we began to paddle as a tri-maran raft (we wanted to keep the group together for the entertainment), which seemed to add a very Lord of the Rings feel to our trip. For a while, this seemed a fun and efficient method of paddling until we started getting very wet - taking on a lot more water than we had hoped (yet no urgent need for the use of bailers), but I think that my feet were definitely worth getting cold if it meant that I got to see Euan impersonate a Smurf with his blue waterproofs on and hood up! Eventually, we reached Fort Augustus, and the feeling of arriving at it, having just completed the whole 24 mile long Loch Ness in a day was incredible. I was proud of not only the group but of myself and actually a little surprised at my ability and willingness just to grit my teeth and get on with it. I guess this gave us yet another glimpse of the qualities and values that the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has been designed to bring out in people. As usual, our evening meal did just the job and kept me going while we advanced with our aim, although Reynolds' addition of some 'Reggae Reggae' sauce perhaps kept me a bit too hot!

On our final morning, we woke up with the sun shining, ready to tackle the day ahead of us. In a matter of minutes we had reached the locks at Fort Augustus but none of us could have predicted what we were to face (and no, it wasn't the infamous Nessie but something far worse!) Having already completed a lock gate previously, we knew that it would be hard but none of us could have expected this - a distance of around 800m! Although I found this task physically challenging (the laughter from spectators as we attempted to portage our kit in full attire did not help this matter) I felt an overpowering sense of pride for myself and the group when we got the final canoe to the end and continued on our journey. The wind once again was on our side and we improvised our sail, before we knew it we were speeding down the canal, with 'Pirates of the Caribbean' blaring from our speakers. I found this one of the most enjoyable moments, we had planned an easy, relaxing day after yesterday's challenge and that's exactly what it was! I could not think of a better way to spend the first day of school other than sailing down Loch Oich and part of the canal with a good group of people and the weather on our side. Our final campsite made the day even more enjoyable with working toilets, a picnic bench and plenty of space for the tents (I no longer had to listen from the humorous yet worrying banter from the boys' tents.) We had more than enough food left over and settled down in the evening to a feast, one final litter sweep, playing tricks on Mark's hammock and enjoying the last few hours together as a group.

In conclusion, my Duke of Edinburgh expedition was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have taken part in and is a positive memory I will carry with me for quite some time. If I could repeat it again, I would, and when I think back on it, it only makes me smile. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and could not have asked for a better way to spend my first few days leading into my final term (it was even worth the slag for my sun burn - I guess my leavers photo will also serve as a reminder of the fun I had!) It really is the simple things in life that are the best!