Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Training & Qualifying Expeditions open to all Gold DofE level participants.

Gold DofE Training

Participants are required to complete the compulsory expedition training at Gold level, to be signed off as competent to safely undertake their practice and qualifying expeditions. This is in addition to any previous training undertaken at Bronze or Silver levels and includes the topics outlined in the Gold Expedition Training Framework.

Download the Gold Expedition Training Framework

We deliver a comprehensive training programme for the Gold Expedition section that ensures each participant has the required skills, knowledge and confidence, to complete their practice and qualifying expeditions in a safe and enjoyable manner, which also helps to promote a positive experience whilst undertaking this aspect of their Gold DofE programme. We do not compromise safety, or the importance of the training topics that are required to be completed as part of the Expedition section, hence the longer training period than that delivered by some other providers. These are indicated in the Gold Expedition Training Framework, DofE Expedition Guide and The Handbook for DofE Leaders and is in keeping with the values, ethos and spirit of the DofE. The Expedition Training Framework states ‘The training plan for a DofE team should be a progressive process with skills being acquired on training sessions and then practised in the outdoor environment until participants are capable of carrying out the skills without support or adult intervention.’ This cannot be effectively achieved in one day!