24th - 29th Aug, Gold D of E Assessed Expedition

A group just passing me, with Pen Y Fan and Corn Du in the distance. A couple of groups will be going over there tomorrow.

I'm left wondering whether the group will get caught in another massive downpour - oh, and me too, hood up..

A better day today looking over the reservoir at Pen Y Fan again.

I had a chance to lay down (groups never turn up when you expect them to) - this is the way a sheep would see Pen Y Fan, if it were bothered to look around.

The group arrived at the wild camp, and asked where they could camp, the dead sheep put them off the best spot. The group were happy enough with this flat spot, running water and fresh air.

This week was an Open Gold D of E Assessed Expedition with A to Z Expeditions. All the candidates arrived on the Monday afternoon, when Andy and I met them. We had to quickly get them all acquainted and working in teams - they were future best friends but didn't know it yet.

Eventually after 2 days of final training and preparations they were ready for the actual assessed expedition. Unfortunately the weather was going to be a massive test - RAIN RAIN HAIL and WIND :(

After day 1 with constant unrelenting wind and rain, the strain was showing on them all, especially those arriving at their wild camp - no luxuries there. Everybody got personal showing blisters and war wounds. Unknown to them all - by the morning 1 would drop out.

In the morning, I met them at 7am (I'd come from the luxury of a campsite with 'taps'), and yes the strain of the day before and the mess of blistered feet became to much for 1 candidate.

Day 3 saw the final moments of another candidate, hip pains, exhaustion and sore feet becoming too much to bare. The others pushed on and finally in the final day, when we all experienced 'SUN'. they arrived at the fabled End of Expedition.

The assessors passed them all - congratulations to them all.