Students getting stuck in a cave in Snowdonia got a valuable lesson in solving problems as part of their studies at Barking and Dagenham College.

They first had an eight-mile hike to Stubbers adventure centre in Upminster for things like archery, climbing and raft-building.

That was the easy bit. Then came a gritty five-day adventure trip to North Wales taking them out of their ‘comfort zones’ — a gruelling 22-mile hike, trekking through a deep gorge, climbing and even a tough 26-mile river expedition by canoe.

“I have never travelled outside Dagenham or tried these activities,” one student revealed.

But they got through it, learning their strengths and weaknesses to gain skills for the world of work. 

“Our students were challenged,” lecturer Gwen Edwards admitted. “But they overcome their fears. These experiences are golden.”

They were up against “uncomfortable situations” while caving and had to find problem-solving techniques to push through them.

This builds resilience to widen young people’s horizons, many of whom never get out of the urban environment.