No place aligns outdoor education with our school values like the Duke Gold program. That's because Duke Gold isn't just about hiking, it's about planning, persevering, and experiencing as a community - all for four multi-day expeditions.

This requires knowledge and enthusiasm, which were already tested during the first expedition near Hohentwiel. The knowledge gained now had to be put into practice directly on the second trial expedition.

We stayed in the region and were able to hike through the Salem valley and its surroundings with the destination pilgrimage church Birnau. Thus, many groups passed Salem Monastery and Hohenfels Castle, which brought back memories of earlier times. It was nice to get to know the nature of our second home in a new way!

Camping at nearby farms also opened up immediate insights: We were warmly welcomed and can still remember the educational encounters with the farmers, who addressed concerns such as achieving an eco-label, species-appropriate farming and biodiversity.  

Despite the high altitude and some deviations from the route, it was a wonderful expedition in which the individual group members, with their strengths and weaknesses, came together as a team. 
and weaknesses have grown together to form a team. 
 
Thus, after this second expedition, we can confidently look into the future - the halfway line has been crossed with strength ahead.