GOLD
GOLD DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD EXPEDITIONS FOR SCHOOLS
Learn Outdoors delivers Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) expeditions for schools across England and Wales. As one of the UK’s most experienced DofE Approved Activity Providers (AAP), we support schools through the most demanding level of the Award, delivering Gold DofE training, practice expeditions and qualifying expeditions in appropriate, challenging environments.
While Gold expeditions are often completed outside the South East, we regularly work with schools in South East England to plan and deliver Gold DofE expeditions nationally, including upland and remote expedition areas.
FULL GOLD DofE SUPPORT:
We provide complete Gold DofE expedition support for schools, including:
✓ Gold DofE expedition training
✓ Advanced navigation, leadership and route planning skills
✓ Remote area planning and safety management
✓ Equipment advice and preparation guidance
✓ Campsite bookings and land access coordination
✓ Practice expeditions
✓ Qualifying expeditions
✓ Qualified instructors and supervision
✓ Tracker technology
✓ Accredited DofE assessment and expedition sign-off
All Gold expeditions are delivered in line with current DofE guidance. Discover more about whats included in your DofE expedition.
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Learn Outdoors provides flexible, modular support for your school’s DofE programme, tailored to your experience, resources and budget.
We can deliver your complete expedition programme as an AAP, taking responsibility for planning, training, staffing, supervision, assessment, logistics and insurance. Equipment, including tents, stoves and gas, can also be provided.
Alternatively, schools can lead their own programme, with Learn Outdoors providing support where needed.
GOLD DofE WITH LEARN OUTDOORS
See a Gold DofE expedition with Learn Outdoors in action.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
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“Throughout the DofE experience in Sixth Form the Learn Outdoors team were really proactive, really positive and really supportive. They encouraged us all to go into our expeditions and get something from it that would be personal to us and stick with us for life. From speaking to my friends, we often reflect on our experience of DofE and are so grateful to the staff we had."
— Gold DofE Participant
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"Staff and pupils all commented on the positive and productive atmosphere over the weekend."
— School DofE Coordinator
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"I enjoyed working as a team, making friends and having a laugh."
— Gold DofE Participant
USEFUL INFORMATION
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The Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition is the highest and most challenging level of the DofE Award. It requires participants to demonstrate a high level of independence, resilience and leadership in a remote outdoor environment.
A typical Gold DofE expedition involves:
4 days of walking as a self-sufficient team
3 nights camping in remote or upland areas
Longer, more demanding routes across varied terrain
Advanced navigation and decision-making
A wild-camp where possible
Before the qualifying expedition, participants complete comprehensive training and a practice expedition, developing advanced expedition skills, leadership, risk management and group decision-making.
During the qualifying expedition, teams operate independently while being remotely supervised by our highly experienced instructors supported by tracker technology, in line with DofE guidance.
Learn Outdoors works closely with schools to introduce students to expeditioning in a way that is supportive, confidence-building and age-appropriate, while still meeting the required level of challenge set by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
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Schools choose Learn Outdoors to run their Gold DofE expeditions because we are a nationally recognised DofE Approved Activity Provider and we offer:
Extensive experience delivering DofE expeditions across the UK
Carefully selected routes suitable fo Gold expeditions
Clear progression from Silver expeditions
Fully qualified instructors, course directors and accredited DofE assessors
Dedicated office team to support you before, during and after your expedition
We work in close partnership with school DofE coordinators to ensure every expedition meets both educational and logistical requirements.
To find out more about what sets us apart visit our Why Choose Us page.
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Gold DofE expeditions must take place in suitably challenging and remote environments.
The beautiful Elan Valley, based in the rugged Cambrian Mountains in Mid-Wales, is one of our favourite locations to run Gold expeditions. This area offers stunning and diverse wild landscapes and an abundance of nature and wildlife. The area is also an International Dark Skies Park, granted the silver-tier status by the International Dark Sky Association in 2015.
We run Gold expeditions in other suitable areas throughout the UK including Dartmoor, Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Eryri (Snowdonia) and the Peak District (Dark Peak) but we can be flexible, with our staff having expedition experience across most of upland UK.
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Schools choose Learn Outdoors for their Gold DofE expeditions because of our depth of experience in managing complex expeditions safely and professionally.
We regularly support:
Gold DofE expeditions for secondary schools and sixth forms
Gold DofE expeditions for South East England schools delivered nationally
Gold DofE expeditions in upland and remote areas
Our Gold programmes challenge students while providing the structure and expertise schools expect.
PROGRESSION BEYOND GOLD
Completing a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition is a significant personal achievement and often represents a defining moment in a young person’s DofE journey.
The skills developed during a Gold expedition – resilience, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork and self-belief – have long-lasting benefits well beyond the Award itself. Students frequently reflect on their Gold expedition as a key experience that helped prepare them for:
Sixth form and further education
University life and independent living
Employment, apprenticeships and interviews
Leadership roles and future challenges
Successful completion of the Gold DofE also leads to an invitation to a Gold Award Presentation Ceremony, often held at a royal palace or prestigious venue. These ceremonies celebrate the commitment, perseverance and achievement of young people who complete the Award.
Many schools choose Learn Outdoors to support students right through to Gold, knowing that the expedition phase plays a crucial role in building confidence and creating lasting memories.
Learn Outdoors supports schools through the full DofE journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Silver is recommended before Gold, though direct entry is possible with sufficient experience.
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Yes. Many South East schools complete Gold expeditions in Wales, the Peak District or the Lake District.
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If you choose our full expedition package, we organise all campsite bookings and expedition logistics for you.
If a school prefers to manage campsite bookings themselves, we can also provide a more flexible support package.
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Proper training is essential for a successful Gold expedition. Learn Outdoors does offer training options.
We can deliver:
Navigation skills
Mountain safety and hazard awareness
Expedition and route planning
Campcraft and stove safety
Food and menu planning
First aid training
Please contact us to discuss training options with us in more detail or visit our expedition training page.
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Learn Outdoors can provide tents, stoves and gas. Please see our equipped expedition prices for further details.
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Gold expeditions typically run between May and September, when mountain conditions are more suitable and daylight hours are longer.
At Learn Outdoors, we work closely with schools to schedule expeditions around your academic calendar, key school events and exam periods.
We always aim to accommodate your preferred dates wherever possible. Booking early gives you the best chance of securing your first choice and allows plenty of time for planning, training and parent communication.
Our goal is to make the organisation process straightforward, flexible and stress-free for schools.
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Gold expeditions take place in more remote and mountainous terrain than Bronze and Silver expeditions.
We most commonly operate in areas such as the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) and the Elan Valley in the Cambrian Mountains, where participants experience:
Mountain ascents and descents
Open moorland and exposed ridgelines
Rough, uneven ground
Steeper gradients
Greater remoteness and fewer waymarked paths
Navigation is more complex, with longer route legs. Weather in upland areas can also change quickly, adding to the overall level of challenge.
While these are our most popular Gold locations, we can also deliver expeditions elsewhere in the UK. Our team has extensive expedition and mountain leadership experience across much of upland Britain and can work with schools to identify a region that best suits their needs, travel plans and desired level of challenge.
Wherever the expedition is based, routes are carefully designed and supervised by experienced staff from Learn Outdoors to ensure the right balance of challenge, safety and progression at Gold level.
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Yes, Gold expedition participants experience wild camping where appropriate and in line with DofE guidelines.
Wild camping differs from Bronze and most Silver expeditions, where teams usually stay at established campsites with facilities such as toilets and water access. At Gold level, camps are often in more remote locations with no facilities, meaning teams must be fully self-sufficient.
This means participants:
Carry all of their equipment and food
Select and set up camp in suitable, low-impact locations
Follow strict environmental and Leave No Trace principles
Take full responsibility for campcraft and organisation
Wild camping adds to the sense of journey, remoteness and independence that defines Gold level. It is carefully planned and supervised by experienced staff from Learn Outdoors, often in areas such as the Brecon Beacons and the Elan Valley, where the landscape allows for a true expedition experience.
While it is a step up from Bronze and Silver, participants are fully prepared through training and practice expeditions before undertaking their qualifying expedition.