Jungle camp and project allocations

Hello everybody!
Apologies for the lack of blog over the past few days- we have been having a few technical problems, but we are back with lots of news! Eveybody has managed to shake of their jet lag and have thrown themselves into Raleigh life. The venturers got their first taste of jungle life as they all spent a night at jungle camp. They learnt some essential skills such as putting up hammocks and basher beds, cooking on a trangia, as well as the slightly less popular task of digging a short drop toilet! After all of their hard hard work, they enjoyed a delicious pasta dinner and spent the rest of the evening chatting and playing cards around the camp fire before testing out their handiwork and going to bed in the hammocks that they built.

Before heading off to jungle camp, the moment eveyone had been waiting for came as the project allocations were announced and the venturers found out where they were going and who with. The pms dressed up for the occasion in a variety of creative outfits based around their projects. Here are the project groups:

Alpha 1:
Project: Maribios trek, Nicaragua
Pms: Norman, Dani and Clint
Venturers: Andrew Needler, Sam Walter, Oliver Thomas, Louis van Lanschot, Lawrence Gail, Gabrield Castro Hernandez, Giannina Walsh, Paula Lam, Sarah Harris, Laura McDonald, Anneli Fowler and Katherine Ball.



Alpha 4:
Project: Turtle project and tree planting
Pms: Sheila and Michael
Venturers: Kyle Cunningham, Ben Rainthorpe, Alexander Schinck, Rod Hughes, Darwin Moreno Velazquez, Denis Pavon Chavarria, Alisa Mann, Thea Seal-Jones, Sarah Ellard, Sabina Hussain, April Hamilton, Ines Choi, Reina Acuna Aviles.


Alpha 2:
Coast to coast trek, Costa Rica
Pms: Ale, Rich and Guy
Venturers: Matthew Nash, Ashley Riby, Cesar Fernandez Meza, Erik Hernandez Montalban, Noah Vanderwal, Thomas Fleisher, Joe McCoy, Rachael Ince, Catherine Spence, Maria Lourdes Rodrigez Castillo, Claire Watson, Gemma Armes, Erika Laguna Centeno.


Alpha 5:
Project: Water project in Achuapa, Nicaragua
Pms: Sarah, Dania and Ray Ray
Venturers: Jack Duffield, Simon Vorley, Craig Chatfield, Rizwan Dasu, Moritz van Koester, Charlotte Parker, Claire Ludlow, Daniela Cordero Mora, Tara Power, Samantha Wilson and Toni Marie Clowser.



Alpha 6:
Project: Building a community centre in Miraflor, Nicaragua
Pms: Tara, Sandeep and Guido
Venturers: Felix Reed, Sam Broadley, Hamish Jupp, Hardeep Sehra, Matthew Pitman, Emma Dawson, Ailsa Bryce, Sarah Lavell, Tanne Jans, Aurelia Horie, Sam Davies, Vicky Walden.



Alpha 3:
Project: Path building in La Cangreja national park, Costa Rica
Pms: Becca and Ed
Venturers: Kier Ross, Charles Nelson, Alvin Chan, Jake Palmart, Dudley Talbot, Andreas Tellenback, Christine Harry, Benita Sabharwal, Maria Giselle Rodriqez Rizo, Puck Hendriksen, urania Rodriguez Espinoza, Leybis Obregon Hernandez.



The venturers have also been learning how to set up and use the radios in preparation for when they go off to their various projects. All of the teams did a great job and succeeded in sending a sit-rep back to Ross at field base.

And finally, if you haven't managed to see a picture of your loved one on the blog yet, you should spot them below! Everyone donned their best Raleigh T-shirt for the group photo outside field base. Here you can see the unoffical picture...

..and the official one!

Tomorrow, we have a 3am start as all of the groups head off to their various projects. I'm off on project too, but I'll be leaving the blog in the safe hands of the field base crew, so they will keep you updated with how the groups are getting on.

Hasta pronto!