The pupils at Stepping Stones School are marching ahead at a staggering pace as they work towards Duke of Edinburgh and Adventure Service Challenge Awards schemes.

Both programmes are immensely challenging but rewarding which develops many different skills, from social interaction and collaboration, to more technical skills in navigation and camping. Another huge outcome for these young people is the confidence and self-esteem that they build as they challenge themselves and succeed. These moments can be small, such as making the right choice as to which direction to follow when hiking, through to completing the whole challenge.

As the photographs on the following pages will show, these pupils had a fantastic time hiking to a remote location between Dockenfield and Headley Down, nr. Farnham, Surrey. The route was pre-planned and covered a distance of approximately 4km. We setup camp on a patch of grass which was adjacent to a building that we could use when the sun went down for evening activities.

The pupils erected dome tents and prepared their sleeping quarters. It was very soon time to prepare dinner, and they set about making the stoves, we used a wide range of stoves, including gas, methylated spirits and paraffin. This gave them a wide understanding of the benefits of each stove. The evening meal consisted of mashed potato, sausage and peas, followed by a yoghurt for dessert.

A few evening games later (flying Kim's game and team games) they were all ready for bed. Luckily, the hike had properly worn them out and they promptly fell asleep within minutes of their heads hitting the pillows.

The following morning the pupils made a cooked breakfast - porridge, with bacon, eggs and bread.

Take a look at the photographs taken during the first day.