Expedition 08D: Phase 2 Alpha Teams Blog 8

Playa Naranjo - possibly the best beach in the world...

Hi it's Dennis again, after 19 days in the Santa Rosa National Park living with spiders and snakes the Phase 1 Alpha 4 team and I made it back to Field base. The Alpha 4 team completed their Ranger renovation project in time to trek to Naranjo beach, a small matter of a 30km day round trip but Venturers and surfers agreed, it is the best beach in the world!

Below a tarantula takes an evening stroll amidst the tents of Alpha 4...

With barely time for the Phase 1 teams to finish cleaning their equipment the new teams for Phase 2 team were announced. Once again fieldbase is a crazy cocktail of excitement and expectation as the new teams begin packing for their new projects.

Here are the new Alpha teams together with one or two pictures I managed to grab.

Alpha 1: Guanacaste Trek - A huge variety of different ecosystems await our adventurers as they begin in cloud forest above 3000 metres and head down to one of the last dry tropical forests left in the Americas.

Katie Baxter, Helen Buss, Alasdair Conn, Juan Pablo Cruz, Goerge Finlay, Lewis Laing, Shakii Pearman, Asley Phillips, Gabriela Sanchez and Mark Taylor with Alex "Coops" and Sarah.

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Alpha 2: Coast to Coast Trek - Starting on the shores of the Caribbean Sea this group will walk across a continent in 19 days to the Pacific Ocean.

Left; Che Augustus, Iesha Dill, Colm Doris, Madeleine Gardner, Emma Houston, Shohaib Hussain, Jorge Marin, Meriel Mulhall, Yasmin Vora, Tom Williams with Laura, James and Andy.

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Alpha 3: Bosque del Nino - One of the largest remaining areas of forest in the Central Valle. The team will renovate some of the visitor facilities including the main reception and trails.

Team; Vivian Aguilar, Zakina Allen, Ben Haigh, Matthew Hoghton, Rachael Kelly, Jason Reading, Anna Reay, Daniel Rooke, Hugo Ross, Zeko Rubaine with Karen and Ben.

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Alpha 4: Playa Junquillal - For the first time Raleigh International will work in this protected area to build visitor trails and look out points (miradors) for the many thousands who visit this beautiful national park.
Left; Jonathan Cox, Edward Davies, Joy Hardyman, Alshauntae Harvey-Hollis, Ben Masterman, Kandrea Romaine, Roberto Ulloa, Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd, Laura Wilkins and Laura Wyglendacz with Aleks and Ali. With Ashanti's birthday on Sunday the team wasted no time in shopping for the beach party on the Pacific Ocean !

Alpha 5: Achuapa - Monte Frio 2 - The team will be pushing hard to turn on the first of a series of small projects to bring clean and safe drinking water to 80 families in the community of Monte Frio.

Team; Santos Yessenia Blando Picado, Susannah Compton, Annabel Gray, Stephen Hosking, Miles Kaye, Sarah Long, Kasia Lukaniec, Sam Newman, William Vasquez and Ashun Wolffe with Carolyn and Manny.

Alpha 6: Miraflor - El Cebollal Abajo - The Miraflor reserve is 206sqkm of beautiful mountainous terrain with tropical savannahs and both dry tropical and mountain cloud forests. Within the reserve there are of communities living through subsistence farming and gaining income from coffee growing. The team will be building two preschools/community centres in the communities of El Coyolito and El Cebollal Abajo where currently there are no facilities for young children to learn.

Team; Rudo Chimbghandah, Makeda DeShield, Wendelle Lightbourne, Joanne Lockey, Rosamund Luther, Jasper Mackisack, Felicity Shapland, Tom Smart, Darwin Solis, Matthew Theakston with Therese and Miranda.

Alpha 7: Miraflor - El Coyolito

Left; Natalie Ali, Hannah Allen, Jamie Beacall, Rebecca Butland, Esteban Castillo, William Hatton, James Lee, Teliqua Mallory, Marie-Claire Streets and Ricai Williams with Amanda and "Jungle" Mike.

Thats all for now but I'll be catching up with the Delta groups today so will post their new Zulu teams later.

Mucho gusto, Dennis ( With special thanks to Katie Baxter, below centre )

Blog Update

Sorry for the delay, but you can now view plenty of photos of the Alpha and Delta groups from around Costa Rica. Added over the last two days we have photos from Alphas 1,2,4, and Deltas 1,2,3,4 & 5. Unfortunately we won't have photos for Alphas 3,5,6,& 7 until Friday - as soon as we do, they will be posted. Also added is the weekly roundup from every group. There are now so many blogs that you will need to use the index on the right hand side of the page to view previous blogs, including this week's roundup. Photos for Induction and Phase 1 deployment have also been added - again, use the index on the right to view them.

It's great to have your comments, so keep them coming.
Hasta viernes
Ross

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Delta 5

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Delta 1

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Alpha 4

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Alpha 1

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Delta 4

Here are the photos of Delta 4 to go with last week's blog.

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Alpha 2

Finally - photos! Keep scrolling down to see more - previous
blogs have also had photos added.

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Delta 2

Expedition 08D&E: Photos from Delta 3

Expedition 08D&E Blog 7: Weekly Round-up

Buenos dias! Warm salutations from a sunny Costa Rica and a decidedly rainy Nicaragua. This week’s Blog brings you the usual round up of the state of play on the current Expedition 08D&E. However, as a special treat we feature a world exclusive, behind the scenes, ‘warts and all’ report on one of our community projects deep in the Chiripo Indigenous Reserve in the jungles of Costa Rica.

There are presently over 150 venturers all over Costa Rica and Nicaragua. They are trekking, building, painting and digging. Some of them are dry, most are not. A handful smell nice, the rest do not. Updates from the different projects have been flying through the airwaves to Field Base where they’ve been gobbled up and digested by the Field Base staff. This week Raleigh delivered a baby!! But more of that later…………..

ALPHA 1
Alpha 1 are still busy exploring the Guanacaste region. They have covered over 173km since departing a week ago, but it has not been ‘all work and no play’ for our intrepid Alpha 1s. This week they have encountered snarling dogs! They crowned themselves the new 100 metre champions! They have been crossing rivers left right and centre, and one of their Project Managers even managed enough time to do a passable Tarzan impression during one such crossing. We don’t have the full details but we understand there was a broken branch and a bruised ego. Hard work has been interrupted by swimming in hot springs and crystal clear waterfalls. We are all pretty jealous!

ALPHA 2
Alpha 2 are well passed half way in their bid to walk across Costa Rica, ‘Coast-to-Coast’. They are now entering the final straight, heading for a date with the Pacific Ocean at Playa El Rey. Here they are going to have a couple of days well earned rest and recuperation before heading back to Field Base for the next phase. Let us hope that they spend it washing in the sea to get rid of the trek smell!

ALPHA 3
The big news from alpha 3 was that they finally got their radio to work. It turned out to be a simple matter of left and right getting confused! Work on the visitor centre continues at breakneck pace. Well on course for completion they are mixing the hard work with more football and BBQs.

ALPHA 4
The whole of Alpha 4 have been initiated into the ‘Windsor Massive’ courtesy of Meriel. This week they have continued painting every building they have come across. On Thursday they got up extra specially early to take a trip to a local viewpoint to watch the sun rising over the volcanic mountains. The group were very grateful to Project Managers Dennis and particularly to Aleks for giving them the opportunity to see the twin peaks.

ALPHA 5
Alpha 5 are the stars of the week. Feeling that digging ditches and installing a water system was a little too easy they thought they would branch out into midwifery. On the 15th, Carolyn the group medic, assisted by some venturers, delivered a baby! Reports are that it was a textbook delivery from a steady hand and two cool headed venturer assistants. What a fantastic experience for all involved. We hear that mother and child are doing well. Steps are already underway to convince the family to call the child ‘Raleigh’. A massive congratulations to Carolyn and all of Alpha 5 for a job well done.

ALPHA 6
Nicaragua has been hit with a little rain this week! This has meant work has slowed down a bit. However, spirits remain high. The heavy rains have done nothing to dampen Alpha 6’s constant enthusiasm and they remain in awe of the beauty of the Miraflor Park. Less time for work means more time for banter, and their messages to Field Base and other groups remain a constant source of amusement.

ALPHA 7
With a fantastic camp up and running, Alpha 7 have settled well into their routine. They must have one of the best spots for a camp. Not many people get to wake up right in the middle of the jungle every day! Work progresses well on the paths and wheelchair accessible routes. Coordinated by their two Project Managers they even managed to organise a mock casualty evacuation. The group worked really well together, and the Field Base team were amazed they managed to make it so realistic for everyone involved.

DELTA 1
Trench digging experts Delta 1 are making unbelievable progress. They have dug a lot of trenches and erected two water towers. They definitely win the prize for most cramped living conditions, being stuck together in one room. They report they have enjoyed sampling the local cooking, sharing meals with local families. Frequent trips to Buenos Aires have kept the group occupied and the high point of the week was a trip to the world famous Del Monte pineapple plantation. Delta1, they say ‘Yes’.

DELTA 2
Delta 2 have been working like maniacs and are verging on finishing their brand new Comedor for the Quetzal community. They have even managed to get the roof on, despite some pretty heavy rain. They have also celebrated Paul’s birthday this week with homemade cards and games. One of the highlights this week was a talk by Don Oldemar, President of the Chirripo Indigenous Reserve Community Development Committee. Venturers were able to quiz El Presidente about the local community and Cabecar culture and history. The week reached a memorable climax with a party in the newly completed community meeting hut. There was no small amount of food and dancing and those that know parties tell me it was ‘off the wall’.

DELTA 3
This weeks featured project - read at the end.

DELTA 4
Hit by the rain more than some of the other groups, Delta 4 are now well used to evacuating their camp at short notice. In amongst helping out other Raleigh groups in need and being almost washed away, the members of Delta 4 have taken up a new hobby. Fishing is what Delta 4 is all about at the moment. Dave the medic came within an inch of the biggest catch of the day but it apparently escaped leaving him with only stories of the one that got away.

DELTA 5
Delta 5 are winning the prize for most improved forearms having almost completed the sanding of a complete ranger station. Just like the film Karate Kid they now move onto painting it to work the deltoids! Kate and Barney had a chance encounter with a crocodile which must have been amazing. We hear one of them screamed and the other tried to wrestle it (but we don’t know who did what). They have also begun work on the turtle nursery. Parties must be the theme of the week as D5 finished off the week with a ‘Pirate’ themed fiesta in the ranger station. Just as long as somebody is watching Rod, it’s all good.

DELTA 3
Delta 3 are deep in the Chirripo reserve. This area is home to one of the largest collection of indigenous peoples in Costa Rica. Most of the people living in this area are Cabecar. Lucky enough to be part of the team based in the village of Simirinak where Delta 3 are working, I bring you the untold story!

The project started with a bus drop a little further from the village than expected due to poor roads. Delta 3 packed up their kit and building materials and trekked in the 7km to the village. The sight of being met by the whole community to help us carry the equipment for the new comedor we are building together was truly unforgettable. Although we had been warned that initially people would be quite shy, this was not the case and it was immediately obvious that the community were right behind the project and really happy about us being there. Some face was lost when a venturer noticed a 6 year old local girl carrying the bag he had been forced to put down! But we have since learned that the Cabecar people are immensely tough and strong.

With hardly a chance to gather our thoughts we were straight into the building. Delta 3 are a fantastic group with a wide variety of skills but we really could have done with a geologist as we spent the first 3 days collecting rocks from the river! Some comparisons were made to working on a chain gang, but Delta 3 rose to the challenge and worked hard to get an unpleasant job done. Next was collecting wood from the jungle. This involved a 2 hour trek along jungle paths to where the wood had been cut. Some of the more competitive amongst us were showing off about carrying three planks, until we saw the locals carrying seven! The hard work done, the last couple of days found delta 3 working side by side with the local builders putting up the comedor and much fun has been had.

Don’t believe it is all work on a Raleigh project. Delta 3 pride ourselves on being the most socially active group and together with our hosts have made Simirinak the place to be when the work is done for the day. We found time to have a couple of ‘Fogata’ fire parties, roasting marshmallows and enjoying the banter with the locals. We also organised a ‘Salsa’ night where Dr James stole the show with an interpretation of salsa previously unseen! Each Sunday we have joined forces with our hosts to compete in the local inter-community football, with Spanish soccer sensation and Raleigh team member Alex proving both a superstar on the pitch and a hit with the girls!
Some real characters have emerged. Allister has managed to keep all our spirits up with his constant singing and cheery attitude. Maritza has educated us in Yoga, Salsa and Spanish. Daisy P has taken us all to the cleaners around the card table. Kaiser has been working on his guns and was by far the most organised day leader. Rose was queen of the jungle on her birthday. Sarah and Sophie were big players in the ‘Cluedo’ game, and Sophie excelled in the football, scoring 4 goals! Safia and Alex tore it up on the dance floor at the salsa night. Luis Francisco has been our resident space cadet, and as for Tommy T, what a set of guns!

Expedition 08D&E Blog 6: Road Trip 1

After the departure of the somewhat sleepy Alpha and Delta groups, we, the remaining Field Base Team dried our eyes and commenced an almighty clean up of the ranch. There were tents to tidy, toilet blocks to decontaminate and the class room, terrace, kitchen and staff areas to be thoroughly cleaned, not to mention the forgotten kit left outside the bodega. The eight of us blitzed everything completing our task within about four hours. Fortunately we finished before 10am.

The clean up was followed by a hearty breakfast after which there was a review of the lost property situation. A phenomenal amount had been accumulated in the previous three days, including numerous T-shirts, sports towels, mosquito nets, three pairs of board shorts, three bikinis, trainers, sandals, a brand new toilet bag, which can only have been packed by a loving parent (none of the venturers would have packed two brand new flannels). Credit was given to the careless young man who forgot his waterproof jacket – obviously he hadn’t heard that it’s rainy season!

Shortly afterwards preparations commenced for the first two roadtrips. Bravo 1 to Barbilla to see how Delta 4 were settling in and Bravo 3 to check on Alphas 1, 3, 4 and Delta 5. Bags were packed, thorough checks of the vehicles were undertaken and two travelling shops heavily stocked with chocolate, Pringles and zinc oxide tape.

Elaine and Sara departed for Barbilla early on Wednesday 9th July. The 60km route was quite simply … stunning. Driving up and over the mountains, through Siquirres, over the River Pacuare and up into the Park. The 17 km drive from the highway to the Ranger Station was a little hairy. However, Bravo 1, our sturdy Land Rover, had no problems on the way up, despite encountering a number of large HGVs on the dirt tracks.

We arrived at the Ranger Station just after 3pm as it started raining. We were greeted by one of the rangers and a note from Delta 4 welcoming us and informing us that they had headed down to their campsite near the river. We obtained directions from the ranger (in Spanish), packed our kit for the night inlcuding a cardboard box containing a precious cargo of 15 donuts and started our way down the hill. The “slightly slippery path” proved rather treacherous in the rain and we spent a significant amount of time on our backsides. The beautiful meadow left us knee deep in mud and it would appear that our Spanish wasn’t as good as we had thought. It took us a good half hour to find the entrance to the jungle.

An hour later the donuts were being demolished by Delta 4 under a tarpaulin in the pouring rain. They were surprisingly cheery given the fact that their well built campsite, which was situated next to an idyllic rock beach, was becoming threatened by a rapidly increasing river.

Shortly after 5pm a decision was made to pack the sleeping bags and head to higher ground to avoid the monstrous torrents. The fifteen made their weary way back up the hill with headtorches lighting the way through the pouring rain. For some this was their third return journey that day. After over an hour of trekking through the thick jungle we arrived at the Ranger Station. Wellies were removed and venturers and PMs collapsed in exhaustion.

As we were unloading the shop from the wagon, we were greeted by an advance party from Alpha 2, the Coast to Coast Trek, who were looking forward to a night undercover at the Ranger Station. Much to our surprise they were even more exhausted than us due to their 5am start followed by a 25 km trek.

Moods were raised merely by the joining of the two groups. Milky Bars, M & Ms and fizzy drinks were consumed. Dinner was cooked, feet were cleaned and people camped down for the night.

Delta 4 surfaced at 6am and Alpha 2 enjoyed a luxurious lie in before they headed out. 1km later, outside of the Ranger Station they encountered a grounded Bravo 1. The previous night’s rain combined with a muddy track had proved a little too much for Sara. Fortunately with the assistance of Dr Dave, Jungle Mike, our faithful DEL (Deputy Expedition Leader) Anna, Zeko, Matt, Roberto and a local farmer, a tug of war between Bravo 1 and the mud commenced. Bravo 1 won…just.

The majority of Delta 4, with Amy as Day Leader, returned to their camp with a day’s worth of supplies. Fortunately the whole camp was still standing and no bashas had fallen victim to the floods. The river was back to normal and flowing through the valley once more. The day’s tasks involved the relocation of some of the camp a little higher up the hill. The day included:

Building the toilet, Loreth and Adriana constructed the longdrop after the mighty Bo created a passageway through the jungle. The first passageway resulted in a rather long drop over a cliff next to an ants’ nest



Making the beds under the guidance of Delta 4’s budding Costa Rican architect, Loreth were Doug and Huw. The team were closely supervised by a tarantula (well we were not sure it was a tarantula but it was a spider the size of a mess tin with more hair than a gorilla) and numerous non hairy but very leggy spiders, giant ants, bot-flies and general creepy crawlies:



Iliana did a little bit of laundry:




PM Jules checked that the plumbing was working so that there was water on tap for dinner:



Regrettably Ikea was closed so Olivia and Jack got down to some furniture construction for the living room:


After the hardwork was done there was some time for a chillax by the local pool:

Katie, Holly and Huw had been left at the Ranger Station with the task of organising what remained of the food rations. Three and a half hours later they discovered that only two tins of tuna were left for the remainder of the project leaving Delta 4 with noodles for lunch for the next two weeks. Fortunately they still had their entire supply of mayonnaise to spice up the noodles.

The group decided that the night would be spent in the camp. After some debate, the allocation of bashas and hammocks was decided by drawing straws. Bo, Holly and Katie had river views; Jack had the basher adjacent to the living room. Unfortunately Olivia drew the “short straw” metaphorically and literally, and ended up with the basha next to the tarantula’s tree. Dave and Sara returned from a brief trip back to Field Base with fresh fruit, beefburgers and tomato ketchup. A delightful dinner was followed by a poncho attired Delta 4 singalong and a well deserved rest.

The following morning work commenced on the pathway between the Ranger Station and the river with assistance from one of the rangers who requested that the group start at the bottom and work their up the hill. The recommendation was to merely widen the current route. This was not deemed sufficient by the group and it was agreed that logs would have to be used to ensure a safe route up the hill for the researchers and rangers.

A little later that morning Elaine and Sara clambered over Delta 4, still hard at work on the path, back up to Bravo 1 to make the return journey back to Field Base having spent an exhilarating three days getting down to jungle camp with Delta 4 in Barbilla.

Expedition 08D&E Blog 5: Week 1 Round-up

Greetings from Field Base – with twelve groups around the country, our HF radios are going off all day long with Venturers calling sitreps, tripreps, requesting supplies (chocolate and foot powder being the most popular) and generally looking for some news from civilisation! I’m sure you are all very keen to find out how your friends and loved ones are doing out there, so fortunately every project has a Communications Officer that will prepare a weekly summary of the work, games and gossip happening on each site. Here’s a quick rundown on the first week of projects on Expedition 08D&E. Again, we are still having problems with inserting photographs – they will be uploaded as soon as possible.

Alpha 1
A1 have got off to a storming start on the Guanacaste Trek. This evening they will be bunking down in Las Pailas before climbing the mighty volcano Rincon de la Vieja tomorrow. Other highlights have included bathing in thermal waters near Volcan Tenorio, witnessing the stunning turquoise waterfalls, and staying the night with the locals in the Tonjibe Indigenoue Reserve.

Weather report from A1 – the Bermudan Hurricane named Wendelle has swept Guanacaste with gale force winds! His high energy has kept the group going on their trek in even the toughest moments.

A1 has a new member, Beany the dog, who has followed them for over 40km. I wonder how far he will go?!

Alpha 2
A2 are planning to accomplish a route that has never been done before – the mighty Coast 2 Coast. Day one started at the Caribbean side of the country, trudging along the sandy beach as the heat pounded down. Along their travels they have crossed a railway track over crocodile infested waters, and spotted poisonous frogs and snakes. Their first five days were extremely challenging, including two days of trekking through dense jungle – they had the fortune of spending the night with Delta 4 in Barbilla National Park on day 5. The group have left the jungle and are now passing through small communities and villages in rural Costa Rica. Two days ago they were accommodated by a local friendly family, while last night they slept on a community centre floor in Taus. With the hardest part done, there is now no stopping Alpha 2.

Alpha 3
A3 have been braving the incessant rain up in Bosque del Nino. Nonetheless they have got off to a flying start, having demolished the old, inadequate visitor centre. They are now hard at work building the foundations and mixing cement for the new building. In their spare time, they have been playing lots of football with the locals and endless games of cards, including the Raleigh classic, ‘Mafia’. Nick (Logistics Manager) and Julian (Country Director) are visiting them tonight and have delighted them with post, a new part for their radio, and enough meat for a huge barbecue.

Alpha 4
Al4 finally got into Santa Rosa National Park, having freed their bus from the muddy entrance. They got straight to work, refurbishing many of the buildings in this historic park. They have already painted five buildings, although the amount of paint on the floor is almost the same as the paint on the wall. Luckily, Alpha 4 doesn’t worry about minor details like that. To keep themselves amused they have been playing a constant game of Cluedo – unfortunately Lewis came to a sticky end last night – death by Sam’s porridge!

Alpha 5
After an eventful two and a half days travel, some of which was spent on a school bus on the mountainous Nicaraguan roads, and also included a four and a half hour trek, A5 entered the village and Danny asked “Who’s my new mum then?” The group are all staying with local families and are getting used to the early wake up call from the roosters, constant rice & beans, and the somewhat unwanted continual attention from the children who are fascinated by them! The water project is underway, and the team are getting stuck in with mattocks and pick-axes to dig the ditch that will host the water pipes, and eventually provide the families with clean drinking water.

Alpha 6
Having shared the bus with Alpha 5, Alpha 6 have settled well into the beautiful community of El Cebollal in Miraflor. Weather ranges from rainy to warm, sunny to thunderous storms. The group are getting used to the local sites, with cows wandering freely around the work site, as do the rather lovely local men (in their words!) - much to the delight of the Alpha 6 ladies. Construction work on the community centre is progressing splendidly, with the foundations already laid.

Alpha 7
A7 were worried that they would have to carry their gear all the way to La Cangreja National Park, as the bus was having a few difficulties navigating a route to avoid the landslides in the area caused by heavy rain. However, trusty driver Bryan never lets us down, and the group made it safe and sound all the way to their front door…or jungle as it was in this case. The accommodation is very basic, but the campsite was a pleasant surprise – it has running toilets! However, the group has broken five hammocks already, while Matt demolished two A-frames in one night. They tell us the nearby waterfall is beautiful and that he path building is going very well.

Delta 1
D1 made it all the way down south to the beautiful Salitre Indigenous Reserve. The heavy rain of the first few days was challenging but didn’t stop the group from getting on with some good old mattocking and digging. They have made good headway with their ditch, and have also begun to construct the first of three water towers that will bring water to the local school. Well done Delta 1.

Delta 2
For the first few days Delta 2 got to know the locals by bonding through football. By Friday, building was well underway, with the floor already completed. After all that hard work, they took the weekend off to go and support the local football team in Grana de Oro, and then trekked to a beautiful river to swim and cool off. D2 are cruising and well on track to completing the ‘comedor’ for the local high school.

Delta 3
D3 have earned their rice and beans this week, having used their brute force to carry wood from the jungle, and sand and rocks from the river in order to have materials to build their ‘comedor’. They are making incredible progress and have laid foundations and started to construct the walls.

Delta 4
For a full report on Delta 4, see Blog 6.

Delta 5
Having spent 7 hours on a bus, 2 hours on a ferry and one night on the floor of a random café, D5 arrived in the beautiful Caletas-Ario Nature Reserve. They have moved into their luxury Ranger Station and are woken each morning by howler monkeys. They’ve been working hard on sanding their accommodation and will move onto the varnishing very soon. Also awaiting them is their exciting turtle project. D5 have also been entertaining themselves with dinner parties, and inventing desert recipes from their simple rations.

Expedition 08D & E: Induction and Deployment Photographs

Expedition 08D & E: Blog 3 – Participant Induction and Phase 1 Deployment

Greetings from Turrialba. Dennis has packed his bags and headed out on project, so this is Ross McKenzie (Country Programme Manager) to give you the all the news from the last week in Raleigh Costa Rica & Nicaragua. I’m afraid we are not able to provide you with photographs at the moment, but as soon as we resolve technical difficulties we will post lots of pics from induction and deployment.

On the 31st of June the Volunteer Managers had their last party before the mass arrivals – this lot never misses the chance to dress up and dance, or take off a classic scene or two from Top Gun (photographic evidence coming soon!). The next day we kicked off the Headstart programme for our HCVs (Host Country Venturers) The HCVs are our Latino Venturers from Costa Rica & Nicaragua. They enjoyed a ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ competition, which gave the VMs a chance to start practising their Spanish.

After some incredibly long delays, and some interesting overnight diversions, all of the Venturers eventually made it to FB (Field Base). There were some blurry eyes and lost baggage, but the positive attitude of everyone ensured a great start to the expedition. The first day consisted of swim tests, an admin session, an introduction to radio theory & voice procedure, and a presentation on the projects they would be doing (keep reading to find out about who is going where and what the projects are). The Venturers on the 5 week expedition (08E) gave their preferences, as they have the opportunity to do either an environmental or a community project – an amazing 48 out of 55 were able to get their first choice, with the remainder getting their second choice – they were very happy with this. There was an early night for all as jet lag quickly kicked in.

A very early start began the next two days of training. The first thing to do was find out where they would be going – this was the most memorable project allocation I have seen, with Jimmy the Faff and James, Lord of the D.A.N.C.E. running down the aisles and along the tables screaming their team members names and greeting them with high fives and bear hugs! During the next two days the groups went to jungle camp and learned how to adapt and survive to life in the jungle – this included making basha beds and hammocks, setting up a group tarp, digging short drops, cooking on trangias, using HF radios, learning how to run a Casevac (Casualty Evacuation) and much more. They also had sessions on First Aid, the history of Costa Rica & Nicaragua, as well as a bit of salsa dancing.

The last day of induction was the most hectic of all. This involved returning from jungle camp, cleaning kit, checking equipment and food for the impending phase, and topping it all off with a barbecue and foam party. The terrace at FB was rocking well into the wee hours…and then the buses arrived to take the teams to their projects. The Nicaraguan groups were first, leaving at 0430. The Costa Rican groups then left one at a time, with the last group rolling out at 0700, at which point FB staff collapsed after three weeks of intense training, preparation and hard work.

So I bet you can’t wait to find out who is going where and what they are doing? Here we go…

08D – 10 Week Expedition

· Alpha 1 - The Guanacaste Trek
The setting for this trek covers a huge variety of different ecosystems from cloud forest above 3000 metres down to one of the last remaining stands of primary dry tropical forest left in the Americas. The group will start by circumnavigating Volcan Tenorio via the Caribbean slopes visiting Turquoise waterfalls and moist rainforest. After passing by Volcan Miravalles the group will head to Rincon de la Vieja National Park to climb one of the volcanoes and to witness steaming mud pots, geysers, and hot sulphur springs. After several days of walking through the forest they will arrive at the foot of Cerro Cacao in Guanacaste National park where they will climb the volcano. From here they will descend down into the dry tropical forests of Santa Rosa National Park where scientists have identified over 3,000 plant species, some 300 bird species, and 5,000 insects. The trek will finish at Playa Junquillal to relax by the beautiful calm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Project Managers
Alex ‘Coops’ Cooper
Helen Machin

Venturers
Jamie Beacall
Stephen Hosking
Rachael Kelly
Wendelle Lightbourne
Jasper Mackisack
Teliqua Mallory
Benjamin Masterman
Anna Reay
William Vasquez
Laura Wilkins

· Alpha 2 - The Coast to Coast Trek
Starting on the shores of the Caribbean Sea this group will walk across a continent in 19 days to the Pacific Ocean. The trek begins through the Caribbean lowlands, hiking through the jungle at Barbilla National Park before heading to the climb over the continental divide through Tapanti National Park. Once up to nearly 3,000m the group will descend through the stunning cloud forests of Los Santos to the Pacific Ocean at Playa El Rey, part of Manuel Antonio National. This trek will be challenging but achievable by all, encompassing a wide range of scenery and habitat. It will feel like an awesome achievement to have walked coast to coast and I’m sure it will be an unforgettable experience.

Project Managers
Mike ‘Jungle’ Bateman
Anna Tate

Venturers
Hannah Allan
Annabel Gray
Alshauntae Harvey-Hollis
William Hatton
Matthew Hoghton
Miles Kaye
Joanne Lockey
Zeko Rubaine
Tom Smart
Roberto Ulloa


· Alpha 3 - Bosque del Nino Environmental Project – Camping area and trail construction
Bosque del Nino holds one of the largest remaining areas of forest in the Central Valley and being close to the major cities is an attractive site for local visitors and schools. The project will be to repair some of the visitor facilities such as the main reception area, camping zones and trails.

Project Managers
Karen Forrester
Laura Skinner
Alison Moyce

Venturers
Santos Yessenia Blandon Picado
Rudo Chimbghandah
Iesha Dill
George Finlay
James Lee
Katarzyna Lukjaniec
Darwin Solis
Marie-Claire Streets
Mark Taylor
Tom Williams

· Alpha 4 Environmental Project - Santa Rosa National Park
During this expedition we will spend two phases in this area – one in Santa Rosa National Park and the other at Playa Junquillal which is connected to Santa Rosa. In Santa Rosa the group will be painting the administration building whilst at Playa Junquillal they will be repairing the camping area and some trails. Santa Rosa National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the country and contains one of the only large areas of primary and secondary dry-tropical forest left in the world.

Project Managers
Aleks Sawyer
Dennis Monteiro

Venturers
Esteban Castillo
Susannah Compton
Makeda DeShield
Colm Doris
Lewis Laing
Rosamond Luther
Meriel Mulhall
Sam Newman
Gabriela Sanchez
Ricai Williams

· Alpha 5 Community Project - Las Caraos, Achuapa, Nicaragua
High in the hills above Achuapa, in one of the poorest most remote areas of Nicaragua, Raleigh will be working on a series of small projects to bring clean and safe drinking water to 80 families in the community of Monte Frio. At present the local people get their water from the river which often dries up in summer or comes from polluted water sources. This project is a multi-stakeholder partnership with the local community, the Cooperativa Juan Francisco Paz Silva, Nottingdale International and Raleigh. The group will be working with the local population to dam small streams, build tanks to collect the water from where it can run through pipes to all the local houses. The benefits of clean water will be felt by many generations to come. The participants will be living directly with families in the village and will help out with their day to day tasks.

Project Managers
Mani ‘Peanut’ Cea-Poblete
Vicky Easton
Carolyn Henry

Venturers
Zakina Allen
Helen Buss
Jonathan Cox
Juan Pablo Cruz
Edward Davies
Joy Hardyman
Emma Houston
Shakii Pearman
Jason Reading
Daniel Rooke
Yasmin Vora

· Alpha 6 Community Project - Miraflor, Nicaragua
The Miraflor reserve is 206sqkm of beautiful mountainous terrain with various different ecosystems such as tropical savannah, dry tropical forest and mountain cloud forest. Within the reserve there are a number of communities living through subsistence farming and gaining income from coffee growing, cattle farming and some small tourism initiatives. However the people have few resources and lack access to basic services such as health and education. On this project the participants will be building two preschools/community centres in the communities of El Coyolito and El Cebollal Abajo where currently there are no facilities for very young children to learn and the communities persevere with basic lessons in people’s houses. Raleigh volunteers will live with local families and experience the lives of local people whilst enjoying the beauties of the local natural environment.

Project Managers
Miranda Schnitger
Amanda ‘Dura-Bunny’ Irwin
Theresa Bailey

Venturers
Viviana Aguilar
Katie Baxter
Madeleine Gardner
Ben Haigh
Shohaib Hussain
Ashley Phipps
Kandrea Romaine
Hugo Ross
Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd
Laura Wyglendacz

· Alpha 7 Environmental Project - La Cangreja – Camping area and trail development
La Cangreja is Costa Rica’s newest National Park which owes its name to the striking 1,305 metre peak Cerro Cangreja. The park has a mixture of Tropical Humid forest and Pre-Montane forest with a number of species of plant found nowhere else in the world which makes the area important for research purposes and for conservation. The park is also blessed with amazing waterfalls only to be found through exploring the forest. At present the government is developing the facilities in the park and during the expedition Raleigh venturers will be working on the reception area and extending the trail network within the park. This project is a unique opportunity to live right in the middle of the jungle!

Project Managers
Andrew White
Sarah Finch

Venturers
Natalie Ali
Che Augustus
Rebecca Butland
Alasdair Conn
Sarah Long
Jorge Marin
Lee Mulligan
Felicity Shapland
Matthew Theakston
Ashun Wolffe

08E – 5 Week Expedition

· Delta 1 Community Project - La Rosa – Salitre Indigenous Reserve, Costa Rica
In the South of Costa Rica in the Salitre Indigenous reserve Raleigh International will be building a water system for a primary school in the community of La Rosa. The water system will allow the children to drink clean and safe drinking water whilst they are at school and for the school to provide cooked meals. This remote community is part of the Salitre Indigenous reserve where Bri Bri people maintain their cultural heritage and mostly live through subsistence farming. The indigenous reserve has been largely forgotten by the local authorities and the community has no electricity, running water or sanitary facilities. During this project we will be working in partnership with a local village association who have applied to Raleigh International for support. This is a unique project where the Raleigh volunteers will be able to gain a unique experience of living with an indigenous community as well as undertaking a much needed project.

Project Managers
Oscar Saborio
Ping Choi
Nigel Kinsman

Venturers
Abd-Allah Ayaz
Sarah Hamilton
Euan Ivory
Cheuk Lei
Katharine McDonnell
Daniel Renfrey
Catalina Retana
James Reynoldson
Laura Richardson
David Simms
driana Solorzano Ramirez

· Delta 2 Quetzal & Delta 3 Simiriñak Community – Chirripo Indigenous Reserve, Costa Rica
This Raleigh International group will be working on two projects in the Chirripo Indigenous Reserve to build two ‘comedors’ for the secondary school in the community of Quetzal and the primary school in the community of Simiriñak. These remote communities, 5 hours apart on foot, are found in the foothills of the Caribbean slope of Central Costa Rica and are inhabited by the Cabecar indigenous people who maintain their own language and culture. The comedors will allow these newly established schools to receive meals for the students, paid for by the government. This group will also have a unique experience where they can learn about the lives of the Cabecar people and understand the challenges that face this indigenous community at the beginning of the 21st century.

Delta 2
Project Managers
Alice Thompson
Ben ‘El Benito’ Fellows

Venturers
Allister Braithwaite
Franck Brown
Emma Damant
Tessa Deykin
Alexander Ennis
Abdikhani Ghesad
Kirstie Hopkin
Matthieu Leonard
Anna Nicholls
Paul Shifflet
Caroline Smith

Delta 3
Project Managers
Emma Palfreyman
James ‘Lord of the D.A.N.C.E.’ Hanslip
Jimmy ‘The Faff’ Murray
Jimmy ‘The Cruz Missile’ Cruz
*The Cruz will switch with Emma / The Faff will switch with the Lord of D.A.N.C.E

Venturers
Thomas Angier
Sophie Duffin
Sara Hughes
Luis Francisco Ledezma Vasquez
Alejandro Linan Martin
Maritza Loaiza
Daisy Pfeil
Safia Thobani
Rose Tweddle
Wing Yui Wan
Catherine Woollen

· Delta 4 Environmental Project - Barbilla National Park, Costa Rica
Barbilla National park, found on the central Caribbean slope of Costa Rica, contains some of the best quality primary rainforest in the country. One of the remotest and least visited national parks, surrounded by indigenous reserves, this area is considered important to protect the biodiversity that it contains. The park is used by scientists to study the great number of species of flora and fauna. One of the challenges that face the park administrators is controlling illegal logging and poaching in the area. This group will be building a trail that goes from the main park headquarters down to the river that runs through the centre of the park. The group will live in a jungle camp on the edge of this river surrounded by pristine forests. This once in lifetime experience will be remembered by the entire group whilst undertaking work important to the park rangers.

Project Managers
Dave Williams
Jules Duzant

Venturers
Ileana Bejarano
Adriana Chavarria Flores
Amy Chesterfield
John Gilbert
Olivia Hayward
Robert Lundgren
Holly Miller
Katharine Plant
Loreth Quesada - Bolanos
Huw Simmons
Douglas Wedderburn-Maxwell

· Delta 5 Environmental Project - Caletas- Ario National Park
Caletas-Ario wildlife reserve is one of the newest protected areas in the country and as such is just starting on developing the infrastructure necessary for conserving and protecting this beautiful area. The wildlife reserve is made up of some patches of dry tropical forest, large areas of mangroves, a series of beaches where turtles lay their eggs and a marine area. The group will be helping to work on the ranger station and preparing nurseries for the turtles. Some of the jobs the group will be doing are varnishing the ranger station, creating a turtle hatchery on the beach, and digging a trench in order to lay a pipe to deliver fresh water to the ranger station. The development of the wildlife reserve will have numerous knock-on benefits to the local community in terms of income through tourism and improved facilities.

Project Managers
Rod ‘Who’s on Rod Watch?’ McKenzie
Sancia Keogh

Venturers
Louise Baker
Rajbir Basra
Sarah Cowling
Holly David
Lauren Davies
Liam McCarthy
Pedro Munoz Ramirez
Luis Enrique Ortega Araya
Barnaby Redwood
Kate Stephen
Anjeela Wakil

Phew...and that’s the lot! Our Field Base team, including hot shot photographer Rachel Codling, will be out and about visiting the teams over the next three weeks. We hope to have updates and photos from each project site as soon as possible. Also, I promise we’ll have those shots of the last week available pronto. Watch this space…

Expedition 2008 D&E Blog 03: The Venturers have arrived!

The last week here has flown by and I´m delighted to report that the Venturers have arrived!

From Canada to Chile, Bermuda to Great Britain, Hong Kong to France and New Zealand to North America, 105 young people from 10 countries have joined together with 18 Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans to kick off the expedition.

They arrived here at Field base to be greeted with a traditional hot Costa Rican breakfast, followed by a whistle stop tour of the facilities including the tents that will be their home for the next few days. Then with barely time to savour the fresh pineapple & papaya they jumped straight into their training.

Everyone will receive a short briefing of the 12 projects that make up our expedition before learning which project they´ve been selected for in phase one. As you can imagine there is a great deal of expectation in the air.

I´ll post a short summary of the 12 projects and together with the Venturer teams in my next blog.

Adios, Dennis