Alpha 5 - Final Update

Yes everyone, its time!! Alpha 5 have finished!! The 25th of February saw us finish our pipeline a whole phase early! Water will now always reach the lovely Rangers – Ronald, Fabio, Santa Maria, Alex, Andres and Mario at the top of Volcan Barva – 3000m of pipe crossing 5 valleys, done! In the evening we were treated to a huge dish of paella – needless to day it was delicious MUCHOS GRACIAS! Since the 20th we have had Caroline with us and the lovely Josie too – a full group and also a Scottish trio in addition to Georgina. Aye Aye!

Our day off on the 26th took us to the ‘Laguna Copey’ and despite the persistent rain, the majority of the group had a dip, albeit a brief one. Skit work has come on in leaps and bounds and we are confident the ice cream will be ours come changeover. We are however, so used to the cold and refried beans that returning to fieldbase is going to come as something of a shock to the system. We will miss you Ronald and Barva!

Pura Vida!

Alpha 5 in Barva

Congratulations! Alpha 5 gave birth today, to two beautiful .... pipes! We (PM’s Dani (Flaves), Afsun (Afsana),Caroline (in spirit!) and venturers Amanda, Vivian, Jess, Holly, Georgina (Gee), Josh, Sam M, Sam H, Harvey, Brayan, Fu and Tom) are up in the beautiful Barva Volcano sector of the Braullio National Park laying pipelines to transport water to the lovely rangers (RONALD, Fabio, Andres, Alex and Juan) very important work!
Our bus journey here was bumpy to say the least and no one could have prepared us for Sam H’s singing. Arriving at our accommodation (the old ranger station with a range of MATTRESSES and WARM-ISH showers) was a pleasant surprise until the bat incident. Our own Sam Horbye showed his true colours when a rouge bat flew into the house. Screaming like a girl he fled the room scrambling over Afsun in the process. He is now called ‘Batsam.’ Sam M’s similar reaction to a mouse has now earned him the name ‘Ratsam,’ while his vine swinging skills gave him the name ‘Tarzan.’ Both work!

Our first day on project was ... cold! Who needs woolly hats in Costa Rica? ALPHA 5 do! Batsam, our day leader, found the language barrier a problem as our 17th human chain failed again and Ronald (our favourite ranger) was vocal about its uselessness.... learning the hard way we realised that human chains AREN’T the answer to everything.....

Our teamwork got us through the painful process of saving a buried pipe. Any hikers will have been terrified by Dani screaming “I CAN SEE THE HEAD!” The Red Cross helped us for our first day- a six day job became one! Woo! Our evenings consist of cards, mafia, cards and more mafia! On 12th February half of the group (both Sams, Gee, Josh, Brayan, Amanda and Tom) successfully slept through a 6.0 earthquake and those who did wake up mistook it for wind or Bryan’s snoring (IT’S THAT LOUD!) On 14th February we celebrated Valentines Day in style with Bolognaise and chocolate fondue for dessert. Vivian, our resident artist, decorated our house beautifully – hearts and roses galore! The 15th February brought our biggest achievement so far. Under the leadership of Josh we put together 250 metres of pipe! That’s 1/5 of our total distance! Boom! We also saw Tapir and big cat footprints (spotted by Flaves and Fu). Next time let’s hope it’s the real thing!

Work is quite muddy and cold but visibly seeing our progress is amazing! Not to mention we are in an untouched jungle! Today Amanda and Jess got Jungle Feve; non-stop giggling! Josh banished them with odd jobs haha! Fu’s constant playing of Bob Marley was challenged tonight with an amazing rendition of ‘Rappers delight’ by Holly and ‘Ignition’ by Gee. R.O.C.K.E.D.I.T! Also today Tom ran all the way home from the project site to shower first – DEDICATED TO CLEANLINESS! We found Harvey tonight KO’d on the bedroom floor – no sheets, no mattress, no nothing! Gee’s blister on her leg has become infamous in Alpha 5 and last night something horrible happened.... Josh kicked it under the table by accident and it BURST EVERYWHERE! Eeew!!

Any rules about clothing have gone completely out the window- socks and sandals everywhere, colour clashed layers galore! Our fastastico PMs are keeping us very cheery – Flaves (Dani) dancing (we have videos...), Afsun’s pink fur pinup jacket (which supplies enough warmth and entertainment to keep us going for hours and Caroline – we can’t wait for you to get here and attend to our colds!!

Food-wise we are happy too! Homemade tortillas and Empanadas were a massive hit! There’s a wee bit of resentment concerning peanuts being our daily snack (especially Amanda) and the tinned tuna has caused some problems concerning tuna burps (again especially Amanda haha!) Fresh Carrots caused quite a stir – who knew Costa Rican carrots were so big!?! Our quote of the week is from Batsam – “oh look at that cow, imagine the bacon we could get off that!” Nice one Sammy!

All in all Alpha 5 are a happy bunch! LOADS of singing (ABBA), dancing and laughing. We’ve started preparing a sneaky part for our end of phase skit. “Preview” I hear you scream.... well...
“Its the remix to ignition, ALPHA 5 on a mission...”
Until next blog... Alpha 5 out.

Samos 12B el grupo de Raleigh y nosotros somos Holly, Amanda, Caroline, Gee,Tom, Sam, Vivian, Brayan, Daniel, Afsana, Fu,Josh, Samcito, Harvey, Jess.

Y somos Alpha 5. En casa de los guarda parques del Volcan Barva. En donde nos encontramos, con risa, mucha alegría en donde también jugamos todo el tiempo, en un lugar donde, compartimos el trabajo donde nos ayudamos, los unos con los otros, donde una sonrisa no falta. Hemos tenido momentos muy buenos y pocos los malos; los cuales no se donde están porque no lo he visto y no los hemos encontrado. Todos aqui somos y vamos mas alla de ser un nombre como Alpha 5….

En el corazón de todos y cada uno de nosotros, recordaremos; nuestras caras y nuestro tiempo compartido.. los llevare en mi mente y corazón que es y será nuestra voz…

Alpha Update

The Alpha groups are now settled in at their respective projects and over the coming weeks we’ll be bringing you comprehensive reports from their Project Comms Officers with all the new and views from life on phase. In the meantime, here’s a quick through of the Alpha’s progress to date, hot off the press from this morning’s Sitreps:

Alpha One are making good progress through the Barbilla Indigenous Territory and tomorrow will emerge from the jungle at San Joaquin where they will be joined by Fieldbase’s Holly, for a taste of trek.

Alpha Two are also in fine spirits and yesterday had the bizarre experience of walking several kilometres straddling the Costa Rican and Panamanian border. Today they too delve into the jungle.

Alpha Three’s bamboo has arrived and will spend the day constructing a jungle camp which will be their home for the phase.

Alpha Four have made a challenge for 'Alpha' status as they have thrown down the gauntlet to the other groups and almost finished work on an irrigation system in proximity to the path they will be constructing.

Alpha Five are sorting their accommodation at the ranger station and are enjoying a ‘fresh’ morning up on Volcan Barva.

Alpha Six arrived at their community of El Portillo yesterday afternoon and have commenced work this morning on their site

Alpha Seven are spending their day planning their work during the phase with the local maestro, before attending the opening of a local pre-school this afternoon.

Alpha Eight have also settled in San Jose, and are beginning work in the sunshine.

Tomorrow the southern leg of Fieldbase’s roadtrip begins as they embark on a journey visiting Alpha’s One, Two, Three, Four AND Five. On the 20^th February the northern team departs to visit the Nicaraguan groups up in Achuapa and Miraflor.

Those of you with your eye on the Tico Times may have spotted that there was an earthquake just before dawn off the coast of south west Costa Rica! Despite measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale, some of Fieldbase slept through the whole event and we can report no damage was done to any of the groups.

We have liftoff

Phase One has been deployed and Fieldbase is now a ghost town, as the buses rumbled out of Turrialba at the crack of dawn. We'll be seeing them at various points on road trips around Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but for the folks at home, here's what the Alphas will be up to:

Alpha One – Turrisantos Trek

Beginning with a challenging ascent through dense jungle in Barbilla National Park, Alpha One will then skirt to the east of Turrialba before passing Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica’s largest archaeological site, and estimated to be around 3000 years old. They then enter Tapantí National Park for more wet and muddy jungle adventures before a final week tackling the ridges of the Fila de Bustamente towards Cerro Dragon, before bearing for the Pacific and the delights of Playa Matapalo.

Alpha Two – Corcovado Trek

Commencing in La Amistad National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Central America’s largest reserve, trekkers can admire the region’s dazzling biodiversity, tumbling cascades and hot springs. From here it is onwards through the agricultural plains of the Coto Brus valley before launching an assault cross-country over the Fila Costena mountain range. The best is arguably saved until last. The groups then descend to Corcovado National Park, the best preserved tropical rainforest on the Central American isthmus, before trekking their final three days along the serene coastline of Playas Madrigal, Carate and Piro, enjoying the waters of the Golfo Dulce at the finish.

Alpha Three – Carara National Park

Carara was established in 1978 as a biological reserve, but due to growing popularity it was subsequently given national park status in 1998; it is now the fourth most visited in the country. The park lies around 30 miles from the capital, San Jose and includes one of the largest remaining populations of wild scarlet macaw in the country - the dense tree growth of its primary rainforest providing the perfect home for other avian species including  orange-chinned parakeets, jacamars and the black throated trogon.

This is Raleigh’s first project in the park since 2007, and Alpha Three will be working on an access trail to Lago Meandrico, alongside general maintenance work in the park. It is hoped that through the development of such facilities, there will be subsequent benefits to the local community in terms of income procured through increased visitor numbers.

Alpha Four – La Amistad National Park

A UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the remotest parts of Costa Rica, this is the first Raleigh project in La Amistad since 2006, continuing their partnership with SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas).

Parque International La Amistad is shared equally between Costa Rica and Nicaragua and is an important biological corridor protecting tropical habitats, ranging from cloudforest to paramo, alongside a wealth of biological resources, some unique to the area. In 2011, a landslide destroyed one of the main trails up to the Valle de Silencio, an important research area for scientists, and the difficulty of the park’s terrain generally, means that it is relatively unexplored.

During phase, Raleigh venturers will be working on a new trail to Casa Coca to improve access to the ranger station at Valle de Silencio.

Alpha Five – Volcan Barva Sector, Braulio Carrillio National Park

This project builds on Raleigh’s strong partnership developed over the past 7 years with ACCVC – Area Conservacion Cordillera Volcanica Central. Located in Costa Rica’s central valley, this stunning area of primary cloud forest plays host to a vast array of biodiversity, with habitats covered from nearly 3000m down to the calms of the Caribbean coast. It’s proximity to San Jose makes it a popular trip for international tourists, but the lure of the more popular Poás and Manuel Antonio National Parks means it is relatively undeveloped.

Living and working in the park, Alpha Five will be assisting rangers in the construction of a water system for their station, which will aid them in their aim of controlling and managing this important protected area.

Alpha Six – El Portillo, Achuapa, Nicaragua

Based in the communities of Las Tablas and El Portillo, Alpha Six will be supporting the community in an eco-latrine project that will not only provide sanitation to the 35 families in the villages – critical for the health of the community for generations to come, but can also be used to produce compost for fertilising crops and fruiting trees. Living with local families, they will be assisting with day-to-day chores and gaining a fascinating insight into a society different to their own.

Alpha Seven – La Naranjita, Miraflor, Nicaragua

Miraflor – ‘Paradise in the clouds’, was declared a natural reserve in 1990 at the request of its local people, such is the beauty of its resources. Within the reserve, communities have relatively few resources and lack access to basic services such as education and healthcare. They live by predominantly subsistence means, but supplement this through small tourism initiatives and coffee growing.

La Naranjita was just one of the communities affected by hurricanes at the latter end of 2011, and Alpha Seven will be working on a disaster relief project, rebuilding houses and assisting their host families with day-to-day chores.

Alpha Eight – San Jose, Miraflor Nicaragua

Another Miraflor based project sees the return of Raleigh, represented by Alpha Eight, to San Jose, where they will be building a multi-purpose building which will be used for adult education services and community meetings. Raleigh’s previous trip on Expedition 05J assisted the community in constructing a pre-school for children in the village, and this is a great opportunity to renew ties with some of the most welcoming, and hospitable people in the world.

We’ll be receiving updates from the groups in the coming days as they settle into life on phase, so check back soon.

Alphas 3, 4 and 5 return

Alphas 3, 4 and 5 have returned to fieldbase after an enjoyable couple of days at their respective environmental project sites. So without further ado, let’s get started, following the logical approach of chronological order:

Alpha 3

During phase one, Alpha 3’s Adri Rodriguez and Jonathan Baguley will be leading a group working in Carara National Park, some 30 miles from the capital San Jose. Joined on their PPV by special Fieldbase guest Jemma Grundon, they admired the park’s plethora of flora and fauna, and witnessed nature in all its glory – a cat chasing an iguana. Under the stewardship of head ranger Gabriel, venturers will be working on an important disabled access route through the park, alongside general maintenance trails, whilst gaining the unique opportunity of living in a jungle camp. Jon’s tip: Watch out for the ants!

Alpha 4

Consisting of Jessica Soane, Alex Beaumont, Alex Dennis and special FB guest Alejandra Campos, Alpha 4 made the long trip down to La Amistad National Park, a UNESCO Heritage site, and one of the remotest regions of Costa Rica. On phase the group will be maintaining the ‘Gigantes del Bosque’ trail (Giants of the forest), flattening, adding steps and drainage to a trail around 1.5km long which contains a high concentration of avian species, including cedros and Ira rosa. 

Alpha 5

Slightly closer to home than their Alpha 4 counterparts, A5’s Afsana Tahirova, Daniel Saborio, and Caroline Bolt headed out to the Barva sector of Braulio Carrillio National Park and had the pleasure of a night’s stay at the new ranger station. The choice of entertainment for the evening: Kung Fu Panda 2.  Result. Apparently a night at 2700m above sea level was a chilly affair, yup, that’s right folks even in Costa Rica, Brits know how to complain about the cold. During phase the group will be installing a water pipe into the ranger station from a pipe just shy of the 3000m mark, and if they’re lucky, will catch a glimpse of the tapirs and pumas that call the dense jungle their home.