The Raleigh India 10k Venturers Have Landed

Luke & Polly C waiting for the Venturers (photo by Del Roberts)

In the early hours of this morning we went to meet the Raleigh India 10k Venturers at Bangalore Airport.

Although sleepy from the overnight flight, the group were full of excitement as they met eachother for the first time. Everyone got through bag collection and customs without a hitch and by 6am we set off on our four hour coach journey to Fieldbase.

For many of the Venturers this is their first visit to India, so they looked out in wonder at the scenes outside the window. India never fails to intrigue it's visitors with the sensory overload of women riding motorbikes in brightly coloured silk saris, the cacophony of horn beeping rickshaws, cows who have the right of way on the road and the delicious smell of spices that permeate the air.

By mid morning the group had arrived at Fieldbase where waiting to greet them with welcoming smiles were the Raleigh permanent staff, Vounteer Managers and the Host Country Venturers, who'd arrived at Fieldbase yesterday.



A traditional Hindu welcome was given by Manglamare, who lives on Fieldbase site with her husband Chakrapha, Fieldbase Security Man and their children.



The Venturers were then officially welcomed to the Raleigh India 10k Expedition by Mark, Raleigh India Country Director and Anna, Country Program Manager.

The Venturers have now been split off into their intial Alpha groups which they'll be in throughout Induction:

Hotel One
PMs: Caroline, Eirs & Liam
Venturers: George Miller, Laura Hulley, Jess Norgrove, Samual Mason, Olivia Ferrari, Ros Page, Irena Yiu, Philip Smith, Tessa Nooteboom, Coen del Mol can Otterloo, Narthan & Basil

Hotel Two
PMs: Hannah L, Charlotte & Christina
Venturers: Fiona Marchbank, Aimee Welch, Jack Phillips, Kavita Shah, Sarah Ward, Robert Dwyer, James Rowantree, Arthur Fane, Elisabeth van der Zee, Anniek Akerboom & Raja

Hotel Three
PMs: Hannah W, Sterling & Laura
Venturers: Owen Duffin, Natalie Gordon, Jennifer Rimmer, Rosie Ward, Lucy Flint, Shaun Green, Ajeesh, Shanelle Ward, Simon Majtlis & Denise Stoelzel

Hotel Four
PMs: Lynne, Josse & Bethan
Venturers: Katharine Studley, Kirsten Elliot, Iain Hood, Kimberley Delamare, Erdinch Yigitce, Kane Grennan, Ryan Heeley, Raghu, Michiel Kruize & Hubertus Kramer

Hotel Five
PMs: Olly, Phil & Rachel
Venturers: Jonny Womack, Justine Stuart, Katie MacNaughton, Amy Gannon, Anupama, Sean Edlin, James McIntosh, David Frattinger, Isabelle Wijsmuller & Katarzyna Ulichnowska

To ward off jet lag the Venturers will start straight into their full packed Induction this afternoon. Then it'll be early to bed before rising at dawn to embark on their three day Trek training. We'll be back in a couple of days with pictures and tales of how the Hotel groups get on.

All text by Polly Carpenter and photos by Polly Baldwin http://www.dynamicpictures.co.uk/ (unless stated otherwise).