NEARLY fifty students from a Flintshire high school have braved the best and the worst of Welsh weather to go one step closer to completing their Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Forty-four determined pupils from Argoed High School in Mynydd Isa recently completed their qualifying expeditions for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards.

Spread over two weekends, the resilient students battled through challenging weather conditions which ranged from glaring sunshine, to torrential rain and high winds.

The groups began their expedition in Gwynfryn, from where they navigated their ways through Llandegla Forest and over part of the Clwydian range, before finishing near the village of Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd.

Following their achievement, Paul Smith, the headteacher at Argoed High School, said: “The groups showed fantastic resilience and determination in completing their walk.

“They battled through challenging weather conditions at they went through Llandegla Forest and over the Clwydian range from Gwynfryn to finish jubilantly, albeit a little tired and muddy by Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd.”