Chiquibul projects one their way to completion

Trekforce North:

• Since completing their trek through the Maya mountains, the North Team are nine days into phase 2 of the boundary clearance, with nine days remaining until the Opening Ceremony (2:00pm, Tuesday 25th). Enjoying the added fitness since the trek and now expert machete skills, they are making faster progress, and have cleared to a point 7.4km from their start-point at the Macal River, with a further 4.4km of boundary line to demarcate, to complete their expedition objective.

• The dry season is well under way, and the water table in the western Chiquibul is receding beneath the limestone hills. On Saturday 15th, they moved their base-camp (BC) to grid reference: BP 767 669, midway between the east/west boundary line and a mediocre water source, discovered by a recce team and park rangers on Tuesday 11th.

• Tomorrow’s resupply will provide the team with two Millbank bags to filter the water (in addition to the usual sterilising treatment of Iodine and/or boiling),15 packets of Tang (fruit drink powder, to conceal its murky flavour) and as many jerry-cans of fresh water as they can carry, in addition to any letters and parcels sent from home.

• Water for washing is in short supply, and team members are putting their wet-wipes to hard use.


Trekforce South:

• …completed construction of the Ranger Station in time for the Opening Ceremony on Friday 14th. A British Army helicopter flew assorted dignitaries (Commanding Officer of the Belize Defence Force BDF Col Tapia; Deputy Chief Forestry Officer Marcelo Windsor; Natalie Rosado of The Nature Conservancy) and film crews from two Belizean TV news channels to the remote location by the Guatemalan border.

• The OC was also attended by TFW Country Manager, Rafael Manzanero (CEO of TFW’s project partner FCD) and senior Park Rangers. All those present thanked the volunteers for their outstanding efforts, and spoke of the huge contribution to the management of the Chiquibul.

• After the OC, when the helicopter had left, the team and less important visitors began the two-day hike out to Natural Arch, the location for the team’s rest day on Sunday. A Trekforce Landrover and BDF army truck will transport the team from there on Monday (17/3/08) to the start of their trek phase in the Eastern Chiquibul.

• They don’t know it yet, but after seven days moving south exploring this untouched region of forest, they will rendezvous with canoes and the equipment required completing the last 26km of their journey down the Raspaculo Branch of the Macal River over two days. HOW EXCITING IS THAT ?!