Expedition 10G signs off

That's it, Expedition 10G is done and dusted. And what an expedition it has been!

Three amazing schools built in remote indigenous reserves, thousands of turtle eggs collected and safely nested in a new hatchery, four days of tough trekking and a phenomenal Adventure Challenge set in a beautiful island location... it's had it all.

After four days of trekking through mud, rain and breathtaking mountain views, our Zulu groups gathered on San Lucas Island for their final survival challenge.

Located off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, San Lucas is a truly special place. It also has a fascinating history. From 1873 to 1991, San Lucas was home to some of the worst criminals in Costa Rica. The island is now a wildlife refuge but the prison buildings still remain as a reminder of the island's dark past. It's quite spooky touring the old prison at night so sleeping in the old cells was a real experience for our Venturers.

Woken at dawn by King Banana and his tribe on the day of the challenge, the Zulus were faced with a series of tasks: building a raft from bamboo, string and a few inflatable tires; making a fire big enough to burn through a piece of string two metres from the ground; a low ropes course and a collection of problem solving tasks (which were all timed for the overall competition, won by Zulu 2), before finishing on an isolated beach with just a few basics to survive for the night.

Later in the afternoon, "the boatman" came to visit with fresh fish, which had to be gutted and cleaned, and supplies for damper bread, which they cooked on an open fire. It was turned out to be a very wet night but none of our Zulus even thought about coming back to the prison even though they only had a leaky tarp and a few sleeping bags for protection, which was impressive.

The rest of the time was spent catching up with friends from the Delta groups and relaxing on (and jumping off) the pier, which was absolutely brilliant - definitely one of the most glorious locations this correspondent has ever had the pleasure to while away an afternoon.

But all too soon it was time for everyone to say their goodbye and head to the airport for their flights home.

It really has been a special expedition. Everyone involved - from the PMs and Venturers to the Fieldbase staff and everyone working behind the scenes - has been magnificent.

10G brought together a great group of young people who really gelled together to form some formidable teams and achieve some awe-inspiring things. We really hope they've had an amazing time with Raleigh and can take a lot of what they've learnt back with them to their studies or careers or whatever they have planned for the next phase of their lives. We wish them all the best.