A group of 50 St Aloysius' College Sixth Form first-year students aspiring to take part in the President's Award recently experienced various aspects of the award's expedition section, ranging from handling equipment and campcraft, to night-hiking and orienteering in windy and rainy conditions.
During a five-day residential live-in held over two weekends the participants were given a foretaste of what they would have to endure in extreme adverse conditions.
The live-in helped the students train for the upcoming non-competitive expeditions, during which the students will be expected to cover a planned route over a period of three to four days, pitch up tents and cook their own food.
The idea behind the expeditions is to help the participants live independently and imbue in them a spirit of adventure and discovery.
The programme also included light moments such as a highly entertaining talent show put up by the students, and visits to the Air Control Tower and the Ħal Far Civil Protection department.