b'THE ELLESMERIAN 63their tents and set off for their second day of walking. The groupsAlthough the weather during the day had been brilliant, the first night did incredibly well overall, and their navigation skills had dramaticallymade up for it with an apocalyptic thunderstorm. However, the pupils improved from their training expedition in October.However, a slightwere still sat in their tents (not the safest place to be in a thunderstorm) navigational error by one group did lead to them having to be collectedand Hal was still fast asleep and didnt know what was going on. Mr from the quarry near the Horseshoe Pass! Taylor eventually got them to the relative safety of the minibus until the storm passed and the pupils got much-needed rest before their second We then returned to College and the walking groups spent time dryingday of walking. Both groups continued with their excellent navigation on out their tents and completing presentations on the aim of their walk.the second day and with the Year 10s celebrating passing their practice Aims ranged from examining the impact of man on the environment towalk. The assessed group, however, still had another day to go, whichstudying the local wildlife. The assessors were extremely impressed withmuch to their reliefthey successfully passed, therefore completing their the presentations and nearly all pupils successfully passed their BronzeSilver awards.assessed expedition. Silver AwardThe Michaelmas term started off with the usual training for the practice expedition that runs the week before the October half term. As we only had a small cohort of new Year 10 pupils joining us this year, we put aside the usual leadership tasks, as with only 4 we didnt need to decide who would be in the practice group. We also had 4 pupils who were being assessed to make up the group figures. The pupils got stuck into producing route cards and putting their routes on maps. To ensure they were as ready as possible we also took time to polish the pupils navigation skills, tent assembly, camp cooking, and bag packing, so they could walk in the right direction, stay dry, and eat something; all essential when trying to complete an expedition in the Welsh wilderness.The practice expedition was in and around Betwys-y-coed, starting off in Capel Curig. There was the usual relief when at the start of theHaving successfully completed the practice walk, pupils started on walk the sun was shining, especially as we started the walk in the officialtheir skills section. This year the pupils opted to learn how to cook. Mr wettest place in the UK. The groups set off with enthusiasm, whichNeedham expertly led them through a series of skills, including baking didnt diminish at all throughout the day. They all navigated with ease andand roasting, as well as how to cook pasta and an egg. The pupils made always had a smile on their faces whenever Mr Taylor and I saw them.some brilliant things over the weeks, despite power cuts and cheese that'