BSES Expeditions
Want something different for your holiday next year? If you are aged between 16½ to 20 you can have the trip of a lifetime on a 6-week or 3 month expedition.

BSES Expeditions (formerly the British Schools Exploring Society) has been taking young  people on expeditions to the wilderness areas abroad since we were founded in 1932. We  are now looking for young people to join our expeditions in 2003.

The best way to describe an expedition is for Young Explorers to explain their experiences and changes in themselves as individuals.

‘It’s difficult to explain what I’ve gained from the Expedition, certainly it’s nothing material. Really it’s a collection and combination of many things skills and experiences. Obviously I’ve gained skills that you’d expect from living in the Arctic for 3 months, like experience of Arctic travel, of making yourself comfortable in the Arctic, and other general day to day things. These are fantastic things to take away with me, and remember in the future. 

More importantly, as least as far as I’m concerned, are the lessons I’ve learnt about other people and myself. I knew the Expedition was going to be a team effort, and I understood that the individuals who formed the team would bond and become friends, but I didn’t realise how close we would become, how dependent we were on each other. It has become clear that life is so much easier when everyone is working towards a single point, a common goal. This is an obvious thing to say I know, but I feel it is perhaps something we don’t really appreciate enough or even realise when we’re surrounded by the luxuries of civilisation. 

On a more personal level, the last few months have made me more conscious of myself and of my actions. I now feel more confident about myself and what I do, both as an individual, and as part of a group. I think I’ve really learnt something that will have a huge benefit in the future. Being in a wilderness environment, collectively, has meant that we’ve all had to learn to cope, together. 

Being away from civilisation and the luxuries of home has forced us, or rather enabled us, to learn more quickly, to cope better. It has meant we’ve all become ‘sharper’, more in tune with our surroundings and with the feelings of others, than we otherwise would’ve been. Everyone has learnt more quickly because of that.’ Matt Woodhouse, Young Explorer on the Arctic Year Expedition 2002.

In 2003 we will be running expeditions to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the celestial mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Constable Pynt in Greenland and our 3 month expedition leaving in September will be ‘The Footsteps of Shackleton’ going to Chile, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

BSES Expeditions offer challenge, adventure and scientific fieldwork. They are not for the faint- hearted. Physical endurance, mental robustness, integrity and compatibility – combined with a lively sense of humour under all conditions – are all required.

All the expeditions will include science fieldwork and conservation in which every young explorer will become involved. Work such as botany, surveying, meteorology, geology, glaciology, ornithology, animal counts, as well as photography and art, will be available.

Anyone who thrives on living in the wild, who has a lively inquiring mind, who works hard and plays hard, who wants to discover new things in a challenging way, should contact BSES Expeditions, at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR, enclosing an A4 SAE for our brochure and application form. Telephone 020 7591 3141. www.bses.org.uk


My Ladakh Experience
For me, this summer was the one I will never forget. The chance to go to the Himalayas was like a dream come true. From the moment that everybody met me at Heathrow, to the time when we said our goodbyes I have had some of the best times ever, and made some of my favourite memories. To have the opportunity to experience the Ladakhi culture first hand was something that I will always remember. Going to Leh was amazing, and although we were there to work I had a brilliant time, and it was a great place to get to see. 

The six-hour journey there in the back of a Tata truck was not the most comfortable trip of my life though! Summiting a 6000m peak was also a special moment for me, as it was something that I never thought I would have been able to do. The struggle on the way up was well worth the feeling of achievement I had when I reached the top. The six weeks that I spent in India were brilliant, and the friends that I have made are fantastic. The leaders all did an amazing job to make the expedition such a success. This really was a once in a lifetime experience!
Kiri Gascoyne Young Explorer on the Ladakh Expedition

www.bses.org.uk