D.O.E Gold Expedition 2009Date: Wednesday 24th June to Sunday 28th June 2009

Location: Brecon Beacons.

Group members: Kenneth Cheng, Jake Jahmeerbacus, Harley

Taylor, Kerri Volans, Vitaly Arkulinskis, Zoe Wride.

Staff: Mr Tur and Mrs Reading.

Index

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Map __________________________

Page 3

Equipment _____________________Page 4

Food __________________________Page 5

Log Book _____________________ Page 6-13

Photos ____________________ __ Page 13-

14

Route Card ___________________(Attached)

Map

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EquipmentEquipments are very important as we need to protect ourselves

and survive. Therefore before we depart to the campsite, we carried

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out an equipment check. There are several equipments

that I had carried during this expedition, these included

food, personal kit and group kit.

Personal kits that I had carried during the expedition.

Waterproof top Underwear Towel

Waterproof trousers Socks First Aid-Kit

Walking Boots Hat Knife, Fork, Spoon, Bowl

Rucksack Sleeping Mat Whistle

Emergency Rations Notebook and Pen Sleeping Bag

Camera Compass Swiss Army Knife

Watch Torch Spare String

Route Card Music Player Mobile Phone (Switched

off)

Plastic Bag Water Bottle(s)

Group kits that our group had carried during the expedition.

Tents x 3 Stove x 3 Fuel

Detergent Matches and lighter Maps x 2

Plastic Bags (For

rubbish)

Money (For camping

fees)

Group First Aid Kit

Survival Bag x 5 Trowel

Food Menu

Chocolate Bars

Jellys

Pasta

Pasta sauces

Rice

Instant Noodles

Sweets

Cereals Bars

Emergency Rations

Spreadable

Cheeses

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Nan Breads

Energy Drinks

Tortillas

Sausages

Log Book

Day 1

I will start at the day that I actually started walking, although I

have been departed a day earlier for briefing with the invigilator. As

we woke up, we started to pack our stuff and ready to depart as we

have to take a 40mins journey towards our starting point. It is wide

and open at the starting point, after a group photo has been taken,

we began to move off.

It was a sunny day, there was wind blowing into my face, where we

started off is facing the quarry, walking towards the east. For about

30mins, I was already sweating a lot since I was with my water-proof

on.

This is Zoe standing in front of the quarry at the very beginning of

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the day.

Day 1 Continue

On our way towards the campsite, there are some

streams that we passed and took a little break at there is me and

Harley posing with the background of the streams.

We had been walking since 9am, but we didn’t have our lunch till

12pm. There were Tortillas with cheese for our lunch, also with some

chocolate bars throughout the walk.

Just about couple of miles away

from our campsite, we realized that

it was the campsite that we were

living in yesterday, and we were

travelling 40mins to the starting

point and now we spent 10 hours to

walk back to the same

place. Some of us were

very frustrated. But as we

knew that we were close to

the campsite, everybody

keeps on moving without

hesitate. That campsite

that we were staying was a farm, there were houses, many sheep

and midges. Many of us were bitten all over our body, as soon as we

finished our delicious pasta for our dinner, I rushed into the “toilet”

which has only a sink and a toilet; to clean my teeth can wash my

face. The toilet was dirty and smells. After all I went to sleep in the

tent; there were Simon and Vitaly in my tent. I went into deep sleep

in about 5 mins with my iPod’s music on.

Page 6 KENNETH CHENGOur first day’s dinner: Pasta with sausage

Day 2

This morning when I woke up, I found out that I was bitten all over

my body. They were all so itchy, anyway we woke up at 7am and

then we departed at 8:30am. After few hours, it started to rain as

we climbed up the mountains; it gets heavier and heavier as we

move up, also the fog had reduced our visibility, I can only saw 10

meters in front of me, and we had to walk in cautious as the road

was getting wetter.

Something also happened within

our group, while we were walking,

Harley and Vitaly started an

argument. The reason was

because Vitaly was walking too

fast on his own, leaving the rest of

the group. And in fact he is hardly

walking with the whole group.

Not long after the rain had started,

all of us were already wet and

socked with the rain, we even need

to stand under the rain and had our

lunch, however due to these wet

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It was rainy and foggy, visibility is low.

weather, while we were having lunch, many little flies

were surrounding us, this made many of us annoyed and

had our lunch quickly then quickly move off and start the

walk again.

In the end we arrived the campsite at 8:45pm, just about 12 hours

and it is the longest walk I had ever had! All of us were tired and

hungry, for me not only these, I also desperate for a hot shower as I

was wet and without taking a shower for 3 days. That night we had

rice for dinner, and again I went to sleep just after I had my meal.

Day 3

Today was a sunny day for us to walk, and it is the easiest walk

among the 4 days walk, this is due to one of our group member –

Jake, he had a bad ankle and therefore the invigilator allow us to

walk the foul weather route. What’s more impressive was that he

said he didn’t mind Jake not to carry his rucksack with him and still

allow him to pass the expedition.

The sun was very bright today, weather was generally hot, our

group had consumed a lot of water, and during the walk we able to

refill our water bottle as we met Mr. Tur and Mrs. Reading, but in the

end, when we arrived the campsite, we still manage to use up pretty

much of the water.

The campsite is a piece of big farmland, however it has no toilet,

through the campsite there is only one water supply. And if we want

to go to toilet, we have to use the trowel and dig a hole, after we

finished we have to fill it back up with sand. That was an invaluable

experience I have ever had. Beside, we were not the only group in

the campsite, there were a group of year 9 students camping.

Again, there were many midges

flying around, many of us got

bitten. But as this is the 3rd day,

many of us already seems didn’t

care. But Harley and Keri went for a

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shower in the stream, the funny thing was that as Harley

finished cleaning, he found out that his towel was too

small. At the end, we have noodles as dinner, everyone

had 3 packs of noodles each. It was a very delicious meal indeed.

Day 4

The last day of our expedition, it was sunny that day, which was a

good day for us to walk. Although it is not the longest walk, it seems

to me that I was the longest day of all! All of us were walking faster

as we knew that this was the last day. So everyone is full of

excitement wishing to get back home quickly. For about 6 hours

walk, around 3 pm in the afternoon, we though that we had

completed our expedition as Mr. Tur and Mrs. Reading were waiting

for us at a point which was very close to the end. But in fact, they

were only here to give us water supply.

So we felt very depressed and keep on moving, the last section of

the walk was a forest, but it was flat and easy for us. By the time we

reach the finish point, it was around 5pm. And then we met the

inspector again, he signed our log book. By that time I was very

happy but also feeling tired and desperate for a snap.

We all went home will happiest,

more interesting was that on the

way back home we had Burger

King!!! That was very delicious for

me as I hadn’t eaten anything

better than this for 4 days.

For us, it was the best expedition I

had ever had.

END

Photos

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