Poised Ready for Deployment – The Venturers Complete Their Induction

The Venturers are just finishing their brief stay at Fieldbase prior to being allocated to their projects ready for deployment early tomorrow.

During the past 4-5 days they’ve had a whirlwind set of sessions including communications, health and hygiene, casualty evacuation, cultural awareness, trekking and camping. To lighten things up, these have been interspersed with ‘getting to know you’ sessions, games and energizers.

They had the chance to put much of their training into practice during trek training on Monday and Tuesday.

This started around 05.30 on Monday with a breakfast of ‘energy bombs’ (nothing illegal - oats, condensed milk and dried fruit). Then came a staggered (staggering?) start of the four teams every 15 minutes from 06.00.

An Expedition 12J team striding out ...

... but surely not being overtaken by a heavily laden local lady??

The 12km trek took them through two villages, where no sooner had they stopped for a breather than they were joined by what seemed like most of the local children and many of the adults!

The local children - happy and camera-friendly

Escorting the Venturers out of the village

 All teams arrived at the campsite before 11.00, just as it was becoming noticeably hot. After a quick burst of relaxation they pitched tents, built long drops, and ‘enjoyed’ the result of their first attempt at cooking using trangias. (If you’re baffled by any terms, just look up RALEIGH LINGO under PAGES down the right hand column.)

'A home in the country'

Building a tent - it starts like this ...

... and (hopefully) ends like this

Trangia-based gastronomy 

Then came the swim test in the river, almost universally welcomed as a great chance to cool down from the by now fairly oppressive heat.

12J Venturers - increasingly cool

After dinner by the campfire, all retired to their tents for a good night’s sleep, only to be disturbed by the finest thunderstorm for several weeks! Remarkably, though, all seemed in fine humour the following morning, when each team had a surprise CASEVAC exercise sprung on them.

Evacuating a 'casualty' - at least one person could sleep after a restless night!

Lives suitably saved, they returned tired but happy to Fieldbase for an afternoon of relaxation and a visit by the local snake expert.

This snake is non-venomous, but then came the cobra ...

After dinner and a couple of evening presentations came the first real opportunity for an early night and a relative lie-in.

As I write this morning, people are eating breakfast and waiting excitedly to learn their new team allocations and where they’ll be going on their first nineteen-day project phase tomorrow. I'll let you know when these are announced.

Meanwhile a couple of comments from the campsite on Monday lunchtime:

Jocelynne
‘So far we’ve just done a 12 km trek which was hard work but really good because we all kept each other motivated. I think we’re all really looking forward to jumping in the river quite soon after building the long drop....’

Rebecca
‘I’m really surprised how quickly I fitted in and how quickly I’ve adjusted to the Indian way of life. I’m really enjoying my time here…’