DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD OPEN EXPEDITION

Dates to be confirmed.

The package will include: help with arranging return flights from UK airport to Pisa; return transfers from Pisa to base camp; base camp; meals; camp fees; group equipment; help with route planning; supervision and assessment. The package cost per candidate will be £450. Download an application form here which includes additional information open expedition application

Email rob@hasburyholidays.com with any questions

A typical Gold Expedition

Day 1 – Fly to Pisa , transfer by road or rail to Molino di Sotto
Day 2 – Acclimatisation day. Purchasing of expedition supplies, pre-expedition check
Day 3 – First leg of expedition, camp near Montalcino
Day 4 – Second leg, camp near Castiglione D’Orcia
Day 5 – Third leg, camp near Monte Amiata
Day 6 – Complete expedition, return to Molino during the afternoon and presentation of purpose

Day 7 – Fly home

SUPERVISED GROUP EXPEDITIONS

For existing groups we can offer a supervised expedition, flexible to your dates, at the above package costs and arrangements.

BESPOKE EXPEDITIONS

(for groups self supervising with their own qualified staff)

Rob offers an expedition package which covers advice and assistance, route planning, assistance with supervision, assessment and base camp.

Rob and Carole have a wealth of local knowledge gathered over the past twenty years and can advise on a selection of routes, organisation of trips and expeditions. They will tailor their role in your trip to meet your requirements.

A typical expedition would be offered use of the base camp, advice on routes and assessment. The mill used as base for supervisors. Contact Rob for a breakdown of costs involved.

Our Mill House is a rustic stone building sitting in a peaceful valley beside the river Lanzo – five miles from the town of Paganico and twenty-two miles south of Siena. Florence is an accessible day-trip. Molino Di Sotto (or the lower mill) is a building which can be traced back to Medieval times.

The Molino is a large stone built water mill, full of character in a special setting. It provides flexible bedded accommodation for up to eight supervisors, a bathroom with toilet upstairs plus a separate shower room with toilet downstairs. There is a large, well equipped kitchen and dining space, with sinks and cookers to allow for large group catering. The mill is based right next to Lanzo River, with outdoor dining and BBQ spaces.

The extensive gardens give excellent space for camping, with facilities tailored to the group size.  Tented accommodation is provided for students to live an eco-friendly week. We live off-grid – our water is solar pumped from wells, our electricity supplied by solar panels and we are developing a hydro-electric project.

   

The area is rich in culture, archaeology, flora and fauna. The walking country includes the wooded slopes of Monte Amiata which rises 1738 metres, the Val D’Orcia and skirts some famous Tuscan hill towns such as Montalcino, Arcidosso, Castiglione D’Orcia and Pienza.

There are many thermal spas as well as the Maremma coastline, which is approximately forty-five minutes away.

Luke Morris, participant on open assessment  commented;

“If you want to do something really different for your Gold Award expedition, then doing it in Tuscany with Rob Hasbury is a good choice. The landscape is challenging, yet beautiful and the leaders are really organised, but also really friendly. I’ve come back with a lot of great memories, and genuinely felt live I’ve achieved something. It’s really different than doing an expedition in the UK, and well worth it.”

CREATIVE RESIDENTIAL 

Focus on Applied Arts or Creative Writing

Applied Arts

Whatever your media, however experienced or inexperienced, the relaxed environment at the Molino di Sotto brings out your creativity. The end product from this week may be a site specific collaborative piece; individual painting or sketch; photograph or a piece created from the environment—and certainly a resource of your own sketches and photos to inspire future work. The visual environment local to mill (Molino) includes: stone built rustic buildings; vineyards; olive groves; woodland; river; buffalo; goats; hens; surrounding hills and mountains. Over the previous two years we have been very fortunate to have the input of two working local artists who have helped inspire the groups creativity.

Creative Writing

Whatever your passion for creative writing is, however experienced or inexperienced, the relaxed environment at the Molino di Sotto brings out your creativity. You will be one of a group of creatives who come to this residential for inspiration. A tutor will help guide you through the week where you’ll be developing your own distinctive style.  Parallel to the writing week some residents will be pursuing Art and there will be common activities all aimed at giving you the ideas to create something beautiful.

Siena houses incredible medieval and renaissance architecture and arts. It will inspire you.

Participants will plan and prepare lunch and dinner producing Italian meals. Weather permitting some will be outdoor or backwoods cooking – charcoal grilling plays a large part in the region’s cuisine.

A typical ceative residential

Day 1: Independent travel to Paganico Italy, we collect you from station.
Day 2: Familiarisation day of local environment: exploring; photographing; sketching; gathering resources; researching recipes and planning food
Day 3:Day trip to Siena. Gathering/absorbing the amazing culture of Siena – a mini city of medieval Italian culture. Photographing; sketching; note making; eating .
Day 4: Begin artwork – painting, natural sculpture or forms, photography..
Day 5: Finish off artwork; debrief/discuss/critique.
Day 6:Independent travel home.

The package cost per candidate will be £198, includes all accommodation, food, trip to Siena, materials and support for the programme.  Email to request additional information and application form to rob@hasburyholidays.com.

ACTIVITY WEEKS

Activity weeks are tailored to suit individual schools. The focus is your choice but the mill lends itself naturally to cultural (art, architecture, archaeology) geological, ecological and adventurous outdoor activities.

Art weeks can include a blend of cultural day trips – Florence, Siena etc. – along with days creating in the idyllic grounds around the mill and its river. Outdoor adventurous weeks can include hiking, wild camping, climbing, gorge walking, low ropes course, team building and survival activities.

Geology weeks include visits to a rich diversity of local sites including thermal rivers and spas, metal mines, geology of the northern Apennines