We’ve had a busy week here recovering from the madness of our first changeover, clearing up after our Tribal fancy dress party (with special staff guests, the Field Base Tribe) and watching some hilarious skits from all the phase 1 groups.
The Field Base Tribe in all their glory
Floris Baas during Alpha 1's skit. Nice skirt.
Jill and Suzanne Rogers as the Achuapa chickens... of course...
Ed Dew and Alice Thompson display their face-painting credentials
We’ve also been manning the radios and taking updates from all our groups in the field. We asked each one to update us on their progress so we could post their news here. As soon as I have pictures, I’ll post them too.
Alpha 1: Corcovado Trek
Kai Chan To(Wilson)
Robert van Loenen
Toby Anderdon
Eleanor Chalmers
Emma Hedges
Beth Kalischer
Charles Randle
Edward Smyth-Osbourne
Tessa Svennevik
Project Managers
Paul Spiby
Hayley Stewart
Nick Dillon
One week in, Alpha 1 are flying through the mountains, bound for hot springs. Quote of the week from the group: Emma says that the capital of Iraq is Pakistan.
Nick misses his teddy and his mum. Charlie hasn’t broken sweat yet and Ed is pushing the girls up the hills. Alpha 1 are two people down (Marieke and Jose have defected to other Alpha Groups because of minor injuries). Project Manager Nick says he only needs to break one more so that they can get rid of another tent!
Alpha 2: Dragon Trek
Samuel Obstfeld
Elizabeth Nolan
Naomi Barker
Alex Bull
Elizabeth Flower
Edward Gallagher
Emily Goldhill
James Littlewood
Felicity Lyne
Delphine Tomes
Loancy Cortes
Oscar Zuniga Meza
Project Managers
Duncan Laurie-Pile
Lexi Nicol
We haven’t received a blog over the radio from Alpha 2 this week, but we can tell you they are doing incredibly well. So far they have crossed the jungle to Bijagual, conquered the mighty Cerro Barres, and are now in El Plomo. Well done Alpha 2!
Alpha 3: Rio Macho Trek
Kin Shing Hui (Steven)
Abigail Smith
Thomas Abel Smith
Emily Coward
Luke Anthony
Kate Lockie
Harry Mallalieu
Rowan Robinson
Laura Rowlands
Thomas Watts
Odir Rojas Gomez
Project Managers
Tabitha Codd
Ed Dew
Roger Schofield
On Day 1 Alpha 3 told us they were invited into a couple’s house for the night, given hot coffee made from real coffee beans, and free reign of the swimming pool. They set fire to their cooker twice that evening, but were still given coffee and pancakes next morning! On Day 5, Tom Abel-Smith jet propelled himself up the hill so fast, that despite the smell, Alpha 3 broke a Raleigh record by arriving at their destination at the Ranger Station in La Esperanza by 1036. They then began fierce trading of snacks and Tang. Tabitha has enjoyed arriving before lunch four days in a row. Everyone is enjoying the sunbathing and fantastic weather.
Alpha 4: San Lucas Island
Man Yee Chung (Crystal)
Tjarda Glas
David van Oostrom
Benjamin Aitken
Katrina Buckingham
Michael Emery
Ralph Giles
Alicia Hockless
Jessica Robertson
Amelia Quintana
Vanessa Brenes
Marieke van der Noordaa
Project Managers
Liane Preston
Kate Chapman
Alpha 4 have been stranded on a prison island for seven days now. They have set up camp, complete with a swing, benches and hammocks with bedside tables, and fishing nets on the pier constructed by Michael, their very own Bear Grylls.
A vast array of animals are sharing the island with the group. Lassie the Dog, Lassie 2, the other dog, Bambi the deer who eats anything, an angry turkey, howler monkeys, scorpions and bats.
The group have spent their days working hard, clearing piles of leaves and cutting down trees. Alicia and Tjarda found their beds had blown into the sea by heavy winds. They managed to recover them from the sea, slightly wet and salty.
In their free time, the group have been sunning themselves on the beach, swimming in the sea and exploring their very own island. Their latest news is that a mystery new castaway has joined them – welcome to Alpha 4 Marieke!
Lastly, David has agreed to give up smoking if Alicia gives up snacking. They are not sure how long it will last.
Alpha 5: Piedras Blancas
Floris Baas
Esther Slagboom
Peter Broomfield
Victoria Cullen
Katie Danaher
Tom Dearie
Charlie James
Philippa Newton
David Perrett
Harriet Spicer
Kathleen Stoddart
Priscilla Arevalo Villalobos
Jose Esquivel Arrieta
Project Managers
John Cecil Wright
Alice Thompson
Alpha 5 have had a storming start to the phase and have already equalled the amount of work done by the evidently lazy, previous Alpha 5! The first day was spent reconstructing the previous shoddy camp and building their own 'crib' which consists of banquet table, hammock stairs and a gym – yes, that’s right the Alpha 5 boys have a gym so the gun show is up and running.
The first wall has already been rebuilt and the gravel has all been removed. Project Manager Alice has found a nice chair at the worksite where she watches the work go on. Last, but not least has anybody seen Floris’ spoon!
Alpha 6: La Cangreja
Barbara Bordewijk
Georgina Nühn
Tamara Astor
John Carty
Alastair Coombe
Kathryn Hey
Michael Moloney
Penelope Page
Alexander Smith
Claire Stone
Andres Mora
Erina Campos Acuna
Project Managers
Sian Thomas
Roberta Dawson
Alpha 6 have made their jungle camp and are suitably impressed with the last Alpha 6’s bamboo structure. The girls took advantage of the 29th of February and proposed to all the lucky lads. On Saturday they cleared the first 200 metres of trail and celebrated St David’s Day. Sian cooked Welsh cakes which were enjoyed by all, and they also performed a talent show. Last but not least, a big ‘Welcome back’ goes out to Georgina – she joined Alpha 6 today and it’s great to have her back at Raleigh.
Alpha 7: Los Loros, Achuap, Nicaragua
Chak Chan (Andrew)
Frederique Moll
Caroline Davies
Megan Gibbon
Camilla Harris
Henry Johnstone
Steven Leckey
Charles Macpherson
Anna Meikle
Alison Toczek
Melvin Talavera Pinell
Eydin Lenin Gonzalez Gomez
Project Managers
Caroline Miller
Suzanne Rogers
James Gaynor
We’ve not received a blog update from the guys in Achuapa just yet. Our daily SITREP (Situation Report) from the group tell us they are suffering a bit in the heat, but making great progress on digging their trenches (there are 9km of trench to be dug in total!).
Alpha 1: Corcovado Trek
Kai Chan To(Wilson)
Robert van Loenen
Toby Anderdon
Eleanor Chalmers
Emma Hedges
Beth Kalischer
Charles Randle
Edward Smyth-Osbourne
Tessa Svennevik
Project Managers
Paul Spiby
Hayley Stewart
Nick Dillon
One week in, Alpha 1 are flying through the mountains, bound for hot springs. Quote of the week from the group: Emma says that the capital of Iraq is Pakistan.
Nick misses his teddy and his mum. Charlie hasn’t broken sweat yet and Ed is pushing the girls up the hills. Alpha 1 are two people down (Marieke and Jose have defected to other Alpha Groups because of minor injuries). Project Manager Nick says he only needs to break one more so that they can get rid of another tent!
Alpha 2: Dragon Trek
Samuel Obstfeld
Elizabeth Nolan
Naomi Barker
Alex Bull
Elizabeth Flower
Edward Gallagher
Emily Goldhill
James Littlewood
Felicity Lyne
Delphine Tomes
Loancy Cortes
Oscar Zuniga Meza
Project Managers
Duncan Laurie-Pile
Lexi Nicol
We haven’t received a blog over the radio from Alpha 2 this week, but we can tell you they are doing incredibly well. So far they have crossed the jungle to Bijagual, conquered the mighty Cerro Barres, and are now in El Plomo. Well done Alpha 2!
Alpha 3: Rio Macho Trek
Kin Shing Hui (Steven)
Abigail Smith
Thomas Abel Smith
Emily Coward
Luke Anthony
Kate Lockie
Harry Mallalieu
Rowan Robinson
Laura Rowlands
Thomas Watts
Odir Rojas Gomez
Project Managers
Tabitha Codd
Ed Dew
Roger Schofield
On Day 1 Alpha 3 told us they were invited into a couple’s house for the night, given hot coffee made from real coffee beans, and free reign of the swimming pool. They set fire to their cooker twice that evening, but were still given coffee and pancakes next morning! On Day 5, Tom Abel-Smith jet propelled himself up the hill so fast, that despite the smell, Alpha 3 broke a Raleigh record by arriving at their destination at the Ranger Station in La Esperanza by 1036. They then began fierce trading of snacks and Tang. Tabitha has enjoyed arriving before lunch four days in a row. Everyone is enjoying the sunbathing and fantastic weather.
Alpha 4: San Lucas Island
Man Yee Chung (Crystal)
Tjarda Glas
David van Oostrom
Benjamin Aitken
Katrina Buckingham
Michael Emery
Ralph Giles
Alicia Hockless
Jessica Robertson
Amelia Quintana
Vanessa Brenes
Marieke van der Noordaa
Project Managers
Liane Preston
Kate Chapman
Alpha 4 have been stranded on a prison island for seven days now. They have set up camp, complete with a swing, benches and hammocks with bedside tables, and fishing nets on the pier constructed by Michael, their very own Bear Grylls.
A vast array of animals are sharing the island with the group. Lassie the Dog, Lassie 2, the other dog, Bambi the deer who eats anything, an angry turkey, howler monkeys, scorpions and bats.
The group have spent their days working hard, clearing piles of leaves and cutting down trees. Alicia and Tjarda found their beds had blown into the sea by heavy winds. They managed to recover them from the sea, slightly wet and salty.
In their free time, the group have been sunning themselves on the beach, swimming in the sea and exploring their very own island. Their latest news is that a mystery new castaway has joined them – welcome to Alpha 4 Marieke!
Lastly, David has agreed to give up smoking if Alicia gives up snacking. They are not sure how long it will last.
Alpha 5: Piedras Blancas
Floris Baas
Esther Slagboom
Peter Broomfield
Victoria Cullen
Katie Danaher
Tom Dearie
Charlie James
Philippa Newton
David Perrett
Harriet Spicer
Kathleen Stoddart
Priscilla Arevalo Villalobos
Jose Esquivel Arrieta
Project Managers
John Cecil Wright
Alice Thompson
Alpha 5 have had a storming start to the phase and have already equalled the amount of work done by the evidently lazy, previous Alpha 5! The first day was spent reconstructing the previous shoddy camp and building their own 'crib' which consists of banquet table, hammock stairs and a gym – yes, that’s right the Alpha 5 boys have a gym so the gun show is up and running.
The first wall has already been rebuilt and the gravel has all been removed. Project Manager Alice has found a nice chair at the worksite where she watches the work go on. Last, but not least has anybody seen Floris’ spoon!
Alpha 6: La Cangreja
Barbara Bordewijk
Georgina Nühn
Tamara Astor
John Carty
Alastair Coombe
Kathryn Hey
Michael Moloney
Penelope Page
Alexander Smith
Claire Stone
Andres Mora
Erina Campos Acuna
Project Managers
Sian Thomas
Roberta Dawson
Alpha 6 have made their jungle camp and are suitably impressed with the last Alpha 6’s bamboo structure. The girls took advantage of the 29th of February and proposed to all the lucky lads. On Saturday they cleared the first 200 metres of trail and celebrated St David’s Day. Sian cooked Welsh cakes which were enjoyed by all, and they also performed a talent show. Last but not least, a big ‘Welcome back’ goes out to Georgina – she joined Alpha 6 today and it’s great to have her back at Raleigh.
Alpha 7: Los Loros, Achuap, Nicaragua
Chak Chan (Andrew)
Frederique Moll
Caroline Davies
Megan Gibbon
Camilla Harris
Henry Johnstone
Steven Leckey
Charles Macpherson
Anna Meikle
Alison Toczek
Melvin Talavera Pinell
Eydin Lenin Gonzalez Gomez
Project Managers
Caroline Miller
Suzanne Rogers
James Gaynor
We’ve not received a blog update from the guys in Achuapa just yet. Our daily SITREP (Situation Report) from the group tell us they are suffering a bit in the heat, but making great progress on digging their trenches (there are 9km of trench to be dug in total!).
Alpha 8: Miraflor, Nicaragua
Sze Man Chan(Toffee)
Thomas Beelaerts van Blokland
Katie Brokmann
Philippa Hill
Alex Le May
Charlotte Morgan
Michael Plant
Christopher Taylor
Ruth Whateley
Sam Wood
Norma Reyes Calderon
Eric Rojas Bravo
Project Managers
Ed Rowberry
Bevin Aston
Victoria Miller
Alpha 8 tell us that position of the pre-school they are building was altered by ninety degrees after they dug in the foundations. I’m sure it will work out okay though! The group have been waking up at 4am every morning to Nicaraguan radio and the delicious smell of frshly cooked rice, beans and coffee. The group also feel they are getting closer to nature as there has been an infestation of mice. They even had their own episode of animal rescue, when Ed used pliers to remove porcupine spines from a dog’s nose.
Alpha 9: Conte Burika
Kam Fai Yip (Oscar)
Edouard de Bernis
Tim Hardie
Emily Acock
Loué Hamami
Anna Melville
Jimmy Russell
Izzy Scott Moncrieff
Phoebe Strawson
Gavin Williams
Amparo Oporta
Gustavo Bolanos Leandro
Johnny Blanco Elizondo
Project Managers
Marianne Sheena
Juan Diego Araya
Alex Baer
Alpha 9: Conte Burika
Kam Fai Yip (Oscar)
Edouard de Bernis
Tim Hardie
Emily Acock
Loué Hamami
Anna Melville
Jimmy Russell
Izzy Scott Moncrieff
Phoebe Strawson
Gavin Williams
Amparo Oporta
Gustavo Bolanos Leandro
Johnny Blanco Elizondo
Project Managers
Marianne Sheena
Juan Diego Araya
Alex Baer
After a long, foggy walk along the beach, it seemed that work would be a breeze for Alpha 9. The sleeping, eating and construction area are all just a few metres apart. As well as planing, sawing and lots of hammering, there was lots of carrying wood down steep, muddy hills, resulting in plenty of slapstick, plank swinging-antics. But not for Izzy, who carried four lengths of wood on one arm. Besides the work, the boys, Izzy and Marianne have played lots of football with the locals. Other major incidents include Huggy being put in the outside hammock for snoring, Phoebe mysteriously getting her leg stuck down the long drop, and an earthquake (slight tremor) on Friday evening. Well fed by the village women, Alpha 9 are rampant for action for the week to come.
News from Field Base
Meanwhile, Bravo 4 (the Toyota Prado), Liz Killick and Julian Olivier have just returned to Field Base, having visited Alphas 4, 6 and 2. I hope to post an update from them shortly.
News from Field Base
Meanwhile, Bravo 4 (the Toyota Prado), Liz Killick and Julian Olivier have just returned to Field Base, having visited Alphas 4, 6 and 2. I hope to post an update from them shortly.
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