Alpha teams get out there

This is it. We have come to the most highly anticipated part of PM induction -- project allocations.


In Phase one of the expedition there will be two groups out on treks, two groups working with communities and three groups on environmental projects.

For the next six days the Project Managers will travel to their respective project sites for planning visits, getting to know their project partners and finding out everything they need to know so they can run a safe and happy project with the groups of Venturers.

Let's meet them.


Alpha One: The Maribios trek
Project Managers: Giles Mason, Alice Dixon and Catriona Bisset


In the far north of Nicaragua, close to the border with Honduras, this group will walk along a mountain ridge through the pine forests above Achuapa. From here they will eventually reach the string of volcanoes called ‘Los Maribios’ which are named after an ancient tribe who lived in the area. They will follow as closely as possible to the line of volcanoes up to the Cosiguina Peninsula for one final volcano ascent. Volcano Cosiguina is the site of the largest volcanic eruption in the history of Americas and from the summit the group will hopefully get spectacular views across the Gulf of Fonseca to Honduras and El Salvador. The last day will be spent on the beach and swimming in the Pacific Ocean.

  Getting familiar with the maps

Alpha 2: The unnamed trek (so far!)
Project Managers: Polly Mason, Lawrence Kidd, and James Lee


Alpha Two's mission is to trek up and over Volcan Turrialba, through the Cartago province, and ending at the Pacific Ocean, in 19 days. There will be incredible views and the Monumento Nacional Guayabo, Costa Rica's largest archaelogical site. This is a completely new trek designed by Country Director, Julian Olivier. The PMs and their team of venturers will go down in Raleigh history books as the group that inaugurated this trek. They will also have the honour of naming the trek after they complete it. What a meaningful way to begin the first phase of 10L. We're all jealous!

 Polly, James and Lawrie studying the maps



Alpha 3: La Cangreja National Park
Project Managers: Euane Naismith, Laura Woodward and Sarah Ellard (Wellard)


Alpha 3 will make their way to La Cangreja national park, southwest of Turrialba. Raleigh has built trails in this park in the past. This expedition we will continue to improve the public facilities by constructing a look-out tower which will make it possible to enjoy the spectacular views over this beautiful place.

Tea and project planning

Alpha 4: San Lucas Island
Project Managers: Tony Taylor, Esteban Castillo, and Andrea Meredith


San Lucas Island is home to Costa Rica's once most terrifying prison. A local Chateau D'If or Alcatraz, if you like. Convicts sent to San Lucas Island prison would have expected no to live very long nor have a decent send-off. The prison is now a local heritage site opened to visitors. Alpha 4 will be assisting the San Lucas rangers to clear paths and make the place a more visitor-friendly site.

Going to jail

Alpha 5: Camaronal Wildlife Refuge


Project Managers: Louise Olverson, Elena Ourris and Adrian Hughes


Camaronal is a newly protected area covering tropical forests, mangroves and beaches. The focal point of this project is turtle conservation. Four different endangered speices of turtles return to the beaches of Camaronal every year to lay their eggs. This will be Raleigh's fourth project at Camaronal and Alpha 5 will be building a trail that will run behind the beach and carry out turtle patrols to guard against egg poachers. The eggs will be transferred to a hatchery for incubation before being released into the sea when they hatch.

Planning in the sunshine

Alpha 6: Achuapa, Las Tablas (Nicaragua)

Project Managers: Pamela Martinez, Annie Glennie, Phil Tibbs

High in the hills above Achuapa, in one of the poorest most remote areas of Nicaragua, Alpha 6 will be working on a series of small projects to bring clean and safe drinking water to a community in Achuapa. 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 enjoyed 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.

Reading through the many planning documents on the Terrace at Fieldbase

Alpha 7: Miraflor, El Rodeo (Nicaragua)

Project Managers: Victoria Harrison, Piers Tufnell, Rachael Armitage

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. Alpha 7 will be building a community centre which will be used for community meetings, cooperative meetings, adult education, pre-school education and recreational activities.

 Having fun and project planning

While the Project Managers are out visiting their projects, everyone at Fieldbase is busy getting everything else ready for the expedition and the arrival of the Venturers in just one week. Everything is getting very exciting!