Alpha 3 - La Cangreja - "The Crab"

La Cangreja - Home for Alpha 3

For the past week Alpha 3 has been settling into their jungle home set in the midst of La Cangreja National Park on the eastern side of Costa Rica. La Cangreja (The Crab) is one of Costa Rica's newest parks, prtoecting tropical forests in the Puriscal Region, Talamanca Mountain Range. With an annual rainfall of more than 160 inches (Alpha 3 can testify to this!), varied topography and Tropical Humid Forest and Pre-Montane Humid Forest La Cangreja has an abundance of both flaura and fauna. The area is of particular interest to biologist from throughout the world who have already identified a number of new species from the area.

This beautiful spot is where Alpha 3 is currently calling home, and after a week of wash outs and re-builds their jungle camp has been built and work is underway on the wheel chair path, only the second of it's kind in Costa Rica. Raleigh works in partnership with the national park service in Costa Rica, MINAE, which relies heavily on volunteers to protect the national parks which make up around 21% of Costa Rica's land mass - Costa Rica is one of the world leaders in terms of protecting its natural environment and the work Raleigh does is helping to protect these parks. By improving the infrastructure, such as paths, Raleigh is helping to increase visitor numbers and income levels necessary to ensure the work of MINAE continues.

Below is Cerro La Cangreja, or the Crab, from which the park gets its name - for hopefully obvious reasons!

It's not all work though, and Alpha 3 have also had plenty of opportunity to swim in the waterfalls, play football (led of course by Soccer Steve) and explore their beautiful surroundings. Always full of banter and fun, Alpha 3 are an incredibly tight knit group and we at field base love them almost as much as you!

Alpha 2 - Jungle bound

Today Alpha 2 heads up to Barbilla National Park where they will stay in the beautiful Barbilla Biological Station. The station attracts scientists, students, volunteers and visitors from around the world who carry out studies as well as help the rangers in their quest to protect the surrounding tropical rainforests.

The Barbilla National Park is part of the Talamanca - La Amistad Biosphere Reserve Costa Rica declared by UNESCO in 1982. It protects forests of the Caribbean slope of the Talamanca Mountain Range and tomorrow Alpha 2 will begin the first of their jungle phases when they cross some of the parks 29500 acres. The area is very wet and has low hills and a large number of rivers which flow into the Pacuare River, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the group to practice their river crossing skills. There will also be mud like they have never experienced, and hopefully some encounters with the local wildlife.

Alpha 2 will spend one night in the jungle before emerging on Monday to spend a night at the Valle Escondido Indigenous Reserve. The reserve is home to people from the Cabecar group, one of several Indigenous tribes who together make up 1% of Costa Rica’s population.

We will let you know how they get on!

Deployment Day

Deployment day dawned on Wednesday and venturers and volunteer managers were met by a somewhat dreary morning here in Costa Rica, where rain levels have been higher than normal thanks to a low pressure system which has covered the country. Spirits were not dampened however as this energetic crew packed up their kit and boarded buses bound for different corners of the country.

Alpha 1 - Roca Quemada

Chris enjoys an early breakfast

Scott perhaps wisely saves his for later

Alpha 1 heading off to Roca Quemada - this was the beginning of thier journey which was to take an epic 13 hours to complete, tired and weary all have now arrived safe and sound and are busily setting up their jungle camp before they begin work on the school.

Alpha 2 - Coast -to- Coast

Mixed emotions from the trekers - Jen, Vincent and Rhys

Emily - dressed for the occassion

Alpha 2 had their first taste of what it is like to pack up all your belongings on a daily basis. Despite being the last group to leave they arrived in good time at their destination point, the beach at Moin on the Carribean Coast. Wasting no time the team headed straight up the beach, and were accompanied by some friendly local policemen on quad bikes who brought them bananas and coconuts and kindly kept an eye on their backpacks as Alpha 2 took a quick dip in the sea. They spent their first night in a local garage before heading off (in record time) towards Barbilla National Park. They spent their second night in a community centre, but will tonight most likely have their first taste of wild camping. Let's hope this rain eases!!

Yes Em your bag was suppose to go up there

Alpha 3 - La Cangreja

Alpha 3 had an adventure just getting to La Cangreja. Heavy rains which led to landslides blocked the entry road and meant an 8km walk in to the rangers station. The rains have not let up but nor have the spirits of this group. Having spent the first night at the rangers stations, they have now begun to build their jungle home, and will begin work on the wheel chair paths tomorrow.