Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expedition (1978?)

Here is some backround info on the Bronze Award.

Day 1

Arrived at Cottingham Green at about 10 past 9 and the bus driver was already packing peoples rucksacks into the back. After that we got on and went to the back [can't quite remeber who 'we' were]. on the way there we played cards. we then stopped at a place called Devils Elbow [on the North York Moors] and everyone got out. I got my rucksack and quickly changed into my walking boots. When everone was ready, we set off down the edge of the road, over a style and onto the top of a hill.


We saw another group in front and so we went back down the hill and across part of the moor to a steep gorge. We stopped on the grass by the side and had our packed lunch. After about twenty minutes we set off again and got to a forest track that went on for ages and ages and ages and... We stopped quite a few times and had a rest. Also we saw about 500 small tadpoles in a little stream by the side of the track. Later on we came across an infinite number of ants which stretched along the path for at least 800 metres. We stopped and watched them carry dead beetles around.

Then we decided to move off again and after a while we climbed a big hill and walked along a very narrow ledge down the other side. Then we came to a little brook and then after a while we crossed over a railway line.

[unfortunately you have to imagine our journey as I am not sure where we are at the moment so cannot show any pics so far! Hopefully things will become clearer]

We climbed steeply upwards and then we levelled off so we could see the railway easily. Then to our amazement a steam engine came past. We then went off into another wood and after even longer we climbed up a very steep hill and came on to a tarmacadam road. It can't be far now, I said hopefully but I shouldn't have opened my mouth because there was another big hill. Then we turned off and went up a steep forest track and after climbing for ages we finally reached the back gate of the campsite.

North York Moors railway (from http://www.w-meier.com/Seite4.htm)

We all fell on the grass and did not move for 10 minutes; after I finished my drink, so I filled it up again at the tap. After we had recovered a little, we put up our tents and rolled our sleeping bags out inside. Then we got the methylayed spirits and lit the stoves. After a while we had some Smash [instant mashed potato], some spaghetti, 5 hot dogs, a sausage, some crisps and a banana. Then after washing everything up, we borrowed the girls ball and played football. 

Then some girls went to the village and when they came back they had a lot of drink with them so ew all got some cups and had some cider and carlsberg and harp lager [sounds like a party!]. Then I played ofobtall again [sorry couldn't resist that] but at 10 O'Clock we had to stop and get ready for sleep. I got to sleep at about 11 O'Clock but i woke up again later.

Day 2
Woke up about half past 7 and got up. For breakfast we had two small packs of cereals, a fried egg, two sausages and a small apple tart. We packed our lightened rucksacks after putting our tents in and set off at 10 O'Clock down the same route as we had come up [the previous day] and went onto Stony Moor but this time we went straight on to the edge of a big valley. We looked at the map and found we had to go down the steep sides of it and when we reached the bottom we all had a rest because it is just as hard going down a steep hill as getting up one.

Then we walked along the road to Levisham Station and were just in time to get a photo of the steam train [the one below isn't that one].

Steam train at Levisham station (from http://www.gres.org.uk/history_of_gres.htm)

 Then we had to walk up an enormous hill that went on for ages. We stopped at the top and had a rest. Then we walked quickly on across the moor to Skelton Tower where we had our lunch. We could see the whole wide expanse of a forest with the railway running through and where we had been the day before. After half an hour we set off again at a brisk pace up and down on the moor. After what seemed like hours and hours we could see the early warning system [though not as close as the photo below] and we went round the corner and up the very steep hill at Devils Elbow, climbed the stile and flopped down dead.

Fylingdales Radar station (from http://www.ringbell.co.uk/ukwmo/Page111.htm)

 After 10 minutes recovering we set off after the other group again. We saw some hang gliders. Went down a dirt track past a small aerodrome and then we caught up with the other group and had a rest. Then the other group took a left hand turn and we went straight on towards the Bridestones. On the way we passed Blakey Topping [It is said that the giant Wade, following an argument with his wife, scooped up a handful of earth (creating the Hole of Horcum) and threw it at her. He missed her and it landed 1mile to the east forming Blakey Topping. from http://www.dalestrails.co.uk/Blakey-Bridestones.htm]  and after hours ['hours'] of endless walking on a head wind we reached the Bridestones [The Bridestones is one of the major Yorkshire bouldering crags. Numerous small edges and boulders spread out on the hillside].

From there we went on and down a very steep bank into Lower Stain Dale, but then of course we had to climb what seemed like a never ending hill to a farm. Then we went down into Green Dale. Our assessor said Lockton was only two fields away but it was more like two miles and most of that was uphill, but we got to the gate up and over and then crawled to the bus and got out our emergency rations, flopped into a seat and almost died [phew!].

After about an hour the other group arrived, late because they took a wrong bearring and got lost. We set off in the coach and sang some songs. We arrived back at Cottingham at about five past 7.