Squadron Leader M.P.Blakey Fellow 2005

JOINT SERVICE CADET FORCES EXPEDITION EAST AFRICA 2005

1

JOINT SERVICE CADET FORCES EXPEDITION 2005 In July and August 2005 28 cadets and six staff from the Sea, Army and Air Cadet Organisations took part in a joint 30-day expedition in East Africa. The expedition included acclimatisation treks in two national parks, an ascent of Mount Kenya and involvement in a remote community school project. The venture was the result of two years planning, recruitment and training and included cadets from across the United Kingdom. This report details the whole process from the emergence of the original idea through to the conclusion of the expedition. It serves not only as a memorable account of the project but also as a platform for discussion and as a working example of the issues which had to be faced, the bureaucracy which had to be satisfied, the considerations which had to be addressed and the challenges which arose along the way. Throughout the planning and execution of the expedition one of the principle aims was to maintain exemplary professional standards and to achieve the highest levels of current best practice. To do this we first looked towards the codes of practice laid down by our own organisations and then qualified and tested these standards by exposing them to the scrutiny and examination of other established and respected external agencies. This led to the expedition gaining approval from the Young Explorer’s Trust (YET) and the Reserve Forces Ulysses Trust together with registration with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). As expedition leader, I also received approval and a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for my role in the expedition. It is thus hoped that the contents of this report might serve to inform the wider professional debate surrounding overseas expeditions together with proving useful reading for those individuals contemplating their own venture. Squadron Leader M.P.Blakey, MEd, FRGS, RAFVR(T) Expedition Project Director

2

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................4 A JOINT PROPOSAL......................................................................................6 THE WORKING GROUP.................................................................................6 SETTING THE OBJECTIVE............................................................................7 WHY TANZANIA?...........................................................................................8 CADET SELECTION.......................................................................................9 TRAINING .....................................................................................................10 EXPEDITION PROGRAMME ........................................................................11 EVALUATION, RISK ASSESSMENT AND APPROVALS ...........................15 FITNESS, HEALTH & INOCULATIONS. ......................................................16 PUBIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA PRESENTATION....................................17 FUNDRAISING..............................................................................................17 A CHANGE OF PLAN...................................................................................17 THE EXPEDITION.........................................................................................19 ARRIVING IN EAST AFRICA........................................................................20 HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK ................................................................20 LAKE NAIVASHA .........................................................................................21 MOUNT LONGONOT....................................................................................21 SAGANA .......................................................................................................22 MOUNT KENYA ............................................................................................22 SAMBURU NATIONAL PARK......................................................................23 ELEPHANTS & GIRAFFES ..........................................................................23 COMMUNITY PROJECT...............................................................................23 T

THE COAST ..................................................................................................24 THE JOURNEY HOME..................................................................................24

3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An expedition such as ours would not be possible without the support and assistance of a large number of individuals and organisations and we are immensely grateful to all those who contributed towards our success. We value the trust and support which has been invested in us and we hope that we have proved to be worthy ambassadors for our cadet organisations and the communities in which we live. We particularly recognise the support that we have received from family, friends and local communities, including our cadet units and associated organisations. We would also like to express our special thanks to those listed below who contributed to the overall success of the expedition in so many different ways. > The Cadet Forces Chiefs of Staff > Members of The JSCF Expedition Steering Group > The Reserve Forces Ulysses Trust > The Royal Geographical Society > The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust > The Young Explorers Trust > Hammersmith Cadet Centre > Savage Wilderness Safaris > Wg Cdr Bob Abbott > Shane Winser (RGS) > Ted Grey (YET) > John Lloyd, Landrover UK > Chris Burns, Cotswold Outdoor Ltd

4

JSCF EXPEDITION 2005

TEAM MEMBERS STAFF Organisation Rank Name

1. ATC Sqn Ldr Michael Blakey 2. ATC Flt Lt John Cameron 3. ACF Lt Marcus Richardson 4. ACF Sgt Danielle Milliner 5. SCC CPO Peter Bolton 6. SCC PO Maggie Reeve 7. ATC Sqn Ldr Julian Van Loxton 8. ATC Fg Off John Stone

CADETS Organisation Rank Name

1. SCC LC Stevan Barnes 2. SCC POC Toni Howden 3. SCC AC Naomi Lovell 4. SCC MC2 William Mansfield 5. SCC MC2 Simon Soper 6. SCC POC Emma Reeve 7. SCC L/Cpl Sean Weekly 8. ACF Sgt Alexander Featherstonehaugh 9. ACF L/Cpl Andrew Foster 10. ACF L/Cpl Sarah Clark 11. ACF L/Cpl Christopher Jack 12. ACF L/Cpl Craig Ridley 13. ACF Sgt Luke Whittaker 14. ACF L/Cpl Matthew Lovell 15. ACF L/Cpl Ashleigh Smith 16. ACF Cpl Hannah Appleton 17. ACF Cpl Sarah Hunt 18. ACF Sgt Heather Ramsay 19. ATC CWO Peter Hay 20. ATC Flt/Sgt Stuart Jones 21. ATC Sgt Michael Gallagher 22. ATC Flt/Sgt Darren Cooper 23. ATC CWO Gemma Bean 24. ATC Sgt Jason Snape 25. ATC Flt/Sgt Victoria Marsh 26. ATC Sgt William Finlayson 27. ATC Cdt Phillip Batchelor 28. ATC Cpl Christopher Sawdon

5

EXPEDITION REPORT A Joint Proposal In early 2003, during a meeting of the Joint Service Cadet Forces Chiefs of Staff, a proposal was made to raise a Tri-Service cadet overseas expedition. Air Cadet Chief of Staff, Group Captain Mike Cross, volunteered his organisation to take the lead: and so it was that the project began. Group Captain Cross, himself a veteran of many expeditions, approached the head of Air Cadet Physical Education, Wg Cdr Bob Abbott, to explore the possibility of adding a Joint Service expedition to the already impressive portfolio of other such projects which were passing across his desk. Mindful of the onus of responsibility that this would place on the organisation and tempered, yet at the same time enthused, by his experience and involvement in cadet expeditions to such places as Mongolia, Canada, Nicaragua and Nepal, Bob agreed that it was possible and that he could put together a suitable team to take the idea forward. An interest meeting soon followed and as a consequence a Steering Group, consisting of a Senior Officer, Head of Department, representative from each organisation, was formed, meeting for the first time at the Sea Cadet Headquarters in London. Initially those members were Wg Cdr Bob Abbott (Chairman), Cdr Martin Pickering Director of Training for the Sea Cadets, and Maj Rod Boswell head of cadet activities for the Army cadets. Subsequently, in both cases due to retirement, Wg Cdr Roger Davis took over from Bob Abbot and Cdr Neil Hinch took over from Martin Pickering. A further member of the Steering Group was Flt Lt (now Sqn Ldr) Mike Blakey from the Air cadet Organisation. Mike was elected Expedition Project Director and was tasked with forming a working group and developing an expedition proposal. The Working Group The Working Group was to consist of two representative members from each organisation all of whom would have the necessary experience and enthusiasm for the task in-hand and all of whom it was expected would actually take part in the expedition. This criteria was made even more demanding by the need for each individual to take on a further management role in respect of the planning and organisation. This meant that, together with having the skills and qualifications necessary to lead a group in the mountains for example, they would also need the skills and drive to manage the accounts or contend with the logistics or organise a training weekend. Initially the team consisted of Mike Blakey, Flt Lt John Cameron (also of the Air Cadets), Capt Kate Hooker and Sgt Liz Crook from the Army Cadets together with Maj Dave Poke (RM) and Lt Cdr Phil Patterson from the Sea Cadets. Subsequently this team was to change almost in its entirety but these people put a significant amount of important work into establishing and planning the expedition in the early days.

6

The team finally consisted of originals Mike Blakey and John Cameron together with: CPO Pete Bolton and PO Maggie Reeve from the Sea Cadets, and Lt Marcus Richardson and Sgt Danielle Milliner from the Army Cadets. Sqn Ldr Julian Van Loxton took on the role of Media manager and provided an excellent service to the expedition particularly by building and maintaining the expedition website. Although originally not intending to travel with the expedition, Julian joined the group for a period of 10 days during which time he gathered lots of photographs and stories. Fg Off John Stone, a qualified and experienced paramedic was involved in pre-expedition preparation and training and joined the expedition during the second week to provide additional cover. Setting the Objective One of the very first tasks was to establish an expedition objective: what was the purpose of the project? What did we expect the organisations and the cadet participants to gain from it? Clearly there was a desire to explore the potential of the three organisations working together, to learn from each other and to share good practice and good ideas, but this would be a product of the process, the process of providing a worthwhile experience for our cadet participants. It therefore followed that the objective should be sound and well principled, well founded and structured around the needs of those taking part and as a consequence the following was agreed: To provide the opportunity for young people from the Cadet Forces to take part jointly, in a challenging and demanding, high profile expedition, which will allow for a high degree of personal development and which will benefit not only those taking part but also the organisations they represent. This principle then set the task for establishing the practical purpose and objective for the expedition: where would we go and what would we do? There were several factors to take into consideration including:

• The experience/knowledge of the staff team • The age of the cadet participants • Cost • Potential ability of the cadets balanced against the opportunity to train

and develop those abilities • Access to in-country resources i.e. activities/equipment, medical

facilities, accommodation, emergency support etc. • Safety, security and health.

The debate produced a number of interesting and exciting suggestions including: walking to the Magnetic North Pole, an ascent of a trekking peak in Nepal or South America and canoeing a remote river in Canada. All of the suggestions were worthy ideas but we had to take account of the fact that our cadet participants were likely to come from all parts of the country, they would

7

have different levels of skill, fitness and ability and would have other commitments, such as cadet activities and schoolwork, soaking up their time. We would not have the benefit of regular contact such as would be possible on a local level. Our proposal had to be a significant and worthwhile challenge but at the same time be manageable and realistic. A key factor in arriving at our decision was John Cameron’s previous experience in East Africa, particularly leading a sixth form group in 2002. Consequently we decided to travel to Tanzania with the purpose of climbing Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the African Continent, together with involvement in a community project and exploring the local culture. The full programme and how it evolved will be explained later as will the circumstances surrounding dramatic last minute change of plan which saw the expedition relocate to Kenya: first it would be useful to explain the reasoning behind our decision to travel to Tanzania. Why Tanzania? Tanzania is situated in East Africa some five thousand miles from the United Kingdom. It is therefore distant enough and exotic enough to inspire the imagination and to instil a sense of remoteness yet it is easily accessible by air on a direct flight from the UK taking an acceptable nine hours. The cultural and environmental differences are stark and impactive and a far cry from our comfortable western existence: it sets the challenge of self reliance, of adapting and understanding and of exploration and enquiry yet there is comfort in the knowledge that Tanzania is prepared for the visitor, that first class medical facilities are available, that transport is on hand and that support is there if needed. Tanzania is also one of the most politically settled of all African countries and is relatively safe and crime free compared to many of its neighbours. The infrastructure is well developed with roads that are reasonably well-maintained and driving standards which, whilst lower than we are familiar with in Europe, are higher than elsewhere on the continent. Most parts of the country, in particular the remote regions, are served by small airline operators at a reasonable cost and with good standards of safety and service. There is also a limited rail service. At almost twenty thousand feet Kilimanjaro is a serious challenge which cannot be taken lightly. It involves the dangers of high altitude together with a need for high levels of fitness and determination and an understanding of the environment. To succeed in an ascent, or in many respects even to attempt an ascent of the mountain, represents significant personal development and achievement. Notwithstanding this Tanzania is once again prepared for the aspirant mountaineer, providing a safety-net in the form of trained and qualified guides and porters together with well practiced procedures and appropriate medical facilities. This, supplemented by the experience and knowledge of our staff, meant that Kilimanjaro suited our purpose very well indeed. Together with the ascent of Kilimanjaro comes the need for appropriate acclimatisation. In essence the climber needs to spend time at altitude,

8

gradually building up both in terms of physical effort and increasing height. In the ideal situation the group would acclimatise on Kilimanjaro slowly ascending day by day using a two steps forward - one step back approach: that is gaining height during the day and descending to rest and sleep at night, eventually achieving the summit when the body allowed it. Unfortunately the costs of accessing Kilimanjaro prevent most climbers from taking this approach therefore acclimatisation has to take place elsewhere. There are a couple of less costly options which a number of budget -minded groups tend to use but these often take the form of a two day dash to the summit and are of questionable benefit in terms of acclimatisation. We chose to take part in an acclimatisation trek in the Crater Highlands region travelling for a distance of some 80 miles over seven days at a height of around ten thousand feet escorted by Massai guides and National Park Rangers. This would allow for sustained acclimatisation over a reasonable period of time and prepare us well for the ascent of Kilimanjaro. It would also allow us to experience the wilderness of the safari park close-up and to get to grips with the hostile environment. It would be a truly superb acclimatisation trek. Another important part of any expedition, particularly one involving young people such as ours, is developing an understanding and awareness of the local peoples and their culture. Based upon his experience in Nicaragua, Mike Blakey believes that one of the best ways to achieve this is through working with community projects in the local area. Once again Tanzania provided perfect opportunities to engage our cadets in worthwhile projects. Through his previous visit Marcus Richardson established contact with The Streetwise or Mkombozi Project in the town of Moshi. Run by Englishwoman Kate McAlpine the project provides accommodation, education and employment opportunities for orphaned street children in the area. We volunteered to assist with decoration and refurbishment of the centre together with simply interacting and playing games with the children (something the orphans were not familiar with). John Cameron also elected to return to a project he had been involved with in a school at Mahangat, near the town of Babati, again carrying out maintenance and working with the pupils. The most intriguing opportunity came about through sheer coincidence and as the result of an article concerning the expedition in the Air Cadet magazine. Air Cadet Squadron Commander Flt Lt David Hill read the article and immediately contacted Mike Blakey telling him that his wife was from Tanzania and that her uncle was a pastor in the town of Marangu, the starting point for the trek up Kilimanjaro! Before too long contact was made with Pastor Ebenezer Malyi and plans were made for a party of cadets to assist with a building programme at the local school! We therefore believed that the proposed expedition to Tanzania would be demanding enough to provide a serious challenge to our 16 – 20 year old cadets yet the objectives would be realistically achievable. We also believed that that the whole experience would be worthwhile and would offer an opportunity for significant personal development.

9

Cadet Selection It was decided that 30 cadets should take part in the expedition together with six staff. This would allow us to operate as three groups of ten cadets throughout the expedition including the training and preparation phase. Staff members would be allocated to each group thereby facilitating easier lines of communication and allowing for group development. With the various personnel changes which took place throughout the preparation phase this proved somewhat difficult to achieve but nearer the date of travel, when more stability had been established, this approach proved to work very well. Given that there were some 15 months between initial selection and the expedition taking place, we were fairly sure that a number of those selected would drop out as time went by. Mike Blakey decided that to bring reserves in as and when drop-outs occurred would be impractical as they might have missed important training and preparation opportunities, they would also be disadvantaged in respect of their fundraising. Equally, to include them in the preparation without a guarantee that they would travel would be unreasonable. Mike therefore decided to effectively include the reserves in the overall total and to select 36 cadets in anticipation of some withdrawals. In the end his predictions proved correct and 28 cadets took part in the expedition. Initial selection was carried out by the respective organisations at a local level with some 40 or so cadets being nominated to attend the Army Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park for final selection. The selection weekend was staffed by the members of the expedition Steering Group and, most importantly the staff team members, who would be working directly with the cadets during the expedition. Dave Poke provided a superb programme for the selection process incorporating all that Frimley Park had to offer, testing physical fitness, stamina, determination, leadership, presentation skills, self-confidence, team work and so the list goes on. At the end of the weekend 36 very worthy cadets were selected to form the expedition team. Training Our cadets were spread over the length and breadth of the country, getting them together for training sessions was going to be a logistical challenge and we would be restricted in the number of times we would be able to meet. It was therefore important to make the training meaningful and worthwhile, it would have to be ‘good value’ across the board. It was also considered most important to engage the cadet participants in the process of planning and developing the expedition concept if they were to get the most from the experience. Whilst certain parameters would be prescribed many aspects of the expedition would be open to negotiation allowing the cadets to have their say and to make their own choices. For example: the decision to take part in the Crater Highlands trek in preference to one of the less expensive alternatives was taken by the cadets, the choice of community projects was left to individuals, budgets for in-country transport and accommodation would be managed by the cadets in their small groups and so on. They were encouraged to research and investigate all there was to discover about the country they would be visiting and the activities they would

10

be taking part in. The purpose of this was to develop a sense of ownership, responsibility and awareness making each individual part of the expedition not just passengers being led by the hand. The first training session was held over a weekend in October at RAF Wittering. This gave the cadets an opportunity to get to know each other and to explore some of the issues with which they would be faced. In particular they investigated medical and health issues, they learned about the country in which they would travel, developed the expedition programme, took part in a fitness test and, importantly, began to come to terms with fundraising. The second session was the Mountain Training week held at the National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centre Windermere in February 2005. The week was spent walking, navigating and wild camping in some fairly harsh conditions and allowed the staff the opportunity to assess the ability of the cadet participants to cope with a demanding mountain environment. The evenings were spent discussing equipment, expectations, concerns and a number of other issues which emerged throughout the course of the week. Windermere was the longest time we had spent together as a group so far and it proved a most worthwhile exercise. In May 2005 we held the final preparation session at the Sea Cadet Training Centre at Inskip near Preston. The weekend focussed upon delivering a presentation on the Sunday afternoon to invited guests who included parents, friends, unit commanders and senior officials from the three organisations. The logic behind this was that by preparing and delivering a presentation we would ensure that the cadets had a full understanding of all that was required of them and that their supporters, particularly parents, were fully briefed. The presentation was well attended with most parents being present together with several Cadet Organisation representatives including the Commandant of the Air Cadet Organisation, Air Commodore John Chitty. Expedition Programme We were particularly keen to develop our own expedition programme and to avoid using a commercial provider who would simply present us with an off-the-shelf package. There were a number of reasons for this one of which was the cost but we particularly felt, as already mentioned, that it was important for the participants to be involved in the whole process of developing and creating the expedition. We knew also that we had the experience and expertise within our staff group that would be the envy of most commercial providers and frankly we felt that we could make a better job of it ourselves. Having said this we were realistic enough to recognise that we would benefit from professional support within Tanzania particularly in respect making arrangements for the mountain and trekking phase. We chose to engage the

11

services of Joas Kahembe, the renowned and highly respected owner of Kahembe Culture an organisation, as the name suggests, with a strong cultural and ethical basis to its operation. Joas worked with us to produce a high quality and balanced programme which paid due regard to the safety and welfare of the participants, it provided a serious and demanding challenge and would allow our young people to immerse themselves into the culture and atmosphere of East Africa. As a result we developed the following programme: Saturday 9th July: 1600hrs: Assemble Hammersmith Cadet Centre, London. Sunday 10th July: Final briefings, check personal kit, distribute group equipment. Monday 11th July: Departure checks, 1530hrs: depart for Heathrow 1920hrs: Depart Heathrow on board British Airways Flight Number BA 47 Tuesday 12th July: 0655hrs: Arrive Dar Es Salaam, move to accommodation, familiarisation in Dar Es Salaam, Arrange onward travel. Wednesday 13th July: Travel to Arusha, Overnight at Catholic Hostel Arusha. Thursday 14th July: Group 1 commence Crater Highland Trek (See below itinerary provided by Joas Kahembe ) Group 2 preparation/familiarisation day in Arusha Friday 15th July: Group 2 commence Crater Highland Trek (See below itinerary provided by Joas Kahembe ) Day 1: Depart Arusha at 0800 and drive to Ngorongoro Crater for a Crater

tour, exiting the Crater and transferring by vehicle to Nainokanoka Village with your guides and cooks. You may hike to Olmoti Crater and Mungu Waterfalls today. You will have dinner and overnight at Nainokanoka Village campsite.

Day 2: After breakfast, begin trekking to Empakai Crater where you will

have dinner and overnight at the campsite there. All gear, food and water will be carried by donkeys and driven by a Maasai warrior (8 1/2 hrs, 25.5 Km).

12

Day 3: After exploring the crater for a few hours, continue trekking to

Naiyobi Village. (5 hrs, 10 Km) You will have dinner and overnight there or, it is best to continue on to Acacia Camp for dinner and overnight to shorten the last day of trekking. (7.5 hrs, 15 Km)

Day 4: Trek from Naiyobi village to Lake Natron, viewing Ol Doinyo Lengai

on the way. The vehicle will be waiting at the base of Lengai to drive you the rest of the way to Lake Natron You will have dinner and overnight at Lake Natron or Kamakia Campsite. Be sure to visit Engare Sero Gorge and the waterfall while at Lake Natron. (about 5 hrs, 12 Km from Acacia to pick up point).

Day 5: Free day at Lake Natron to visit the waterfalls and the lake and

resting up for your ascent of Ol Doinyo Lengai tonight. You will overnight at Kamakia or Lake Natron Campsite once more.

Day 6: For climb of Ol Doinyo Lengai, you will drive to the base of the

volcano during the night to begin your climb with the guides. It is a 7- hour/ 15 KM strenuous climb. It should be started by 2:30 AM. You must complete the climb and descend before the heat becomes too intense, generally by about 10 or 10:30 AM. Return to the camp for a shower and lunch. After lunch, depart for Snake Park for diner and overnight..

Day 7: After an early breakfast, depart for Tarangire NP for game viewing

the balance of the day, returning to Arusha and your accommodation about 6PM.

Wednesday 20th July: Group 1 Return to Arusha Thursday 21st July: Group 1 travel to Marangu, meet village elders, investigate the area, overnight Marangu. Group 2 Return to Arusha Friday 22nd July: Group 1 commence ascent of Kilimanjaro (see below schedule as provided by Joas Kahembe) Group 2 travel to Marangu, meet village elders, investigate the area, overnight Marangu. Saturday 23rd July: Group 2 commence ascent of Kilimanjaro (see below schedule as provided by Joas Kahembe) Day 1: We will pick you up from your accommodation at 0800 and depart

for the Marangu Gate. After registration clearance, your climb will commence at 1,720 meters to Mandara Hut (2,700 meters) through the rain forest. This will take about 3 hours, however it is

13

important to take your time as acclimatization begins from the gate.. You will have dinner and overnight at Mandara Hut.

Day 2: After breakfast, you will gradually ascend via Maundi Crater (upper

route) to Horombo hut, at 3,720 meters. This climb takes you out of the forest and through open moorland and forest and takes about 4-5 hours. You will have dinner and overnight at Horombo Hut (Tourist Village).

Day 3: This is an acclimatizing days to hike at higher altitude, perhaps top

view Kibo and Mawenzi Peaks during the day, returning to Horombo Hut for meals and overnight.

Day 4: After a good rest, resume your climb. A bit of the mountain peak

can be seen while walking through the alpine desert on the way to Kibo Hut, at 4,703 meters. Kibo Hut, where you will have dinner and overnight is reached after a 5-6 hour walk.

Day 5: You have a second acclimatization day today at Kibo, with a

morning hike to Hans Meyer Cave, the half-way point to Gillman’s Point at 5,150 M. Return to Kibo for lunch and resting.

Day 6: You will be awakened just after midnight to begin your ascent to

Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters). This is a 5-hour walk. You will then descend back to Kibo hut and continue your descent to Horombo Hut where you will have dinner and overnight.

Day 7: After breakfast, a simple descent remains to reach the Marangu

Gate where you will be awarded your Summit Certificate before transferring back to your accommodation.

Thursday 28 July: Group 1 return to Moshi/Arusha Friday 29 July: Group 1 Familiarisation in Arusha/Moshi Group 2 return to Marangu/Moshi NB: From this point the expedition party will be working in three separate groups (A, B & C) for the purpose of their community projects. Saturday 30th July – Wednesday 3rd August Group A to Managhat project Group B to Streetwise project Moshi Broup C to Marangu project

14

Thursday 4th August All groups travel to Dar Es Salaam, overnight in Youth Hostel Friday 5th August Travel to Zanzibar Saturday 6th August – Sunday 7th August In Zanzibar Monday 8th August Return to Dar Es Salaam Tuesday 9th August 0600hrs: Depart for Dar Es Salaam International Airport 0855hrs: Depart for London on Board British Airways Flight Number BA46 1655hrs: arrive London Heathrow Overnight RAF Uxbridge Wednesday 10th August: 1000hrs Disperse from RAF Uxbridge. As can be seen from the programme: we chose to assemble in London two days prior to departure. This was because some of our cadets had long distances to travel to reach London and we needed to build in time for any delays plus we would not have seen the cadets for two months and needed time to check equipment and documentation and address any deficiencies. As it was there were only one or two minor issues that had to be dealt with at Hammersmith and, despite disruption caused by terrorist activities two days earlier, we had a smooth departure. Our overnight stay at RAF Uxbridge was determined by the fact that we were due to arrive at Heathrow at 5pm on the day of our return, even without any hold-ups it would be 6.30pm or so before we could commence onward travel and meant that some cadets would not be able to reach home that day. To save any confusion and to allow for flexibility we decided to overnight at Uxbridge and to disperse on the following day. Evaluation, Risk Assessment and Approvals The process of evaluating the activities in which we intended taking part, of carrying out risk assessments and gaining approvals was uppermost in our minds throughout the planning and preparation of the expedition. We were confident that the experience, knowledge and awareness amongst our staff team supported by the guidance and protocols set out by our respective organisations would ensure a good balance of challenging adventure tempered by a high degree of safety and responsibility. Despite our confidence we also felt that we should test our standards against current best practice outside our own organisations and were very pleased to find that our plans met with the approval of The Young Explorers Trust (YET). Our expedition was also approved by the Reserve Forces Ulysses Trust and registered with the Royal Geographical Society. Mike Blakey was also

15

awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship for his role as expedition Leader which not only allowed him to carry out his role fully and effectively during the expedition itself, it also allowed him the opportunity to carry out an evaluation visit three months prior to the main expedition. This evaluation visit proved to be very useful in ensuring that all the pieces in the expedition jigsaw fitted together and allowed first hand confirmation of the arrangements and agreements made with Joas Kahembe and the community projects. Fitness, Health & Inoculations. Fitness levels needed to be high in order to meet with the demands of the expedition, particularly the trekking phase and of course the ascent of Kilimanjaro. Because of our geographical spread we would have to rely on individual endeavour and determination to ensure that appropriate levels were established and maintained but, with credit to those taking part, they all met the physical demands that were made of them throughout the expedition. It is always difficult to determine boundaries surrounding the health and abilities of an individual taking part in a physical activity, particularly a demanding expedition. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the individual participant to judge if they are capable of taking part but, equally, perhaps more importantly, it is the responsibility of the expedition leader to ensure that those individuals and those who might advise them, such as medical professionals, are fully aware of the circumstances in which they might find themselves and the potential consequences that they might face. The same is true of inoculations and other preventative medication: personal choice will prevail but again such decisions must be based upon sound advice and the expedition leader is responsible for making sure that advice is provided. In practice we briefed everyone fully over these issues and required a signed medical declaration detailing inoculations etc and disclosing any medical conditions. The form contained a detailed outline of the conditions which were to be encountered and suggested that advice should be sought from a medical practitioner and/or a travel clinic. We encountered no problems during the expedition in respect of pre-existing medical conditions. Expedition Medic John Stone, who had been appropriately trained, fully briefed both staff and cadets in respect of the effects of altitude and Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Participants were trained to recognise the signs of AMS in both themselves and others, they were also schooled in the response to AMS, in particular accepting that any affected person, and maybe an escort, would have to descend the mountain and forfeit their chance of reaching the summit. We also ensured that appropriate in-country medical facilities of an acceptable standard were available and identified how we would access them from sometimes quite remote and distant locations. We found that if need be, and if conditions allowed, we could airlift a casualty out of the bush to a medical facility. In poor weather conditions we might have to rely on a lengthy

16

overland journey but our concerns in this respect were negated to some extent by the knowledge that even the most remote of safari lodges had a resident doctor available to render assistance. Rescue and recovery from Kilimanjaro was a well-rehearsed procedure and, although it involved the casualty being physically carried off the mountain, the medical facilities in Marangu were of a first class European standard well equipped to deal with mountain related illness. Together with our procedures we also negotiated a travel insurance policy, which was budgeted and paid for from the central expedition fund, through the Air Cadet Insurance scheme on behalf of each cadet participant. This ensured that each cadet had an appropriate level of cover to deal with any situation which might reasonably have been expected to arise, including rescue, recovery and repatriation and avoided individual cadets obtaining budget policies with inadequate cover. Pubic Relations and Media Presentation Each cadet was encouraged to generate media interest in their local area and this proved quite successful with articles in a number of local newspapers and air-time on local radio. A regular feature appeared in the Air Cadet Magazine and each organisation gave prominence to the expedition on their website. By far the most successful aspect was the Expedition’s own website at www.expedition.org.uk which had a remarkable number of ‘hits’ on a regular basis. Together with providing a rich source of publicity and material for the media the website provided a valuable focal point for advice and information for those taking part in the expedition. Fundraising Fundraising is by far the biggest challenge facing any expedition and our project was to be no exception. The cost per cadet was set at £1500, a modest figure for a four-week experience in East Africa but still a huge sum for the average teenage cadet to raise in a period of twelve months. We were very fortunate to receive very generous support from The Reserve Forces Ulysses Trust early on in our fundraising and this gave us a sound platform from which to move forward but it was individual effort from the participants which raised the bulk of the funds. Car washing, bag packing, coffee mornings, discos and sponsored walks all saw the cash creeping, sometimes flooding, in – but, as promised, it was hard work! Ration allowances, donations and a grant from the YET all helped to ease the burden and an Expedition Raffle, which included prizes donated by Landrover UK and Cotswold Outdoor, raised in the region of £5,000. A Change of Plan As expedition leader Mike Blakey knew that however carefully planned an expedition might be there was always a need to anticipate difficulties along the way: a need to remain flexible and ready to tackle any challenges that might arise: after all, who could tell what might be waiting around the corner? Yet, despite this, no one could have anticipated what was going to happen next!

17

As a cadet activity the expedition was subject to the rules governing their parent Services and as such the project required the approval of the Defence Attaché responsible for the area, in this case Colonel Jock Inkster based in Nairobi. Contact with Col Inkster had been established early on in the preparations, somewhere around June 2004, and approval in principle was duly received. On the 6th of June 2005, with just over four weeks to go before the expedition, Mike Blakey was informed that, due to a recently imposed Ministry of Defence instruction prohibiting military activities in Tanzania, authority for the expedition had been withdrawn and the project would have to be cancelled! For the whole expedition team it was like hitting a brick wall. The message was received with disbelief and confusion. After so much planning, preparation and anticipation there was a sudden silence. As the realisation was sinking-in the Steering Group together with the Expedition Leader were working hard to find an alternative solution. Col Inkster had suggested that relocating to Kenya would be acceptable from his point of view: but the question was how could we make all the necessary arrangements in such a short space of time? It seemed like an impossible task but nevertheless the search for an alternative continued. At two weeks prior to our intended date of departure we were up against the wire. Whilst we did not want to disappoint our 28 cadet hopefuls, the reality was that everyone deserved to know where they stood: we needed a positive decision one way or the other and the only option seemed to be to cancel the whole exercise – then suddenly a breakthrough! We had been sending off ‘e’ mails and making telephone calls to anyone that our network of supporters could suggest but always the answer was the same – ‘We would like to help but we are fully booked’ On this occasion however, it was different: Savage Wilderness Expeditions based in Kenya came back with a very positive response. On the telephone during a break in a white water rafting session near the company’s base in Sagana, James Savage, the son of owner Mark, listened to Mike Blakey’s requirements then said ‘Yeah, we can do that.’ James contacted Mike again later that evening and so began a chain of ‘e’ mails, telephone calls and faxes, backwards and forwards, arranging the programme discussing risk assessments and all the other issues which had been negotiated at leisure for the previous plan only this time it had to be completed in just a couple of days - and it didn’t stop there. Flights from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi had to be arranged, cadets had to be contacted and agreement obtained for them to continue, authority to travel to Kenya had to be agreed by the Kenyan authorities, budgets had to be re-assessed and so it went on. After a frantic seven days it was all arranged! Of course under normal circumstances it would be totally unreasonable, and in many respects irresponsible, to expect to be able to arrange a four-week expedition for 28 young people at such short notice and Mike Blakey was

18

acutely aware of the dangers of rushing in too fast and pressing on regardless of the consequences. Despite the urgency and the desire not to disappoint the cadets, Mike was equally determined not to compromise the high standards that had been applied to the expedition so far. There were two main factors that ensured that this did not happen: Firstly, Savage Wilderness operates to a high standard and has appropriate risk assessments in place. They understand the UK market and have worked extensively with a number of British schools and with the British Army. Mike Blakey was able to study the risk assessments and discuss the issues with James Savage, he was also able to speak to others, including the Defence Attaché, who had knowledge of or had used Savage in the past. Mike also backed up this evaluation by adopting a policy where he, or other members of staff, would apply their professional knowledge and skills as a safety net on the ground and intervene if they thought it was necessary. The second factor which made the sudden change possible was that the cadets had taken part in a comprehensive programme of training and preparation specifically tailored to meet the demands of East Africa. In terms of climate, culture, health and indeed the programme of activities, there would be very little difference: our cadets were well prepared for what was now in store for them. It is also worth mentioning that, although we were now accepting an ‘off-the-shelf’ package, from a commercial provider (which was against our original principles), we had had a significant influence in the contents of the new programme and the cadets had been part of the process of negotiation. Therefore, even though they were presented with a fait accompli they had worked through the principles which were being applied to the Kenyan programme and therefore they would retain a sense of ownership, understanding and, most importantly, involvement in the expedition. Our transition was greatly supported by our own Cadet Organisations and we felt confident and justified in our actions by continued endorsement from the Young Explorers Trust, the Royal Geographical Society, the Reserve Forces Ulysses Trust and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. And so it was that the Joint Service Cadet Forces Expedition 2005 assembled at Hammersmith on a hot July afternoon to begin their journey to East Africa… The Expedition Assembly at Hammersmith went smoothly, equipment and documents were checked rucksacks repacked and final briefings were completed leaving some time to visit the science museum or wander around Hyde Park. Terrorist attacks in London on the previous Thursday had caused disruption to the transport network and there were some concerns over cadets travelling by train and underground but other than a couple of delays we suffered no problems. Our original plan to visit the Royal Geographical Society for a formal send-off was cancelled due to reports of increased security at Heathrow airport causing two-hour tailbacks on the approach roads. In fact

19

this proved not to be the case and our journey by Royal Logistical Corps coach was swift and without incident. Even the check-in at Heathrow went smoothly and the aircraft departed on time with everyone in their seats! Arriving in East Africa After an overnight flight we arrived into Dar Es Salaam airport at seven in the morning ready for the transfer with Precision Air to Nairobi. After some typical African confusion we were shepherded through immigration to the check-in desk only to be told that nine members of our group would have to wait for the afternoon flight. John Cameron stayed behind with his eight cadets whilst the rest carried on to Nairobi where they were met by our guide for the expedition, Andreas. John and his cohort joined their colleagues later that afternoon but by then it was too late to continue to Hell’s Gate National park as planned so the whole group stayed in the basic, but clean and comfortable, Serona hotel feasting that evening on traditional…Indian fare! The next day after breakfast we were introduced to the bus with which we were to become very familiar. Rucksacks were loaded into the trailer and we headed off into the African countryside. Just outside Nairobi we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the Rift Valley. The precarious wooden platform allowed superb views over the valley and a superb focal point for the trinket salesmen to target these fresh faced visitors clearly newly arrived and just desperate to snap up the souvenir ‘bargains’! Hell’s Gate National Park We arrived at the Hell’s Gate National park later that morning and established ourselves at one of the ‘Special Campsites’ overlooking the park. After lunch during which we watched the ever present baboons (at close quarters) and the giraffes, buffalo and zebra on the plains below us, we drove to the head of The Gorge where we headed off in a long confined crocodile (perhaps not the most appropriate term in the circumstances) to visit the steam geysers belching out their geothermic mist and hot water. It was also our first encounter with the Massai when a young herd boy took it upon himself to lead us to the geyser – not the one we had intended visiting and certainly not in the company of his threatening looking long horned cattle – but it was an adventure! That evening we settled into our tents experiencing, perhaps for the first time, a jet-black sky punctuated by the sharp brilliance of the stars: no background light, no background noise save the occasional explosion of energy as another geothermic mass escaped from the earth. ‘I thought that our expedition was an amazing experience. I’ve had my eyes widened to so many factors about life that I had never considered before.’

20

After breakfast the next day we took down the tents and packed everything away onto the vehicles. Some marvelled at the long-drop toilets others tried to remember where they had put their boots, all under the gaze of the laughing baboons (one of which Pete Bolton claims he saw coming out of the toilet, possibly even wearing boots!). On our drive out of the park we stopped to stretch our legs and then realised that above our heads, the object in the solitary tree was the remains of a young zebra stored, no doubt, in this lofty larder by a leopard! Moving swiftly, and not without a glance or two over our shoulders, we got back onto the bus and headed off to Lake Naivasha. Lake Naivasha As we set up our tents at Fisherman’s camp site we became aware that the single strand electric fence was all that there was to deter the hippos from straying out of the lake and amongst our tents. We were assured that this meagre strand of steel fortified by its electrical pulse would save us from the tragic fate that befell two other travellers just a few months previously. Fine, except that there was a power failure at this time: we just hoped that it would be restored before nightfall! That afternoon we walked around Crater Lake and were able to look down from the scorched barren rim of the huge volcanic depression through the lush vegetation and the treetops alive with monkeys, to the calm waters of the lake dotted with elegant pink Flamingos. We finished off with a long cool drink at the bar at the edge of the lake before climbing the steep steps back to our waiting vehicles. On our way back to Lake Naivasha we saw the vast shimmering expanse of greenhouses that dominate the area around the lake. This, we were told, was where the cut flowers that we buy in our UK supermarkets were grown. It looked impressive and at first it seemed like a good idea to provide employment and opportunity for the local people where before they might have just scraped a living. But we learned that the demand for water to irrigate the crops was draining the lake, that the roads were being destroyed by the heavy trucks that pounded up and down all day long and that the Jumbo-jets which transported the flowers to arrive fresh the next day returned empty, forfeiting the opportunity to bring aid and perhaps medical supplies to this impoverished country. ‘The African culture we experienced was very different to our own people were always welcoming, so much more than when your at home, it did make me think how happy these people were with what we conceive to be so little with western attitudes’ Mount Longonot At Mount Longonot we camped a short distance inside the park gates and prepared ourselves for a hot dusty trek to the top of the mountain and around the rim of this extinct volcano. At 9,000 feet this was to be a good acclimatisation opportunity and a strenuous physical challenge. As we set off fully equipped with boots, gaiters, rucksacks, sun hats, sunglasses, water

21

bottles and trekking poles we became surrounded by hordes of school children who had just poured off the school buses which had pulled up at the park gate. Looking smart and uniform in their school clothes we imagined that they had arrived for a picnic or to spot the wildlife or some other end-of-term treat. As we continued up the mountain they stayed with us, some even, effortlessly, heading on in front and it became clear that they too were climbing to the top! As if to make even more of a point many of the children walked in bare feet to avoid getting their shoes dirty. One of the teachers, looking very smart in her grey suit and court shoes, placed a plastic bag over her tall, elegant hair-do to keep off the dust and strode off, like a cellophane wrapped Marge Simpson, keeping pace with her charges! ‘As we made our way back into the campsite, dusty, hot, tired and hungry, the school party made their way, laughing and joking back to their buses. Still full of energy they headed off in a cloud of dust back to school and, for some, a long walk home! ’Sagana On the 16th of July we arrived at the Sagana campsite and base for Savage Wilderness operations. The lush, mown, green grass: toilets, showers and permanent cooking areas were a welcome break from the past few days and gave us a chance to clean up and prepare for the ascent of Mount Kenya. On our second day at Sagana we took part in a white water rafting expedition descending eight kilometres down the Tana River arriving back at the Sagana campsite. Fully briefed, not only on how to tackle the rapids, but also how to fend off hippos and crocodiles, we set off on our new found activity with our nerves tingling and our wits sharpened to the nth degree! Once we had mastered to rapids we began to relax but always taking care not to leave toes dangling in the water for too long lest they attracted unwanted attention! Back at Sagana we learnt that the last hippo to venture along this stretch of river was five years ago and the local villages ended up feasting on him for a week: anyway you can’t be too careful! Mount Kenya It was damp, chilly and overcast and we busied ourselves, making final adjustments to our rucksacks, checking to see that we had all our kit and looking cautiously at the team of porters, guides and cooks as we waited on the track at the start of the Chogoria route on our ascent of Mount Kenya. Then gradually we moved off and began our six day epic adventure getting to know the mountain, getting to know our friends and getting to know ourselves better than we had ever done before. Each individual will have their own tale to tell, how difficult they found it, how tired they felt, about their emotions, their highs and their lows. They will tell you about the moon, bigger and brighter than ever before and the sunrise and the cold - and of course the summit. ‘To have walked in the brilliant moonlight for 4hrs, and then to have climbed the final slopes to the top of Point Lenana, just in time to see the sun rise over the distant horizon in an explosion of light, is a life long memory.’

22

Three cadets failed to make it to the top. One was too ill to start the ascent, another made it to the end of the first day before a stomach bug forced him to retire and the third suffered from the effects of altitude and consequently had to retreat down the mountain on the fourth day. Despite their disappointment they were nevertheless pleased to have been part of a successful expedition and to see their fellow cadets achieving their objective. Having summited the remainder of the group descended the Sirimon route on the western side of the mountain and spent a well-earned night in the luxury of the Sportsman’s Arms Hotel. ‘I thought the expedition was a life changing, eye opening experience.’ ‘I don’t think that I’ve ever had a grin on my face for a long as I did on mount Kenya.’ ‘I’ve realized my capabilities more and I learnt to be a lot less materialistic.’ Samburu National Park The following day the expedition moved off into the Samburu National Park for a safari. Once again we were camping at a ‘special campsite’ but this was even more remote and more basic than before. Surrounded by elephant, zebra, antelope, giraffe and, of course, baboons we were in the heart of the African bush. On a game drive close to the campsite we saw lion, cheetah and leopard and the ‘swimming pool’ proved a refreshing relief. At the invitation of two Samburu warriors who walked into our campsite we visited their tribal village and took part in dancing and singing and learned of their lifestyle. ‘The expedition was an amazing trip to a very different culture and land, I am very glad that I chose to go and would definitely do it again if I ever got the chance. I think the memories of my time in Kenya will stay with me for the rest of my life and I plan on boring my friends with them for a long long time to come! Elephants & Giraffes After two days we drove back to Sagana before a one day/two night stay in Nairobi during which time we visited the Sheldrick Elephant sanctuary to see the baby elephants which had recently become BBC television stars. We also visited the Giraffe sanctuary where we were kissed by the resident giraffes obviously grateful to be fed by hand! ‘I did some things I can safely say I’m not going to find many other people have done, like swimming in a natural spring and kissing giraffes. It’s a real life changing experience.’ Community Project We then moved on to our community project near Kibwezi. Such is the remoteness and isolation of the school at which our project was based that it does not even have a name. The directions were: drive 200 kms from Nairobi,

23

towards Mombasa, to Kibwezi. At the petrol station turn left, stay on the dirt road for 20kms to the next village. Two kms outside the village turn right on the dirt track, cross the gully, turn left then straight on for 6 or 7 kms – you can’t miss it! At the project we camped by the river – always on our guard for crocodiles and once again coming close to the African environment. On our first day we built wooden desks: creating an efficient production line that saw our task completed in record time. The following day we delivered the desks to the school and then played games with the children. We had brought a few games from the UK, things that we just take for granted but they were all received with whoops of joy and eager faces. The parachute game proved to be the star attraction and our introduction of the Hokey-Kokey saw the whole school putting left legs in, right legs out, shaking it all about and turning around – it was an amazing spectacle! ‘The community project was amazing! It gave everybody a real sense of achievement by knowing we had made the lives of some African school children a little bit easier and more comfortable.’ The Coast A few days at Tiwi beach an hour south of Mombassa rounded off the expedition with a chance to relax and reflect, soaking up the sun, swimming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and exploring the reef and the deep pools left by the retreating tide. ‘I look back on the trip with fond memories of all the enjoyable things like playing games with the African school children, seeing the animals on safari and digging holes in the sand for no real reason.’ The Journey Home All too soon it was time to head back to Nairobi to begin the long journey home. Flying back through Dar Es Salaam it was necessary to stay overnight in the town as the airport did not have the facilities to cope with our 24 hour stop-over. The YMCA hostel in the centre of town proved to be a basic but comfortable and secure base to while-away our last few hours in Africa. As the sun rose the following morning and the city began to stir we loaded the bus with our luggage and made our way through the busy streets to the airport, a typically African scene and one to which we had become accustomed and, indeed, part of. We negotiated the chaos of the check-in desk and the departure lounge, once again in typical African fashion and suddenly, in just a few steps, we were inside the British Airways jet, and had left Africa behind us. The following morning, at RAF Uxbridge, we packed our expedition bags for the last time and one by one drifted off to catch a train or a bus or to be picked up by a parent. Addresses were exchanged, telephone numbers were tapped into keypads, promises to keep in touch were repeated… and by 10 o’clock everyone had gone.

24

The journey home was a strange affair for most of us. We had spent the last month surrounded by 30 other like-minded people and now we were alone with our thoughts, awkwardly situated amongst London’s commuters and their daily routine. Each day had been exciting and challenging: there was always something new and interesting to explore and always something new to discover: about our surroundings, about the people we met and, of course, about ourselves. ‘I've made some real life long friends as a result of this, and its turned into something I could never have imagined all those months ago back at selection’. ‘Just a brilliant experience. There is probably no other 16 or 17 year old in Accrington that has experienced what I have over the past month.’ ‘ To see the development and the confidence grow in the young people over the month is one of the highlights of my time in the Corps.’ We wanted to stand up and tell everyone about our experiences and just about managed to contain ourselves until we reached home before we exploded with our stories punctuated with words such as “Awesome”, “Fantastic” and “Incredible”, trying to sum up our experiences all at once, trying to explain that it had been…. an experience of a lifetime!

25