Week 1: Loads and loads of carrying loads.

"Arriving at one goal is the starting point of another" - John Dewey

 

 

Up until the 16th of July my goal was to be mentally, physically, fiscally and equipmentarily (it is a word... now) ready to disembark on the adventure for which I had been preparing all this time. Physically I wasn't as close to fighting fit as I had planned, having spent 6 weeks immediately prior to leaving in a sling to treat the broken collarbone which has forced radio silence on the blog for sometime now. Fiscally life kept getting in the way and consequently I left having not technically cleared the entire balance that I owed the Society, They were good enough to permit me to go on the agreement that I pay up on my return. Equipmentarily I was very very lucky indeed to receive generous help from Multimat UK, Asolo, Osprey packs, Mountain Equipment and Rab to get me off on my way with all the gear I needed. Reviews on all the gear I got to use will follow But I must take this opportunity to offer them my humble and heartfelt thanks. Finally mental preparedness, Here I feel I was strongest, I had dedicated myself  to preparation in the run up and was ready to meet the challenge head on.

 

 The Ferry from Oksfjord



 

So I left my darling teary at Edinburgh Waverly station, and with a heavy heart and just a pinch of excitement gradually building I headed to the airport to meet the Scottish contingent of the advance party. Advance Party, the term itself felt very weighty and serious. We were the intrepid pioneers breaking a trail and establishing safe havens for the following explorers. A deep sense of the expedition as a whole took over me and I was ready for whatever tremulous dangers the Advance Party might encounter. As it turned out we simply had a couple of pallets of food to organise through and some tents, stoves and rations to carry up to basecamp. But none the less I felt as though I and all my compatriots were now valuable and intrinsic members of the expedition.

 

Big piles of stuff to be carried up.

That is not to say that the weeks work was particularly easy, and what with my fitness being lower than I'd have liked the pace was not as nippy as I and the rest of the team would have liked at times. But the week was at large successful. I got to clap my eyes on a glacier for the first time in my life another tick off my childhood dreams list. Food and tents were carried counted and deposited as needed and everything went of without a hitch....

 



Our walk to base camp included a minor detour through the Somme.

 

 

... almost. After load carrying for a few days, we were given the exciting news that we would be heading up onto the ice cap... to carry loads. None the less, I was eager at the prospect of getting crampons to ice and so we loaded our bags with all that was needed (some more than others - I'm looking at you 'Bill' ;) ) and set off. The first section of climbing was slow going due to the fixed static line, but the prussic tying from previous blogs got put into practice, and then re-practiced and practiced again as we slid our selves up the ropes and around the anchors.

Iced up static lines are really nice and grippy....

 

We then got to the top of the first section and got to sample some of Norway's famous waterfall climbing! sadly someone forgot to point out to whoever had planned this section that Norway's waterfalls are usually climbed in winter. When they are frozen. Not very much wet and flowing. Much excitement was had teetering over the rocks and back onto the ice. we continued up slogging away on the steep ice and battling the slushy snow until we met our chief leader within sight of our campsite for the night. He delivered the disappointing news that one of our party had been injured and we had to return all the way back to our camp from the night before. Given that there was no other option we all set our engines running on the little reserves we had left and after a chilly bottomed wait on the snow below the waterfall headed down to our camp.

 

 

Frost bite of the cheeks is a common problem !

 

By the point we got off the ice and started decending the boulders below I was seriously tired out, clumsy and frustrated at myself and if it wasn't for my gnome being similarly tired and equally hysterical I may have given up and lived there in the boulder field under a rock. Little did I know at this point that I would spend the next 5 weeks relying on My Gnome, My Dwarf and The Home Bird to keep me sane and focused.

 

 

The week was finished with more organising, and a bit of personal time including a chilly did in the melt water river. A long and at times tedious week, but a great insight into the 'behind the scenes' processes that keep and expedition like this going.

Who gets to go on Expedition ? #YET18

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

-Nelson Mandela

Pearls of wisdom from arguably the most Noteable leader  in a generation. A sentiment also that I strongly relate to, I have never been an 'alpha' when it comes to leadership. 'packs on and follow me' just doesn't sound like the sort of thing you are likely to hear from me. Due in part to the way I have always preferred to learn throughout my education career and also by dint of my tendency towards being a softy red socialist I believe that in educating young people a back seat approach allows them to develop best. Of course different situations require different reactions and the ability, confidence and skills to come to the fore and take over in a crisis are paramount for the outdoor leader.

Today I had cause to consider the implications of different leadership styles compared with different types of expedition groups as well as the importance of a support network of professionals guidelines and practices whilst taking groups overseas as I eagerly followed the The Young Explorers Trust's forum on Inclusive expeditions.

The The Young Explorers Trust is an association which encompasses many of the leading youth expedition providers and gives advice and support to explorers, leaders, and corporations as well as offering professional support and good practice evaluations to expedition leaders. They have played a fundamental role in monitoring the progress of British Standard 8848 (named for the height of Everest 8848m) which sets out safe practice guidelines and baseline procedures for all corporations which offer adventurous activities and expeditions outside the UK.

In their Bi-annual forums the The Young Explorers Trust discuss a variety of key issues to do with expedition with young people. From BSI standards to leader selection and development the work of the YET forum is influential and often results in standards being developed to which many companies conform.

This year the topic at the forefront was of Inclusive Expeditions, a title whose brevity belies  the vast range of topics it covers.

Inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies. 

- Desmond Tutu

For me Inclusive Expeditions refers to a simple and broad concept that ALL young people should have equal access to the opportunities provided by overseas expeditions. By nature of my past experiences with expeditions and youth development The first aspect of Inclusive expedition which concerns me is the Provision of expeditions that manage to escape the current, seemingly elitist, principles dictated most obviously by the sheer cost of a single expedition. But also more subtly in the manner of the advertisement of international expeditions.

I can certainly say that In my entire time at a state comprehensive in Essex no one ever came to talk to us about the opportunities available on an expedition with companies Like British Exploring or World Challenge or any of the other providers large or small. This is not to blame the companies specifically for this missing information as both rely on members and former explorers passing on the message, and so in a self defeating circle of bad fortune schools like mine, struggle to get 'into the loop' as it were. That said even if a expedition weary furry faced adventurer had arrived at school, no matter how adeptly he could wet out appetites for adventure, would not necessarily have left with a horde of would be explorers following him, pied piper style out of town. Sadly for me at that tender age and I dare say the vast majority  of the other pupils at my school, A £3000-£4000 bill for the expedition not including flights or personal equipment  as is the case with most of the large providers, would have meant plans instantly getting scrapped. Granted fundraising is an acceptable option, Indeed in order to fund my training I am relying heavily on fundraising to cover costs *points to donation widget* ----->> *wink*. However as has been shown with the effect of recent university fee increases on recruitment from low income backgrounds, even in the presence of bursaries, assistance, fundraising or a variety of other payment options, for many people on low incomes the sight of a bill in the £1000's is enough to put them off from even inquiring further.

From Anders 2012 

(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-5890.2012.00158.x/pdf)

So in my mind the way to make expeditions more inclusive is a two fold approach;

Increase publicity of all forms of expedition schemes for all young people. Talks in schools, and youth groups should be universal. Essentially the more young people find out about the schemes the more chance we have of including a wider range of backgrounds. talks in SEN schools, At risk youth groups, Youth counselling and development organisations and a variety of other non-standard educational institutions will again increase the inclusivity of expedition.

The second 'fold' of this approach is to develop and build the bursary and funding portfolio and increase awareness of the funding options both in young people who we want to go on expeditions but also in groups and organisations that can help with funding. I believe a set of corporate bursaries to assist young people from low income back grounds to enjoy an expedition would not only benefit those young people but also by developing a more inclusive and therefore diverse group on expedition hopefully widen the perceptions of all members of the group by introducing them to the different pressures and struggles of a variety of lifestyles and backgrounds. 

In essence I believe inclusive expeditions are not just fairer but objectively better for all those in attendance. The development of a 'gap- yah' set (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22294205) is not in my opinion beneficial to society or young people as a whole. We should be sending groups on expedition that are representative of modern British society, a variety of backgrounds, incomes and ethnicities will introduce the young people to a realistic concept of their future, working as part of a group with a myriad different lifestyles and former experiences that one's self can only be a good thing for young people.

Many groups are running 'accessible' or 'outreach' expeditions to assist the most vulnerable or at risk Young people and these all make an invaluable contribution  to the lives of their participants. From specially catered trips for children with special educational needs, or physical disabilities to programmes for At Risk or vulnerable Youths. For example British Exploring's Brilliant Dangoor next generation programme which works with NEET (not in education employment or training) Young people (which I hope to be lucky enough to work on in the future). And so there are now a huge variety of options for young people with difficult issues to over come in terms of  expeditioning.

But we mustn't for get the middle ground. If expeditions are to be truly inclusive we cannot simply run 'normal' programmes for those that can afford the bill and 'outreach' programmes for those with specific issues. We must cater in a fully inclusive manner and make the thrill of expeditions available to everyone. 

Because essentially Expeditions are Excellent, even if you exclude the invaluable personal development aspect  everyone deserves a chance to go to Excellent places and do Excellent things !

Sleeping comfortable and sleeping warm.

'I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting' - Mark Twain

My Bed for the Week

'I have never taken any excersize except sleeping and resting' - Mark Twain

 Mark Twain it would seem could have been a successful and well respected mattress tester, and hell would he have written the most urban and engaging of mattress reviews wouldn't he? However in a world all the poorer for no longer containing Mark Twain you, my readers, and multimat will have to make to with me. I'll do my best, I do sleep quite a lot.

Just over a month ago I was very excited to be tweeted by multimat with regards to taking some of their great sleeping mats to the Arctic with me this summer. Needles to say I leapt at the chance to daub myself with the title of 'Kit tester' particularly when the helpful staff I was in contacted with me directed me to summit 25/38 and the summit-xl, the mat arrangement Rannulph Fiennes and the Coldest Journey team were using. Which needless to say makes me feel all the more like a proper explorer, albeit one with significantly more regard for his fingers.

Straight out of the box I was already impressed by the thoughtful little features which make these mats really user friendly.

My two favourite features

The foam roll mat has two large metal eyelets at the top with tape attached for fixing the mat once rolled. And the Self inflating mat comes with a fleece lined storage sack (possibly the most useful feature of any piece of gear I have encountered to date) so that once the mats are out and bed beckons the days clothes that you have taken off go into the inside out stuff sack and form a fleecey comfortable pillow. Neither of these features is integral to the manufacture or function of the mats but both indicate the care and attention given to the design of the products. It is reassuring to feel that the outdoor sporting products you are using have been design by people with an understanding of the needs and wants of the end users. These two small add ons re-enforced for me that the products I was using were designed by outdoor enthusiasts to be used in the outdoors.

These two features are very easily forgotten if the mats to which they are attached do a bad job of keeping one, comfortable and warm in ones, sleep. I am pleased to be able to say that these  features were not forgotten however as the mats performed brilliantly all week.

I am yet to put them through a full Arctic conditions test but over the 5 nights camping at my recent training course the mats proved functional, comfortable and warm.

Check out the multimat website for more on their mats.

I have always been a particularly mobile sleeper, it not being uncommon for me to wake up at the other end of the bed in the middle of the night. As such I have struggled with other mat combinations in the past not being able to cope with that mobility. At the previous training weekend I had a terrible nights sleep as I had to wake up every hour to drag my inflating and roll mats back onto one another to go back to sleep. There was no grip between the two and I was woken up frequently lying on the cold floor. 

This week however I am pleased to report no such problems. The non-slip water repellent base fabric lived up to its name ans gripped onto the roll mat with great sturdiness and I spent all night comfortable and well placed on the mat.

The two thicknesses in the inflating mat helped to reduce pack size but will require full blown Arctic testing to test their limits. for this week though it performed admirable and kept me warm and comfortable.

The only real draw back with the mat set up was my own impatience with the self inflating mat. I have never been one to wait around for the mat to inflate. This is not too much of a problem with most of my camping as I simply inflate it with breath ( Although this is an ill advised tactic in general). On the icecap however this will be particularly counter productive as the cold temperatures could freeze the moisture in the air I breath in to the mat forming crystals which can damage the mat and cause it to de-laminate. As such I need to work on my patience or find a way of getting cool dry air into the mat. Any suggestions welcome !

All in all the mats performed brilliantly and I am happy (and excited) to take these mats with me to Norway this summer !

A huge thank you to Multimat for all their help so far !

BatCat the notorious First Aid moggy

"When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity." -John F Kennedy

If the content of this quote from infamous linguaphile JFK (of German doughnut fame) is to be believed then the Chinese people seem to have quite adequately summed up the exploration mindset. Last week I had the 'opportunity' to learn how to assess, manage and minimize the 'dangers' to life and limb which can come about in a 'crisis' situation.

As part of the British exploring Trainee Leader problem we were put through a 16hr expedition first aid course with Expedition Care Program. The course was comprised of practical training  test scenarios and a certain amount of the obligatory death by powerpoint needed to get such a volume of information across in the short space of time. 

bandaging leg wound

Expedition Care Program have a huge amount of experience in expedition first aid and so the course was brilliantly tailored to meet the needs of a first aider in a remote location. A variety of adaptive techniques were delivered with great focus on how to deliver vital life saving care in the a situation where conditions and supplies could be less than idea. Gaffa tape came in to play. A lot.

A fetching head wound dressing to be combined with a nasopharyngeal tube to maintain an airway

In terms of my journey to expedition leadership the course has provided invaluable insight into the world of expedition first aid and medicine. Not only has the developed my personal skill set to allow me to cope in emergency situations (not to mention legally use any outdoor certifications I gain in the next three years), but also it has opened my eyes to a potential new line of interest for me in the world of expeditions.

First aid has always interested me, Since early days of being a practice student for my wonderful Mum when she worked as a first aid trainer and member of the festival medical services. Through Youth first aid qualifications at school and into work were I inevitably end up getting involved in any incidents which occur. I must admit I enjoy dealing with the situations. So perhaps a career in expedition or outdoors first aid/medicine could be calling. I have long planned to join the local MRT when I finally get settled in a home and job somewhere in the highlands so perhaps continuing down this line could prove interesting in my future.

And so I sit here planning potentiall exciting courses and far flung situations were i can break out the torniquets haemostatic dressings and gaffa tape to save someones life! 

And then to the title... a little strange as it may be we had some seemingly expert assistance from a certain feline resident of the scout camp we were staying on. This four pawed first aider let eagerly into the middle of a practice first aid situation to sit on the face and chest of the casualty clearly indicating to the other trainees exactly which order they should be administering CPR in.

The infamous first aid assistant (it has a batman symbol on its back)

Worringly I sometimes find myself hoping for a situation to arise to put my skills to the test. (not hoping so hard as to cross the line into sociopathic you understand).....

On which frightening note  I will leave you whilst I continue to write up the ongoing adventures I had in the last week learning and developing as an explorer and (hopefully) a leader. 

Don't pee in the sea

'The joy of leading is not born of pushing one's own limits but seeing

the sense of achievements in the eyes of others when they believe they are pushing theirs'

-Me , yesterday

My climbing pal, a seasoned climber and qualified instructor

leading Amen Corner D*

Yesterday I spent a vaguely windy and wave splashed day on Grey Mare  slabs north of Cruden bay Aberdeenshire. The rock was grippy the angle was shallow and in general the climbing was nontechnical  However for me having not climbed outside in ten or more years and certainly never on a trad route with gear to consider, the experience was great.

Whilst pondering on my lonely wave battered belay I realised that the art of leadership is not in strapping on a pack and leading a group of novices up the multi-pitch E5 6b,precarious mountain ridge, double diamond black route or continuous grade 4 river run. It is a case of facilitating others in experiencing and enjoying the outdoors to whatever degree of their ability's limits that they wish to. Certainly one should never be leading outside one's own ability that is, as my training with BE has taught me, a source of many Lemons.

My pondering place

The climbing yesterday, A couple of D* routes from the guidebook and one S route which we have yet to find a listing for, may not even have been within my technical limits but it certainly taught me a lot. Practicing  abseiling and rope work, confirming thing I already thought I knew with a qualified instructor, setting up belays and rope systems, and getting ready to start leading trad soon. All valuable lessons for me as a leader and as a climber

The final and most valuable lesson I learned is that Peeing into the see from you little belay slab seems to anger the sea god and so he minces you with a huge wave that has not crashed in before and will not crash in again for the rest of the day. A genuine one off, don't pee in me or else threat. Lesson learned Poseidon, my bad.

As an aside Whilst searching for a crag map that I could upload to mark my routes on to show you here I found this Bomber little climber putting me to shame ! 

It just goes to show you don't need to leave Dave Macleod quaking in his boots to have a great day on the rock.

On a rope on a rope...

'it is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves- in finding themselves'

- Andre Gide

My adventure, despite its infancy at this point in the Journey, has already lead me along way down the road to knowing myself. This weekend was no exception.

Arriving home Sunday night around 19:30, exhausted and armed with a vague air of damp and a faint waft of unshowered body, I plonked myself on the edge of the bed and removed my left shoe. Upon completion of this task, I proceeded to fall into a deep, contended and certainly very welcome sleep. Awakening only once before 8 o'clock this morning for just long enough to struggle out of the right boot.

The weekend was damp and grey and tiring and busy and..... One of the most rewarding experiences in the last six months of my life. 

Meeting with the Leader Team for our expedition and getting to grips with rope techniques left me with a lot to think about in the run up to the expedition. The weekend has really brought home to me the reality of the situation and I can feel a palpable sense of excitement beginning to smolder  and as time goes on and more preparation and plans are put in place that excited ember can only grow into an ever greater flame.

Friday was taken up mostly by travelling down, and short of  a couple of sketchy moments due to an apparent lack of road signs, and one successful attempt to ford a river in a Mondeo the journey was quiet and uneventful. Arriving just in time for dinner I took a place among my fellow trainee leaders one of many long benches laid out in the Barn like kitchen at the Great Tower Scout Camp. I eagerly tucked into  my plate of chilli con carne and for a time little other than brief greetings were shared as many of us hungry from our travels merrily filled our bellies with warm hearty fare. Soon enough the meal was finished plates were cleared and we had time to catch up with each other about our exploits since our first meeting. Similar such discussions were being had in numerous other groups and the barn was a hive of hustle and bustle.

most of the Finnmark 2013 team

Soon after we divided into our relevant expeditions and retired to our training rooms to be introduced to one another. The evening that transpired was, for me at least, a fascinating experience, as we took a whistle stop tour of the Careers and experience of each of the members of our leader team. Frankly I would have given an arm and a leg to have one of just about any of the careers they described. Lives of excitement and adventure coupled with educating and inspiring young people were described in a myriad different combinations, all of which I found particularly inspired me to get back to University and get qualified to go out there and do all this.

Soon enough it was bed time and we retired to our campsite (or as it shall more appropriately be referred to hereafter 'The Rockery') in order to to pitch our tents in the best and most persistent rain Windermere had to offer. Needless to said ubiquitous drizzle eliminated the chances of Bivvying out for the night. Instead I chose to throw all my gear into the Bivvy bag to keep it dry and Dive into a larger tent with a friend.

Awaking early on Saturday we were met by the sick-makingly fresh face of Dr nick ( Hi everybody... )  one of our expedition doctors (a serving paratrooper and fitness fanatic) eager to lead us all in a merry yomp around the scout camp with regular stops for plenty of military-esque jumping and shouting. Then quick spot of breakfast heated up on a camp stove and it was time to spring board into the day.

The day was spent practicing, re-practicing and then continuing to practice the techniques for crevasse rescue and glacier travel. Ascending ropes on Prussilk slings and then descending by Lowering off  or abseiling took up 90% of the day.

 One of the TL's  'Dumaring' up a rope on prussiks

Two basic prussik knots on a rope

The remaining 10% was taken up by an introduction to the plans for scientific study on the expedition followed by a heavily Antipodean themed pub quiz... maybe the Australian Science Leader had something to do with it ?

The explanation of the science was more than enough to wet my appetite despite the fact that it was heavily centered on geology rather than biology. And I was given the opportunity to put forward the numerous Ideas I had for zoological Research ( My personal area of study) Aided with support from the afore mentioned Australian science leader I was able to make a strong enough case to the chief scientist that I have I am being allowed to plan and run a schedule of Zoological study for the whole expedition. To date this is the single most exciting prospect I have encountered. In appreciation of this I have appointed myself the title of chief expedition zoologist (an entirely unearned moniker mostly there to massage my ego).

The infamous Aussie-phile Biologist

Basking in the glow of my prestigious position and warmed by wine a night on 'The Rockery' Flew by and it was soon time to go back out on a run minus the fitness mad Dr Nick. That morning however my shin splints were back with a vengeance and I barely manage to struggle through a short section of the run. This was annoying to say the least as it says nothing for my ongoing training to get fit for the  expedition. A situation not helped by a pinch of patronizing tone for the fat guy who 'can't' run.

Embarrassment aside it was time for a little more 'Dumaring' and rope work to round off a thrilling weekend.

Me (in blue) about to lower down a crag.

One last lunch all together and the weekend was sadly over. Far too quickly if you ask me. A quick summary and a few goodbyes and it was time to pack up the tents and head home back to civvy street to prepare materials for my zoology study program.

As for the drive home I don't believe there were any river crossings but I couldn't comment on much other than a dusting of snow on the Lakeland hills as we left:

Because soon after this picture was taken, My weekend caught up with me:

preparation. ready. aand......

'Before anything preparation is the key to success' 

- Alexander Graham Bell

With that in mind I am rushing around at the last minute packing for the training weekend. I'm making up for this last minute rush by bringing plenty of spare gear for my fellow Trainee Leaders. pictured below is my personal gear: bottom left pile. The rest of the picture contains  an additional 3 tents and 2 sleep mats.

My weekend in Windermere (incidentally the title of my first hill-walking romance novel) will be accompanied by the best of the lakeland weather. Three days of rain.

Will orate for cash

'Great is our admiration of the orator who speaks with fluency and discretion'

-Cicero

I'm not sure that my fluency is up to the standards of a Classical Roman Orator and I know for a fact that I'm have far to much of a loud mouth to be considered discrete. And so with a little trepidation I have started offering my services as a 'speaker'. My family will happily reassure you that for me speaking will provide no challenge at all. Shutting up on the other hand....

As part of my Fundraising for the Expedition I have taken to letter writing, sending out a description of myself, the society and our expedition along with a request for donations to any local charitable groups, Round tables, Rotary clubs, Organisations and people on the street as I can find addresses for. In Return for any potential donations I am offering myself as a provider of post consumptorary oration and light entertainment, i.e. an after dinner speech and maybe a juggling act or magic show.

Batch no.1 hot off the press and ready for shipping out.

I am also organising  to provide talks to a few schools and Youth Groups about the Expeditions British exploring offer and benefits, costs and funding options, in order to further the cause of the society and hopefully recruit a new generation of keen young explorers to take off on adventures around the world.

So with these in mind I have to start planning speeches, rehearsing charming and hilarious anecdotes and preparing for potential hecklers. Luckily for the school talks I can rely on the thrilling prospect of adventure and a certain degree of authority based largely on the size differential between me and the children I am talking to, to keep my audience silent and attentive.  Talking to large groups of adults who are not legally obliged to remain in the building with me until at least the home time bell, is  another kettle of fish.

Pitching to crowds which could potentially be so varied really is leaving me with a knotted feeling in the pit of my stomach. As already mentioned most people who have met me will attest to the fact that I will win gold the day verbal diarrhea makes it into the Olympics  Despite this, and the fact that I seem to receive relatively good reactions to a greater proportion of the sentences which spew fourth; I have, to date, employed a conversational technique inspired by the US military, i.e. put enough conversational rounds in the air and eventually some will land where you want.

After dinner speaking is going to call for some sharpshooting rather than Full auto spraying and for this I will have to resort to practice. Well planned speeches, rehearsal in front of the mirror and a pocket full of flash cards just in case will all be called into action. But developing these skills can only serve to benefit me in later life, and so begins the first of many Areas of personal development which this trainee leader scheme is going to assist me with.

You never know, by the end of the process I may be able make a blog post that takes less that half an hour to read. I might even start reining in sentences under 100 words . And one day, if I work hard I may be able to accurately express myself in 140 characters or less ( I mean come on twitter can't I go a little over Even my dissertation allows 10% either way on the word count. My messages to Stephen Fry are so groundbreaking they need to go over that limit I'm sorry).

But as Shakespeare said through the lips of Polonius (or the actor playing him):

 'Brevity is the Sole of wit'

First steps

So here I go setting off on the journey of a life time. And I don't just mean 6 weeks In Norway. I mean Me, Grabbing My life in both hands and taking it in the direction I want. No more sitting back and letting it wash over me.

 'A genuine Leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus'

-Martin Luther King Jnr

I hope through British Exploring's 2013 Trainee Leader Programme to foster and develop within Myself the skills required to become a 'molder of consensus'.

The road ahead stretches before me and I still have many miles to cover before even leaving UK soil. However I hope to return from 6 weeks in a tent refreshed (even If I don't smell as such) and determined to redouble my efforts to achieve all my goals. Armed with a host of experiences and arsenal of skills to bring to all the aspects of my life.

My two great passions In life are the study of science and  experiencing the great wide world we live in; Climbing/walking/cycling up things, sliding/running/rolling/jumping off said things and just being in and around the wonders of nature that are all around. The concept of combining these two things into a fruitful career has always lingered in the back of my mind as a great Idea.

'My Heart is in the Highlands' -Burns

However since starting A new Job At an Outdoor sports Retailer in 2011 and Meeting a host of Amazing and Inspiring People It has become more and More apparent that with the right combination of qualifications and sufficient experience that great idea is not an untenable dream.

So with Trepidation I set out on my journey and was very pleased to be excepted on to the British Exploring societies Trainee leader scheme, A set of 4 weekends of training followed by 6 weeks expedition In Norway and a final set of assessments designed to develop within me the skills experiences and attitudes required to Lead a new generation of adventurers into the wilderness and foster within them the same love of wild places and thrilling activities that I am so grateful to have been introduced to.

On the 15th of Feb I set out on the unnecessarily epic (due to public transport difficulties) journey to an ominous looking scout camp (Lots of barbed wire, Silos and Military checkpoint style gates) to attend the first training weekend.

A great weekend of introductions, to each other, the staff and the expedition, despite a certain degree of death-by-powerpoint. As a whole they weekend was brilliantly informative and the concepts of Leadership we were introduced to really hit home for me. I could Identify strongly with the ideas and theories and see how each thing related to the good and bad 'leaders' I have come across in my lifetime as well as being able to spot within myself my position on the spectrum of leadership and how to learn, improve and develop what I already have to be the most effective Leader I can be.

I have been very fortunate In my life to meet, travel with and be lead by a variety of inspirational people who have really molded me into the person I am today, I do not need to name them, I hope most of them Know who they are and How important they are to me but I would like to thank them for all that they have done for me.

" I a younger mountaineer,

With thoughts of adventure,

Betroubled by failure and danger,

My greatest wish is not to discourage,

For what I know of his breed-

There is little risk"

-W H Murray

As part of this thanks I wish to repay the debt I feel that I owe to them. And in order to that I intend to work long and hard to be able one day to provide that inspirational leadership to someone else, who will hopefully in time look back and reflect positively on the role I played in their  personal development.

Next step.... Fundraising to pay for this mammoth adventure that lays before me.......