Behind the scenes – Team Fieldbase

The 09A expedition has been made possible due to the hard work of a number of volunteers and the in country staff. So I thought I would give you a little bit of an idea about who does what at Fieldbase, or Raleigh Base Camp as the ventures have started to refer to it as!

Logistics: Lead by Wendy this team consists of John, Lizzie and Szeman

These guys are responsible for all the tools, radios, maps, cooking equipment, food and anything else that the venturers take out to project with them. If you left your shoes or mess tin at home these are the people to sort you out! This is their second home, the Bodega, Spanish for Store.

In addition to this they are our drivers, heading out on the road visiting projects, taking pictures, delivering food to the trekkers, passing on post and blog messages and of course bringing with them the mobile shop, so everyone can stock up on chocolate, crisps or buy that much needed bar of soap!Admin: Jackie is not just a pretty face; she works long hours sorting out all the paper work and admin for the whole expedition. One of her many task was making sure we knew when all the ventures were flying in, very important I am sure you will agree.

Fieldbase Medic: Anna-Louise is our nurse extraordinaire based here at field base for phase one. She is on hand to answer any medical questions any of our Alpha groups have.

Media Team: This consists of Amy (Press Officer) and Laura (Photographer), who are currently out trekking with Alpha 1 and 2. These two are responsible for the blog, the magazine and photos of the expedition.

Deputy Expedition Leader: Anna banana! Currently trekking with Alpha 1, pretty much does a bit of everything but very importantly she does a lot of training and planning the schedule or game plan as she likes to call it.

In Country Staff
Don Martin: Or ‘The Don’ one the greatest guys on earth – He is able to fix anything and everything and works long hours to keep everything ticking over here at field base
Sandra and Rosie: These lovely ladies cook for all the venturers and staff at changeover. No mean feat considering the 120 people and the 6 gas hobs!
Ale: Our lovely Host Country Venture Coordinator, she recruits young people from Costa Rica and Nicaragua to the expedition and she also helps out with business tasks that require a little Costa Rican charm!
Ross: Country Program Manager, who looks after the day to day running of the expedition
Julian: The Head Honcho aka the Country Director

Then of course there is me (Libby). As an honorary fieldbase team member for phase one I a pretty much picking up all the small jobs that need doing, as long as they are sit down jobs, like this blog and laminating. Cleaning is not a sit down job which is very unlucky!!

So hopefully that gives you a little idea about what goes into our expedition here any questions leave a comment and I will endeavour to answer them.

Reporting from the ground

Extra Extra read all about it…. All Alpha groups have made contact with field base!

Here at Raleigh Costa Rica and Nicaragua we keep in contact with our project groups via satellite phone, mobile phone and most importantly the High Frequency radio. More details on our communication will follow in a few days time so keep an eye out for that.

But the news I am sure you are all waiting for....

Alpha 1: After a nice long bus trip yesterday, they were up before dawn break and have had their first day walking; lucky for them it has been nice and sunny. They are enjoying their rations for dinner - I wonder if the VM's offered to cook??

Alpha 2: Started walking yesterday, they are a little wet as they have been though the only part of the country (other than field base) that has been subjected to out of season rain. But tonight they celebrate VM Lisa’s birthday, let’s hope it will be one to remember!

Alpha 4: Spent the night at the Ranger Station in La Cangreja and have been clearing their camp site and collecting materials to build jungle camp. The sun has shone all day today and tonight they are having a jungle style birthday party complete with a rations dinner for VM Adri! (perhaps a mix vege suprise will be their meal?)

Alpha 5: Arrived safe and sound and enjoying the warm weather. They have meet the rangers, looked around the part of the park where they will be spending the next 19 days and are setting up their jungle camp – I wonder whose camp site will be the best??

Alpha 7: Report that it is hot and dry in Nicaragua so are glad to have finished their two day bus trip. I am sure they enjoyed visiting to the Cooperativa Juan Francisco Paz Silva in Achuapa, meeting its chairman Brigido and learning more about this fantastic organisation.

Alpha 8: As above they are also glad to be off the bus! The San Ramon community has welcomed the group with open arms and dinner to fill their hungry stomachs, most likely it will consist of rice, beans and tortilla (something like what you see below)

Alpha 9: Weather = Hot and Sunny. The group enjoyed a swim last night and their sleep in this morning before trekking along the beach into La Carona. Luckily for the group their rucksacks were being carried by horses.

As you can see the weather appears to be great across the country however here at field base it has been raining constantly for the last 2 days, I am a little like bambi on ice skates with my crutchers in the wet! But to make myself feel better about this I helped myself to my suppy of popcorn...

Huge thanks for all the messages that you have been posting on here. Please keep writing as Team Field base will be relaying them out over the radio to the groups – they will all love hearing from home.

And they are off...

0300: Team field base, consisting of the Logistics team Szeman and John, lead by superstar organizer Wendy and Jackie, Anna-Lousie, Ross and Julian got up. Tasks: Set out breakfast and lunch for everyone to make, sort out any final deployment details and make cups of tea! As an honorary Team field base member I (Libby) was also up, although my broken foot confined me to the shop table selling last minute chocolate bars and crisps to the Ventures!

0330: Volunteer Managers and Ventures started to appear bleary eyed and more than a little excited about starting Phase 1!

0430: Alpha 5, 7 and 8’s bus arrives and they start to pack tools and backpacks into the bus. Fitting three groups’ kit into the bus in the dark was challenge not dissimilar to our Crystal Maze the other night!

0500: All the other alpha groups’ buses arrive, they start to pack and make sandwiches for the trip.

0515: Alpha 5, 7 and 8 are the first off the mark! Alpha 5 will be dropped in Liberia where they will catch another bus to Horizantes. Alpha 7 and 8 will continue across the Costa Rican/ Nicaraguan boarder to Jinotepe where they will stay the night before heading onto their projects.

0530: Alpha 9 depart heading towards the small town of Banco where they will stay the night. Lucky things they will have a bit of a sleep in the morning, as due to tides they cannot start walking into Conte Burika until around midday tomorrow.

0535: The sun manages to shine some light on field base!

0545: Alpha 4 squeezed all their food, tools, bags and ventures onto the bus for La Cangreja and headed out complete with wheelbarrows strapped to the top!

0550: Alpha 1, our Corcovado trekkers and Communications Officer Amy curled up on their bus ready for a long trip down to the south of Costa Rica. I am sure they are getting in as much sleep as they can before they start walking tomorrow.

0600: After stuffing all their tents, food and other kits into their packs the Alpha 2 Macho Trekkers and Photographer Laura leave on their one hour bus trip to where they will start trekking (Yes they start walking today - lets hope they all slept well last night!)

0630: Team field base start to clean, clean, clean, eat a well deserved breakfast and then get some well deserved sleep!