Do you know where you are going?

Teams of students embarking on a Wilderness Expertise expedition this coming summer have been meeting together, armed with guide books, maps, laptops and heads full of ideas.

Ownership of the experience is at the heart of what we do, so students are not presented with a ready-made package tour. In fact, they will start with a blank sheet.

The first challenge for each team is to find out what they want to achieve on their expedition. This requires teamwork, often leading to lively discussions and a lesson in negotiation skills! Their expedition may involve a physical challenge such as a trek, experience of the destination’s culture, and a community or conservation project, but it is up to them to agree collectively on where the emphasis should be. Then they can begin to devise a day-by-day plan.

As well as researching their destination, they also need to prepare their budget and kit list. All of this is supported by their Expedition Leader and a dedicated Expedition Manager, who is the team’s point of contact at Wilderness Expertise from the very start until their expedition’s departure.

Destination planning is just one element of their extensive training, which also involves a raising funds workshop, a ‘Travelwise’ course on health & hygiene, and a mini 4-day expedition in the UK in the spring before their departure.