Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys in Denmark, Western Australia
You enter for the Award. You leave with something no certificate can hold.
LifeTrail offers guided Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys for teenagers who want to build confidence, resilience, and independence through real experiences in nature.
While these journeys align with the requirements of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award — across Bronze, Silver and Gold — the focus is always on the young person, not ticking boxes.
Small groups. Calm guidance. Meaningful time on the trail.
LifeTrail has guided Adventurous Journeys in the Great Southern since 2018, and is a respected, experienced provider that schools, families and Award Leaders trust with their young people.
LifeTrail Adventurous Journeys
Duke of Ed Adventurous Journeys are part of LifeTrail’s Teen Multiday Hike program. View further information and dates on the Teen Hikes page.
Private Adventurous Journey
Schools and Duke of Ed participants can book private Adventurous Journeys tailored to their group and award level.
At a glance
This page is for young people already working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award — and the parents and schools supporting them — who want to do their Adventurous Journey with LifeTrail. New to the Award and want to understand how it works first? Start with the national office: The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
What to Expect
Small groups. Calm pace. Strong local knowledge. Real planning.
At the heart of every LifeTrail hike is Hikefulness® — a mindful, grounded approach to being on the trail. Space to breathe, notice, and reconnect. It’s always optional. Some people come for the walk. Others for what the walk brings up.
- For: teenagers working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
- Where: Denmark and the Great Southern, WA — the Bibbulmun Track near Walpole, Denmark and Albany
- Format: a real multiday hike, not a camp — Practice, Qualifying, or Combined Practice & Qualifying
- Booking: private school or family groups, or join a LifeTrail-planned journey
- Guided by: Didier Monot — guiding Adventurous Journeys since 2018
- Your Goal: Gather as much information and your ideas as you currently have
- Next step: Enquire about a Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey
What an Adventurous Journey involves
A Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey with LifeTrail is a multiday hike — not a camp.
Participants:
- Walk from point to point each day, some can be over 20 km
- Carry all their own gear and food
- Use a 65–75 litre hiking backpack
- Set up and pack down camp daily
- Learn to manage equipment, energy, and teamwork on the trail
- All weather is expected — and planned for
Each night is spent at hikers-only Bibbulmun Track campsites, which typically include:
- A designated tent area
- A rainwater tank
- A drop toilet
- A three-wall open shelter that may be used for cooking or food preparation in wet weather
Sleeping is in one-person tents you supply. Use of huts for sleeping is restricted to independent hikers, not groups. There are no cabins or support vehicles. The Adventurous Journey is completed on foot, together, step by step.
Adventurous Journey Options
LifeTrail offers Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys as:
- Practice Journey
- Qualifying Journey
- Combined Practice & Qualifying Journey
Journey structure and format are planned based on Award level, current requirements, group needs, and suitability.
Because Duke of Ed requirements can change, participants should confirm their Adventurous Journey requirements with their Award Leader and the WA Duke of Ed office before booking.
Where journeys take place
Adventurous Journeys may be:
- Group-requested — families, schools, or participants contact LifeTrail to plan a journey together
- LifeTrail-planned — a journey is planned and shared through the website, social media, and direct contact with schools or participants already connected with LifeTrail
If a group is interested but does not yet have enough participants to run independently, LifeTrail will assess whether the journey is viable for everyone involved. Where appropriate, LifeTrail may plan the journey around that group and promote remaining available places to suitable participants.
Availability, suitability, and final group numbers are confirmed before booking.
How Adventurous Journeys are scheduled
Adventurous Journeys may be:
- Group-requested — families, schools, or participants contact LifeTrail to plan a journey together
- LifeTrail-planned — a journey is planned and shared through the website, social media, and direct contact with schools or participants already connected with LifeTrail
If a group is interested but does not yet have enough participants to run independently, LifeTrail will assess whether the journey is viable for everyone involved. Where appropriate, LifeTrail may plan the journey around that group and promote remaining available places to suitable participants.
Availability, suitability, and final group numbers are confirmed before booking.
Growth happens on the trail
Walking side by side creates space for learning without pressure.
Through the Adventurous Journey, participants naturally develop:
- Confidence through doing
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills
- Communication within their group, also other wonderful hikers and teamwork
- Resilience when things feel challenging
Growth happens through the hiking experience itself — not as a lesson and not as a program.
After the Trail — Reflection and Integration
Following each hike, Didier personally reads every participant’s Duke of Edinburgh Award report. These reflections are often written weeks after the expedition, allowing genuine perspective and integration time.
Common themes regularly emerge. Teens describe improved confidence, stronger study habits, new friendships formed through shared challenge, and a clearer sense of their own capability.
What felt like a physical challenge on the trail often becomes a deeper understanding of resilience, regulation and perspective in everyday life.
Why This is Safe — But Not Soft
A Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey with LifeTrail is designed to be well planned, supported, and safe, while remaining a genuine challenge.
Safety comes from:
- Careful route and journey planning
- Small group sizes
- Clear expectations and preparation
- Calm, experienced guidance
- Daily decisions based on conditions and group wellbeing
At the same time, the journey is not softened into a camp experience. Participants carry their own gear, walk each day with purpose, and take responsibility for themselves and the group.
This balance is where confidence, resilience, and independence are built.
Being Prepared Matters
Before booking, participants and parents are encouraged to read the following pages to understand what’s involved:
- Teen Multiday Hikes — what a LifeTrail teen hike is really like
- Gear list for a multiday hike
- How to prepare for a multiday teen hike
- Hiking food for the trail
- Hike difficulty grading explained
These pages help families understand that an Adventurous Journey is a real multiday hike, not a camp.
Before you get started
Please confirm the following before submitting an enquiry:
- I have spoken with my Award Leader and confirmed current Adventurous Journey requirements
- I understand whether I need a Practice, Qualifying, or Combined Practice & Qualifying Journey
- I understand LifeTrail is my Supervisor and Assessor for the journey
- I will ensure he***@***********om.au is entered correctly with my Award Leader
- I have read LifeTrail’s preparation information and understand this is a multiday hike, not a camp
Supervisor & Assessor (important)
For LifeTrail-guided Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys, LifeTrail acts as both the Supervisor and Assessor.
When preparing your Adventurous Journey with your Award Leader or the WA Duke of Ed office, please ensure the following email is entered correctly:
Critical — use this email address when registering with your Award Leader: he***@***********om.au
This ensures post-journey reports are received, assessed, and approved. Reports sent to an incorrect email will not reach LifeTrail.
A few questions families often ask
You register through your own Duke of Ed Centre or Award Leader — often your school. LifeTrail guides and runs the Adventurous Journey itself. Just make sure he***@***********om.au is entered correctly so your report reaches Didier.
The Adventurous Journey is a shared team journey. You walk, navigate, and solve problems together as a group — that's part of what the Award is about.
Reach out anyway. LifeTrail will look at whether a journey is viable and, where it makes sense, plan around your group and open the remaining places to other suitable participants.
Your Award Leader will confirm what your level requires. LifeTrail offers Practice, Qualifying, and Combined Practice & Qualifying Journeys to suit.
Yes, Didier has mentored solo hiking Adventurous Projects before — including on Duke of Ed WA's recommendation — so if that's your path, get in touch and Didier will help you plan and supervise it.
Communication makes it work
Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journeys often begin with a conversation.
Because of privacy laws, LifeTrail can only communicate directly with families and participants once they contact us individually. In practice, it’s often a parent — very often a mum — who brings families together, shares information, and helps move a journey forward.
LifeTrail is happy to support this process with:
- Clear information to share with other families
- Guidance on journey options and viability
- Help shaping a group into a positive, workable Adventurous Journey
If you’re keen to get a journey off the ground, start the conversation and reach out.
Mums create magic.
What participants say
“This hike was more than just a physical challenge — it was a life experience. It taught me resilience, problem-solving, and the importance of preparation. But most importantly, it reminded me how beautiful and grounding nature can be.”
— Meridith (16)
“Sending you my daughter, and then my son was the best decision I ever made, they came out just different”
— Duke of Ed Mum
“”First of all, I would like to address that this hike was an extraordinary experience in many ways”
Wallaby (16)