Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award- Gold level

On a sunny and clear mid-September morning, nine La Côte International IB Diploma  students set out from Col de la Forclaz, Trient, on the first leg of a four-day, 55 kilometre hike with more than 3000 metres of vertical ascent ahead of them.

The nine students carried with them everything they would need for their trip, including a tent each, cooking equipment, food, and clothing. This was the final challenge and assessment to complete the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award- Gold level, which they had been working towards for the past 18 months.

The Itinerary: Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award 2024

The first day covered 13km with a manageable profile, in good weather all day. Day two, Champex Lac to La Fouly, 14.30km, was another gorgeous day in the mountains, hiking in t-shirts and enjoying the challenge and the environment. Our students were left to hike autonomously per the Award’s requirements, in two groups, checking in with staff at agreed points, and always with telephone contact in case of emergency.

The second night was again spent in tents, which the group pitched on arrival at Camping des Glaciers, before cooking their evening meal and settling down to recuperate and sleep ready for their biggest day on Saturday, when they would be joined by eleven more LCIS DP students - in training for a 2025 climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

A mountain weather change to thick cloud and a cold wind all day on Saturday made the 1538m of climb over 15.18km even tougher than expected. No one was sorry that the night’s accommodation at 2473 metres altitude was on bunks in the cosy Hospice du Grand Bernard. Nature treated our adventurers a little kinder for their last day of hiking the final 12km to Bourg St Pierre.

Preparing for the Challenge

Our nine Gold Award students had been preparing for this final adventure over the preceding 18 months with regular physical activities including hikes, along with first aid training. The route itself was planned with the help of International Award Co-ordinator and Biology teacher, Charlotte Baril. Participants were also required to set an objective to complete during the hike, over and above the hike itself. We look forward to watching the short documentary filmed on their mobile phones throughout the adventure!

The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award: More Than a Hike

The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award requires young people to engage in voluntary work, physical activity and to acquire a skill. It is an excellent opportunity for young people to take something they enjoy to a new level, setting themselves goals and persevering until they achieve them. Along the way soft skills are improved and enhanced – skills that round out their academic achievements and give them an edge as they make their way into further education and their working life: Teamwork, resilience, time management, problem solving, reliability and more. As an internationally recognised achievement, it is an incredibly worthwhile endeavour.

Teacher’s Reflection

Ms Baril commented:
“I am incredibly proud of the students who took part in the expedition, either for the Gold Award or the Kilimanjaro training hike. The weekend was challenging, and it was amazing to see the students demonstrate their resilience and teamwork skills which enabled them to be successful even when they found it hard at times. The comments from students such as "that day was awesome although it was hard" "I'm so proud of myself, I can't believe I did it" demonstrates just what completing the award can give students in addition to their daily studies.”