The application phase is now
live for my 2010 Youth
Expedition to the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Please feel
free to pass on any details of this expedition to any young people aged 16 – 21,
at the time of expedition departure, to young explorers within your schools.
As with all Leading Edge Expeditions I will
organise and run the trip voluntarily and contribute a full team member payment
to the expedition account. I’ve been a volunteer expedition leader with Leading Edge since 1996 this has
always been my philosophy. During this time I have had the opportunity to lead
young people to some of the remotest parts of the world including Mt Rainier, British
Columbia, Alaska, Dolomites and Wyoming.
On a personal note I hate
the glossy outdoor education brochures that come into schools from commercial companies, talking
about chance in a life time opportunities for young people. In my experience these
are often little more than adventure package holidays with a massive price tag.
You can find out more about
the 2010 Gates of the
Arctic Expedition over on the website.
Below is the Trip Description:
Explorers are drawn to Alaska by its
colourful reputation and are always stunned with what they see. There are
mountains, glaciers and rivers all over the world but few are on the same scale
or as overpowering as Alaska. Alaska has the third longest river in North
America, 17 of the countries 20 highest peaks and 5000 glaciers, including one
glacier larger than Switzerland! The Arctic winters are one long night and the
Arctic summers are one long day. Above all Alaska is most famous for its state
bird, the mosquito!
The expedition will fly from London to Anchorage.
From here will have an opportunity to pick up supplies, pack and re-organise
equipment for our expedition. Initially we will travel east to the old miming
town of McCarthy (population 42). McCarthy will be our staging post for the
first expedition objective, trekking in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
The group will attempt to hike between the Mt Wrangle Plateau and Nugget Creek.
The distance is just over 50 miles, but due to the harshness of the terrain the
expedition team will be lucky to travel any quicker than one mile per hour. The
trek is likely to take about 7 days and we will be fully self-sufficient after
we have been dropped into the wilderness by bush plane. During the trek the group
will learn self-reliance, teamwork and wilderness camping techniques (eg:
dealing with bears). During the trekking phase terrain will include glacier,
snow and river crossings on exposed terrain. Group members will throughout the
trip assume responsibility for some major aspect of the expedition itself.
On completion of the trek the group will travel north
to Fairbanks (just south of the Arctic Circle), where we will rest and prepare
for our Arctic adventure. From Fairbanks we will take a wilderness flight to
Bettles which is situated north of the Arctic Circle. Bettles is the staging
post for most Arctic expeditions and this will also be where we hire our canoes
for our journey across to the west coast of Alaska and the Bering Sea.
In Groups of
three we will be flown (with canoes strapped under the bush plane) into the
Gates of the Arctic National Park. We will be dropped near the headwaters of
the Noatak River, one of the USA’s only designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. From
here we will use canoes to travel down the Noatak to the Bering Sea and to the
Inuit Village of Kotzebue. The entire journey is 360 miles and it is expected
to take the group 16 days of ‘full on’ paddling.
Open canoes make ideal crafts for an explorer and have been used extensively in
North America for hundreds of years. They can be paddled, poled, sailed and
portaged. They also make excellent shelters and provide plenty of space for
expedition supplies. Full training in the use of open canoes will be given
before the expedition departure and further training will be given in the
field.
From Kotzebue the group will travel back to Anchorage
for some rest and relaxation before heading back to the UK.
A high environmental ethos will be applied throughout
the expedition. We will be trekking on one of the world’s most delicate
eco-systems (the Alpine Tundra) and canoeing a designated ‘Wild and Scenic’ river. Expedition
members will be expected to show care and respect for this unique environment.
Being safe and caring for the welfare of every
individual is essential on any expedition be it a low level trip in the UK or
the ascent of a mountain. This has always been a priority for us, and will
continue to be so. High media attention on recent incidents has brought safety
to the point where even measured, responsible risk taking is expected to be
taken out the expedition equation. This sterile attitude only serves to hold
back a young person’s personal growth. Life is about taking risks especially
for the development of our future leaders. A Wilderness expedition is obviously
a ‘risk’ activity but the skill
of the leadership team will achieve the balance between safety and challenging
experience for the young expeditioner.
To get the right team together, applicants will face
a rigorous selection process to determine if they possess the right qualities
for such an expedition. Some experience of open canoeing and hill walking is an
advantage, but is not a pre-requisite. We do not anticipate a world class
explorer at this stage! Rather we invite applications from young people who
want a challenge within a team environment, and who want to develop their
leadership potential. Initial training will take place before we leave the UK.
You can find out more about the 2010 Gates of the Arctic Expedition
including how to apply over on the expedition website.
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