Expeditions

I am sure that for the majority of people reading this their strongest memories of their own time at school is probably connected to a particular school trip. There is something very special about travelling with your friends at a young age.  An ‘expedition’ can be thought of as a group of people travelling with a purpose. With this definition all BGS school trips are expeditions and one of the great strengths of the School is the huge variety of expeditions we offer – from a day exploring Bristol’s harbourside to a month in the Himalayas. The subject of page is our adventurous expeditions – although I feel that a week of homestay in Russia or Spain, skiing your first black run, a rugby match in New Zealand or building a shelter on a Y9 teambuilding course are all very adventurous but you know what I mean!

Our adventurous expeditions can be divided into four types:

The Duke of Edinburgh Scheme at Bristol Grammar is launched to students at the end of Year 9 and currently involves students at bronze, silver and gold levels. The School has one of the largest D of E units in the country.

Morocco – we currently offer two 8-day expeditions to Morocco at Easter each year; one for Y9 students with Sixth Form assistants and one just for the Sixth Form.

Summit Club – UK-based trips run by me to climb mountains with the aim that students gain a love and respect for the mountain environment and experience of looking after each other, both domestically and in the mountains. These trips are open to Sixth Formers and the price is kept as low as possible. I am a member of the British Association of International Mountain Leaders – anyone curious about what an International Mountain Leader is or interested in their services please look at www.baiml.org

The ‘Big Expeditions’ - These have taken place in the even years since 1996 to Borneo, Bolivia, Indian Himalaya, Mongolia and China, Ecuador and Ladakh. The expeditions involve 18 months fundraising and specific training. What is achieved by BGS students on these expeditions is really impressive and has included many thousands of pounds in fundraising to support local community projects, 14 day treks at altitude, meeting the Dalai Lama and climbing above 6,000m. The next of these expeditions was launched to the current Year 10 and 11 in January 2007 and the destination is Peru.

‘It wasn’t like that in my day’ I hear you say. It is true that the range of trip opportunities at BGS is enormous and a real strength of a big lively school. I hope there is a niche for everyone to find a trip they are passionate about.

Andrew Dimberline
Head of Leadership Development