We offer a number of DofE open Silver and Gold expeditions for those individuals who for one reason or another are unable to attend the expedition their school or college offer, or for those who are part of a group but not large enough to form their own self-supporting expedition.

For these expeditions we usually meet at train stations and the initial camp site is within walking distance. You can choose to do both the training and practice expedition with us as well as the qualifying or vice versa.

During the year we use recognised DofE Wild Country areas of the UK such as the Peak District, Dartmoor, Snowdonia and the Lake District.

2027 Gold Practice or Qualifying expedition
29 March – 2 April Eryri/ Snowdonia
31 May – 4 June Eryri/ Snowdonia
26 – 30 July Lake District
2 – 6 August Peak District
30 August – 3 September Lake District
25 – 29 October Eryri/ Snowdonia
Price per expedition £350

2027 Silver Practice or Qualifying expedition
2 – 4 April North Downs, Surrey
4 – 6 June North Downs, Surrey
22 – 24 July North Downs, Surrey
25 – 27 October North Downs, Surrey
Price per expedition £210

Our expedition price includes all the kit lists and information you need to prepare for the expedition, camp site fees, the use of our tents, stoves, gas, maps, compasses and ruck sacks as well as instruction and supervision by experienced, qualified instructors and DofE accredited assessors. You provide your own food and clothing.

If you are interested in attending one of our expeditions please do contact us for more information or click here to book yourself onto our courses.

Our Base camp locations and the format for Open DofE Expeditions

You will be forming a group with other individuals from all around the UK. Overall we do not have huge groups and our maximum size on an expedition is 16. If you are coming with a friend then great: we will put you in a group with your friend. Hopefully that makes joining an open expedition a little less daunting!

Peak District

We usually meet at Hope and our base camp site is a short walk from the station. During the week there is the opportunity to explore the wilder remote areas of Kinder Scout as well as pass through beautiful hamlets and villages along the way.

Lake District

We usually explore the area around Kentmere, a quieter area of the Lake District. The expedition starts at Staveley and usually finishes in Windermere. After the expedition you can catch the bus/ train home or be picked up in the town. Alternatively, we meet in Keswick in the northern area and explore areas around Derwent Water and the Borrowdale valley.

Eriri/ Snowdonia

We meet and finish at Llanfairfechan. From here there are options of exploring the quieter northern areas of the national park. If the weather is good we may ascend the most northerly 3000′ mountains, or use a lower series of paths in the Conwy Valley.

Dartmoor

We meet and finish in either Princetown or Ivybridge and usually use the southern half of Dartmoor. During the expedition you will have the opportunity to wild camp in some amazing places- including settlements once home to people in the Bronze age. We also use camp sites with showers and basic facilities along the way.

Outline Plan

For the expedition- Silver or Gold- we meet on Day 1 and get to know each other. That’s also a chance to sort out kit, food, tents, the proposed route (given the weather conditions need to be considered) and possibly a short walk to at least make sure you leave the camp site heading in the right direction and on the right foot path!

Then you have a 3 day (Silver) or 4 day (Gold) expedition ahead.
You will be supervised by a qualified instructor for the entire time of the expedition but you will need to be self-sufficient over the 3 or 4 days.

The open DofE expedition price includes use of a map, camp site fees, a tent, stove/ fuel and a ruck sack that you may need to borrow. Alternatively, please do bring your own equipment and we are very happy for you to use your own provided that we think it is suitable. We will provide you with a much more detailed kit list of items we expect you to bring on the expedition when you make a booking.

All our prices displayed include VAT at 20%
Company number 11499208
VAT registration 388 6234 53