Our Year 12 geographers recently enjoyed an excellent three-day residential fieldwork trip to the Lake District, staying at Derwent Hill. On the first day, students visited Keswick to investigate flood management, exploring defences along the River Greta and conducting questionnaires to compare the views of tourists and local residents. Day two saw the group ascend Blencathra to study glaciated landscapes and processes, and despite a poor forecast, they were rewarded with sunshine and spectacular views at the summit.
On the final day, students took part in gill scrambling in the sunshine after an engaging Q&A with Chris Harling, who has visited Mount Everest four times, including during the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. This provided a fantastic opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of glaciated landscapes, tourism in extreme environments, and tectonic hazards.
Throughout the trip, students also took part in a game inspired by The Traitors, with “traitors” secretly picking off their victims one by one; despite suspicion growing, they remained undetected until the final day when one was finally uncovered, but the remaining traitor avoided detection and ultimately won the game. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational trip, with students demonstrating excellent engagement and resilience throughout.
