Dorset Expeditionary Society's blog

I want to go on an expedition but...

'I can't afford it'.

Sound familiar?  I hear this most days, shortly after the same person was saying, 'I'm so going to do that'.

I've been reading a lot of articles recently about the credit crunch and how people are less keen to commit to trips, but overwhelmingly the response from our seasoned think-tank of explorers is actually, you can afford it.

How?

Well firstly look at what it is you want to do. Is there a specific place/mountain/wilderness you want to explore?  Have you set your heart on achieving one objective or are you keen to just be adventurous somewhere?

If it is the former then look at the activity providers and shop around.  I've had numerous phone calls from parents saying that they have forked out £3,000-4,000 for their kids to go on an school run expedition with a company and they have discovered we do it for substantially less.  They ask why the difference in price and I tell them; We are a non profit organisation and our leaders fund themselves, so the trip is run at cost price no more.  We've never run an expedition more that £2,500 and that includes everything but your personal kit. If you shop around and save £1500 just by choosing a high quality, non profit adventure provider, then you will be pretty pleased with yourself! :)

If you don't have your heart set on a specific location and just want to be adventurous then think about micro adventures.  Alaistair Humphreys has some great advice for trips that don't cost the earth, but that will feed your soul.  You could also check out our Micro expeditions blog for ideas.

You might have restrictions on the time you can be away (due to work, school).  You can achieve a lot during the weekend!  Our next trip away is the Download Three Peaks Challenge - 2011 on 29-31 July where we will climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon all in a weekend!  Cost £140; it's a great opportunity to do something truly adventurous that doesn't cost the earth! 

Finally: fundraising! 

Don't waste your time and effort sending hundreds of identical letters to complete strangers asking them to fund your trip.  If you do want to ask for sponsorship by letter then come up with a clever way of asking and offer something in return.  Say you will do a presentation on your return with photos of your trip.

1) Try applying for a grant; local ones to your area are best.  Local council websites can also point you towards local charitable bodies. For instance see Dorset for you Community grant page.

2) Browse the internet for grant-giving bodies.  The RGS has a huge list. 

3) Sell stuff you don't need anymore (clothes, dvds, toys, junk). Ask friends and family whether they have anything they don't want that you can sell to raise funds. You can shift secondhand items at a car boot sale, in the free section of the local paper or online via auction pages.

4) Organise a pub quiz or a collection bucket at the entrance to a night club (arrange in advance with the establishment).

5)Do some bag packing at the local supermarket (arrange it with the manager in advance). Take some information about your trip with you to explain why you are raising funds.  Go in a group with matching t-shirts to make it more effective. Pick a busy weekend (bank holiday, easter, xmas).

6) Make cakes to sell at school/work (people love cakes on a friday)

7) Get a part-time/saturday/evening job. 

8) Baby sitting, dog sitting, dog walking, gardening, hoovering etc.  You'd be surprised how many people need a few hours help.

9) Ask for money for your birthday and christmas presents

10) Do a sponsored event: walk/cycle 50 miles (it'll be good training), grow a beard, sit in a bath of baken beans...it doesn't real matter the point is you are actively showing people how determined you are to achieve your goal.

Ultimately, if you can't be bothered to raise the money to go then you should think long and hard about whether you do actually have an adventurous spirit.  It is the easiest thing in the world to give up at the first hurdle. 

I was told recently by a young leader that 'the hardest part of an expedition is actually deciding you are going to do it; everything else falls into place'. I think he's right!

Lucy Wyman

 
Leading Edge Expeditions    Twitter @expeditions     E:[email protected]

2011 Stephenson Award for outstanding service to youth expeditions

 

 

The Stephenson Award is given annually to an individual who is a  member of the Young Explorers’ Trust for outstanding service to youth expeditioning.

There are many ways by which such service may occur. It might be for a long period of involvement with the youth expedition scene, for a young member who has later developed active leadership skills or a young member who has made a particular contribution to an expedition in the field. 

 
 
The 2011 Stephenson Award winner is MARK SALMON, expedition Leader for Leading Edge Expeditions and a long standing member of the Dorset Expeditionary Society.

Mark has run many youth expeditions including ventures to Nepal, Canada, USA, France, UK and Spain. His previous trips have received both the Goldsmiths and Sir Vivian Fuchs Awards.  He is a Churchill Fellow; Head of PE and Outdoor Adventure at The Wey Valley School. He is also the Unit Leader and assessor for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition.

Mark's last expedition in 2010 was to Alaska and this won the Sir Vivian Fuchs National Youth Expedition award.  

His next Mountain biking & trekking expedition is to the Canadian Rockies in Summer 2012 and he tells us it is currently recruiting.  Visit www.leadingedge.org.uk/expeditions for full details.

Ted Grey at the YET said of Mark's award

'I am truly delighted by this'. 

Mark commented that it was 'a complete surprise, but that he feels very honoured'.   

Mark is dedicated to fostering the spirit of adventure in young people and actively encourages many from disadvantaged backgrounds to 'have a go' at outdoor activities.  His latest venture is the Wey Valley Wheelers, which is  an after school club for young people in the local community to learn mountain biking skills. Children without their own equipment are able to borrow a bike for the club nights after Mark successfully gained outside funding for club equipment.

The WVW's group has some excellent young talent including one young future Olympic hopeful. Several of the team have already competed in National Mountain bike events in Wales.

Opportunities for students outside of the classroom have always been essential to the development of young people and it is to Mark's credit that he provides such high calibre opportunities for them.

Well done Mark from us all at the Dorset Expeditionary Society; a very worthy winner!

 If you would like to read more about the Dorset Expeditionary Society and our aims to encourage outdoor pursuits please visit our website at www.dorsetexp.org.uk

  

 

The importance of water - Nepal Expedition

High up in the Langtang we reach Therapati where apart from 3 teahouses and some grazing horses there is nothing. The views , however are superb and we watch the sun setting over some 6 thousand metre peaks.

 
To get here the trek has been quite arduous and some in our group now pay the price with diarrhoea and vomiting. The teahouse has one outside crouch toilet but no running water and the water in the bucket quickly runs out as many pay visits during the night. With the bucket empty, there is no way of clearing up the mess but at first light one of the hut staff disappears down the side of the col and reimmerges 15 minutes later with a basket of water. Our problems of the night are over but the message it  brings home to us is immense.

 

Up in the villages, Bimal has planned for us to spend 2 nights in Raipali, a village where we have yet to install an electric pump. Our campsite is 45 vertical metres above the water tank and the villagers have kindly carried water up for us to use that night.' What about tomorrow ?' I ask bimal and of course we both know the answer.

The next morning we go down to the tank and meet up with the village ladies who watch with much amusement as we sort out the canisters, baskets and webbing and then face the daunting task of carrying the water back up the hill. In fairness, it was not that difficult and most of us carried 10 litres each but the thought of doing it every day is not a good one. Even now we have to ration the water. Half a bowl for washing, two 5 litre buckets for the latines and the rest for cooking. I promise the villagers that the Okhle Village trust will provide the electric pump but that they must see to the extra pipework required and its installation.

Kot Guan and the poorest of the 5 villages we are helping. We meet up with 4 village committee members and 2 ladies carrying their water baskets on the ridge above the village and descend on the other side to a spring some 40 vertical metres below. The idea is to install a small tank with an electric pump by the spring and pump water up to a much larger tank on the col and from there via a series of pipework to 4 standpipes  situated throughout the village.

Being on the north side of the hill, the path to the spring is quite slippery and 2 of the strongest in our group carry the ladies water back up to the col. it is a daunting task and one is left with huge respect and admiration for these ladies who do this every day. I promise the villagers that we will take on the project
 

The cost of completing the Raipali project should be about £1000 but starting from scratch the cost of supplying waterto the 300 inhabitants of Kot Guan will be in the region of £6000. I have come up with what I hope will be a novel but successful way of raising money. I have brought back some water baskets with me and plan to do 2 sponsored Water Carrying events  on 9 July.

The event will be held from 2-6pm at the Wessex Waterwork grounds, Sutton Poyntz, Weymouth. Dorset.

.  At present the ladies of the Got Guan village walk the equivalent of from Sutton Poyntz to the White Horse and back to collect their water. We hope to carry the same amount of water ie. 3000 litres as the villagers of Kot Guan carry each day

Activities

1.         Carry as much water as you are comfortable with in provided milk cartons round the Spring Head, a distance of 1 mile. (Some Nepalese Baskets can be used but as there are not enough to go round, please bring your own water carrier eg rucksack).

2.         Family and children's water games.

3.         Cream teas, Nepalese Music.  Water museum open with DVD showing recent visit to Kot Guan and other villages.

 Cost - £5 per adult including cream tea. £1 per child.  

 Please come along and support us, email me for further information if required ( rtbackwell@ hotmail.co.uk)
                                                                                 Richard Backwell

www.okhle.org.uk - Okhle Village Trust

Adventures don't come any better than those we have planned for Summer 2012! Join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adventures don't come any better than those we have planned for Summer 2012!

We pride ourselves on providing the best quality expeditions you can find and at a price that is affordable (we are a non profit making organisation).  We provide training grants and help you fundraise. Visit our website www.leadingedge.org.uk to see what we have to offer.

 

Because we recruit a team of the very best candidates and then train them as a team, we are already looking at recruiting participants  for  Summer 2012 expeditions. 

If you would like to apply for the most  amazing adventure for 4-5 weeks next summer then read on!

Our main month-long expeditions are to:

• Tibetan plateau
• Canada
• Kenya

Prices between £1800-2500 are all inclusive (no hidden extras)

 -see website for full details www.leadingedge.org.uk/expeditions

A bit more info?

 Tibetan plateau (Moonlands) - 16 July -  16 August 2012

Objectives: 

• To raft the headwaters of the Indus River
• To trek across the Moonlands of the Tibetan Plateau
• To mountain bike several high altitude routes to the   Chinese border
• To complete a crossing of the Greater Himalaya

 Canada - late July - August 2012

Objectives:

• To mountain bike across the Canadian Rockies from Vancover to Calgary
•  To complete  the West Coast trail;  a wilderness trek on Vancouver Island

Kenya - mid July - mid August 2012

Objectives: 

• Climb Mt Kenya to Point Lenana (16355ft).
• Community Projects in Murugi Location. Extension of Baragu Health Centre. Repairing classrooms and building new school facilities. Classroom teaching in our Chesil Partnership linked Primary and Secondary schools. Organising the Dorset Fun Day for 15 schools in Murugi Location.
• Special projects to assist needy children in the community.
• Rafting Tana River.
• Safari in Samburu or Masai Mara National Reserve.

Visit www.leadingedge.org.uk/expeditions to download an application form now!

Selection for the expeditions starts at the end of this summer so you need to get in quick as we always have more applications than spaces.

 
 
 We have been running expeditions for over 25 years

We are approved for GOLD Duke of Edinburgh Award status in expedition and residential sections

We have won numerous prestigious awards including

• The Captain Scott Youth expedition for 2010
• The Sir Vivian Fuchs award
• Winston Churchill fellowships
• and we also have two leaders with MBE's!!

All our Leaders are very well qualified volunteers who pay their own costs so you do not subsidise them.  They all have many years experience leading trips to the areas they are going to and you will be introduced to them from the outset.  We don't just let anyone lead our expeditions; which means you get the VERY best quality leaders.

 
Don't just take our word for it!!

Testimonials

Sarah-Louise Kelly 2011.4.13 10:44
I was a member of the Cascades expedition 2008 and led peer led expeditions to the Dolomites 2009 and Corsica 2010.
The cascades expedition was an unbelievable experience! I met amazing people and completing such tough objectives greatly increased my confidence in my ability to take on difficult challenges. The fantastic experience of the cascades and  the encouragement of the team leaders inspired me to lead a peer-led expedition to the Dolomites the following year. This was an all-girls(!) expedition to complete challenging Via Ferrata and the whole team felt extremely proud of what we managed to achieve under our own leadership.
I hope to continue to do a number of expeditions both in the UK and further afield, and Leading Edge Expeditions has given me the confidence, skills and inspiration to achieve this.

Steve and Kathy Byrne 2010.10.22 19:41
Thank you!
Max had such a wonderful experience in Alaska and we have thoroughly enjoyed the past month and a half listening to him recount your incredible adventure.
We would like to thank-you all for taking such care of him, allowing him to partake safely in this life changing experience.
He is an extremely lucky young man and he would do it all again tomorrow!
 
With Best Wishes
 
 
Steve and Kathy Byrne

Paul Pomeroy 2010.10.16 09:53
I went to Ecuador in 89 and can highly recommend it.....changed my life.........I think for the better!

Shelley Goodall 2010.10.12 11:23
I loved the chance to work with children in local schools, it really made me appreciate the education i received in the UK. I also made life long friends on the expedition and i can't wait to return.

James Monypenny 2010.10.11 12:22
At the end of this summer Sam Leach, Tom Nichols and myself embarked on an adventure to explore and climb virgin peaks in the Torugart-too area of Kyrgyzstan; they summited 3 virgin peaks and completed a 2nd accent by a new route.
Get inspired!
The remarkable thing about our trip is, well, nothing! Just three mates getting out there and having fun. We are average climbers, with a bit of ambition, creativity and drive. What is amazing and exciting is that the step from everyday life and setting off on an adventure of a lifetime is smaller than you imagine. The hardest step is deciding that you’re actually going to do it; everything else will fall into place. I hope writing this will inspire you to take those tentative steps into planning and going on a trip. The experience will be one you recite to your grandchildren, and look back upon affectionately. Set your ambitions high. Don’t listen to your self-doubt. Remember; there is no try; there is only do or do not.

Dr Frank Swinton 2010.10.9 10:40
I went on two expeditions as a team member,
India 92
Ecuador 95
and four as a leader:
Mexico 96
Indonesia 97
India 98
Ecuador 2007
The effect of Leading Edge expeditions on my life is impossible to overstate. When I first went to India I was a little shy and under-confident. My time on expeditions provided dozens of lifelong friends and a host of leadership, time management, stress management and decision making strategies and experience. Thanks in no small part to Leading Edge I have gone on to travel the world and succeed in an extremely competitive career.

 

Recent expedition reports, diaries and videos

Many of our participants have been busy putting their records of what it is like to go on an expedition with Leading Edge Exeditions online.

You can read about their experiences by following these links. We would like to express our thanks to those of you who have taken the time to share your amazing trips with us all.

Alaska 2010 - by expedition leader Ollie Bray

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Kyrgyzstan 2010 - by expedition leader James Monypenny

Report

Nepal placement diaries - by Stuart Lansdale

Day 1

Military come good

Hospital time

Video Kenya 2010 Expedition

 

Video on top of Cotopaxi in Ecuador

 

Micro Expeditions - Latest news...

The DES is keen to get more of our young leaders taking expeditions and so we are now looking at running Micro Expeditions.  We realise you can't all drop your commitments and disappear for 4 weeks, but that doesn't mean you can't do DES trips. 

 

(Young Leader Sarah-Louise Kelly & Team in the Dolomites on their Micro Expedition 2009)

We are looking for interested Volunteer Leaders to take trips (probably UK based, but not essential) on shorter expeditions.  Our first one to run will be in the Isle of Skye in Easter 2011 and is a Mountain biking/and or trekking Gold DOE Expedition & Residential.  It's running for 10 days and will be £400.  If you are interested in participating get in touch with me or Mark Salmon.

I know many of you organise and run trips with friends anyway, but there are benefits to doing it through Leading Edge Expeditions Ltd - career prospects and insurance liability for starters, plus we can give you training and information/advice and grant aid.

I've simplified the application process and will continue to help any young leader who wants to take a trip, so you won't be on your own!

If you fancy leading a MICRO expedition we have lots of information from previous trips that can help you plan.  Also Leading Edge Expeditions Ltd is now a company with Tour Operator and Travel insurance so you could register your trip with us and benefit from our EXCELLENT insurance cover (it's not free, but very good price and cover). You would be voluntarily employed as an expedition leader with Leading Edge Expeditions ltd, which would look great on your CV.

 

Get back to me if you are interested and don't forget that the Young Leaders Workshop is coming up on 4 September 2010 from 10am - 2pm at the Mission Hall Sutton Poyntz.

DES new grants available to Members

The Dorset Expeditionary Society has been fortunate to receive an annual bursary from the CLAIRE CLEMENTS TRUST, which will allow us to make £1000 available to DES members to assist them fund their expedition costs.

As many of you will know, Claire was an active participant in Outdoor activities and went on many trips with Wey Valley School. The Trust established in her name is aimed at helping other young people to pursue their interest in O.E.

To be considered for the DES/Claire Clements grant you must be a Member of the Dorset Expeditionary Society (£15 per annum). You will need to fill out an application form www.dorsetexp.org.uk/downloads and you will need to submit your application to us by 30 April 2010.

Best of luck!

Membership for 2010 - Come and join us!

The DES is committed to promoting leadership in our young people. Safe and responsible expeditioning demands the highest standard of leadership.

DES Members are frequently sponsored to gain such qualifications as the Single Pitch Assessment, Emergency Rescue First Aid, Cave Leadership, and Mountain Leadership Awards.

If you would like to join the Society and benefit from our training, resources, knowledge, funding and contacts you can do so in a number of ways:

1) Online www.dorsetexp.org.uk/shop-online

2) By Snail mail - send cheque made payable to DES Ltd to

Membership Dep't
The Dorset Expeditionary Society, 
Lupins Business Centre, 
1-3 Greenhill, 
Weymouth. Dorset 
DT4 7SP

3) By Direct Debit please email office for our bank account details

Membership tariffs for 2010

  

• Individual    £15 
• Family     £25 
• Organisation/School     £25 
• Vice Patron    £100 

All prices per annum

Gift Aid your Membership

Gift Aid is vital to us so please complete a gift aid for when you apply for membership.

You can Download DES Gift Aid declaration and either Post it to back to us at the address above or email to [email protected]

Thank you for continuing to support us; we are rightly proud of our success in fostering young leaders.

 

    

New year, new challenges for the DES!

We've only been back in the DES office for a week and there is already loads happening.

January is the time for expedition approvals to come in to be vetted by the DES Expedition Approval Committee.  So far we have had several Young Leaders put forward ideas for Peer Group Expeditions this Summer; Norway, Gibralter, Indonesia, Thailand.

Peer group trips are usually small than the main expeditions but still benefit from charitable grants from the DES. If you would like more information about running a DES Peer Group Expedition see Peer Group Expeditions

The biannual magazine DESpatches is due in February so if you have any news you would like to share with hundreds of other DES members, please email me at the DES office email now

We'd like to thank all of you for coming to the Christmas Ball in December at the National Sailing Academy in Portland.  The official photos are now online at DES Ball Don't forget to upload your unofficial photos to our facebook page - here we do enjoying having a laugh at them!

The latest expedition which took place to Nepal in December came back safely on 23 December and the Leader's Clive Burgess, Richard Backwell, Karen Edgeley and Jenny Boyce are brimming over with ideas and plans for the next expedition there. More info to come.

John Hegarty's Moonlands Expedition to the Tibetan plateau is due a final selection weekend in February; the last was postponed due to bad weather.  This is a fantastic expedition with an opportunity to mountain bike high altitude tracks to the Chinese border, white water raft, trek and lots more.  At £2200 it is at least £1000 cheaper than commercial companies and will be John's 10th expedition to this area.  More info and application forms at http://www.leadingedge.org.uk  

Also postponed due to bad weather was the final Alaska selection weekend. This will be held soon; there is just one space left so hurry if you want to take part. Expedition Leader Ollie Bray has a dedicated website for the trip http://thegatesofthearctic.wordpress.com/

Martyn Hastings leader of the Kenya Expeditions is busy as ever arranging for equipment and supplies to be sent to Kenya and will be out there again in a couple of weeks. He still has some spaces on the Summer 2010 trip so if you would like to take part please contact him direct.  All details on http://www.leadingedge.org.uk

Finally, for this post at least, news on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. There have been huge changes to the scheme recently but the DES is keen to continue offering Gold opportunities to young people.  Most of our Leaders are already qualified DofE assessors; the Society has also registered to become a AAP (Approved Activityv Provider).  More news to follow.

Expeditions Overseas 2010

2010 Expeditions approved by the Dorset Expeditionary Society

• Alaska
• Tibet/India
• Kenya
• Nepal

http://www.leadingedge.org.uk for full details. Costs for one month including all activities, flights, insurance, food (see website for full breakdown)  £1750 - 2500