Belize - July 09 Update

Part 1: Wales
On June 19th 2009 the Trainee Expedition Leader Training course kicked off with a bang as the TEL’s arrived by train into scenic Pont-y-pant, North Wales. The group was consisted of Guy Wright, Kent Browder, Jade Harrison, Frankie Angel and Dave Bough. We greeted warmly by a grinning Colin Lovell, instructor extraordinaire!
We quickly adjourned the cottage where we were staying in favour of a dusty local pub in the shadow of Moel Siabod for an icebreaker pint and to meet the locals. A sense of friendship formed quickly based on the common love of low humour.
Over the next 2 weeks we busied ourselves with intensive training in areas of navigation, legal, group management, and expedition planning whilst still finding the time to summit Moel Siabod and gaze into the misty abyss and contemplate the coming months before embarking on a shambolic descent (Guy and Jade decided that the easiest way to descend a steep grassy slope was on their arses!).
Colin’s instruction was capped off by a 14km hike to the base of Mount Snowdon, followed by a blistering race to the summit. Jades determination and conditioning shone through as she flew up the last 100m scramble, wowing the rest of us TEL’s and the American tourists alike!
We soon acquired a tiny Peugeot in which we crammed all of our gear for the now daily drive to Blue Perris mountain centre where we embarked on a 6 day long Mountain Leader course. Dave, the former postman showed off his driving skills as he hurled the tiny car through the Welsh countryside.
Under the instruction of Gareth Davies, Sam Bliss and Ed Chard we received advanced training on both micro and macro navigation as well as water crossings, rope skills, and night navigation, in the area surrounding Mt Tryffan whilst RAF jets screeched through the valley at eye level.
Guy was the shining star of the ML course, aptly demonstrating his no-harness rappelling and sure footedness as the anchor for the river crossings.
With the ML course completed we headed to LLangollen for an excellent 2 day first responder and expedition medicine course under the expert instruction of Leo Hoare.
Through his extensive knowledge of first aid, Frankie proved to us all that lifeguards are not only hot bodies, but have brains as well!
For our last 2 days in the UK, we headed down to London for a bit of R&R where we fattened up and compared expectations for Belize!
Written by: Kent Browder

Part 2: First 2 Weeks In Belize
On July 10th all of the trainee leaders arrived safely at Belize airport to be collected by Colin.
We had decided as stepping off the plane that our first priority was food, so Colin took us to a so called “Chinese Takeaway” where we were confronted by a machete wielding nutter who proceeded to ask us for money before hurling racist abuse at the Chinese shop attendant (it was at this point that we realized what the bars covering the shop front and windows were for).
So one hour in and we had already encountered machete wielding racists. . . . . . a good start by any means!
Our first night was spent in San Elena at the Trekforce field base where we would spend the next day sorting out rations for the upcoming week of jungle training.
We also received a crash course on basha setups and machete use and sharpening for Oz (who was completing the last of his work for Trekforce before heading off to travel Central America) at a riverside campsite on the outskirts of San Ignasio.
By the time that we had finished at the campsite we received word that the trekkers had arrived and were waiting outside field base (we had the keys).

After having a meal out with the trekkers and a bit of group bonding we headed back to our campsite for our first night in hammocks! The night passed uneventfully with nobody falling out of their hammocks (much to our dismay, we were looking forward to some entertainment courtesy of somebody’s dignity!). Although after weeks of speculation in Whales as to the possible comfort levels of hammocks, we were relieved to find them quite cosy!
The following day we packed up the Land Rovers with trekkers, TEL’s and equipment and headed to our one week of jungle training!
Before entering the jungle we were met by Antonio, the park ranger (who seems to know everything about the Belizean jungle!) who would spend the week with us along with Zac and Langy the two Belizean Defence Force Jungle Warfare Instructors. It was their job to help us along with the trekkers to hone our jungle skills to the point where if we were to become lost we could survive with only our machete and what we carry on our belt kits!
The week passed without much major incident and gave us a chance to practice our teaching skills, as Jade, Dave and myself gave the trekkers a crash first aid course and Frankie and Kent taught the basics of navigation.
The week culminated in solo night, in which all trekkers and TEL’s alike are to set up our sleeping systems, fires and cook our own food without help from the instructors. As usual the night passed without incident and everybody managed to survive the night alone in the jungle quite comfortably (unless you count one of the trekkers, Nick, who needed instructions on how to cook his morning porridge!).
The following day was spent doing a search and rescue exercise in which I played a semi conscious snakebite victim and Frankie my lost, and slightly insane companion.
So that was the end of our jungle training, the rest of the day was spent relaxing, swimming and washing beneath a magnificent series of waterfalls, before returning to field base the next day for a party!
At 5AM following the party we were up and off again on a 5 hour bus ride (not good for the many hangovers shared by the group) to Ya Axche Nature Reserve where we were briefed on our project.
After spending one night at Ya Axche we split from the main group and headed to Bladen Nature Reserve where the rainforest is virtually untouched by humans, making for beautiful pristine forest!
And so only minutes after arriving at Bladen we embarked on an overnight patrol on the lookout for poachers (which we didn’t find). The hike was long and over undulating ground through thick forest just about physically destroyed us all!
The day following our patrol we had a positively late start (8AM) as oppose to our normal routine of rising at 6AM, and embarked on 3 hours of clearing the boundaries which surround the nature reserve of vegetation. Needless to say after 3 hours of machete use, our hands were blistered, our bodies aching, but for the most part we were very satisfied with the work which we had put in.
While we have not yet seen any spectacular wildlife (we have heard Howler Monkeys, which sound absolutely prehistoric and seen plenty of scorpions and spiders etc) the highlight of boundary clearing for me was in the 25 meter stretch of ground I was clearing at the end of the day which led to the river bank. It was here that the undergrowth was thickest and whilst chopping away I felt a “something” crawl across the back of my neck and onto my shoulder. Looking over to find a huge red and black tarantula sitting there (fortunately Colin, who was working about 30 meters away was kind enough to remove it from me), but without a doubt that had the adrenaline pumping more than any work we have done so far!
So despite all of the ups and downs, blazing sun changing to torrential rain, machete wielding racists and magnificent waterfalls, Jade falling out of her hammock mid jungle training, Kent, Jade, Dave, Frankie and myself are loving Belize, enjoying all of the hard work and the great people we are meeting. Even when times get tough, the constant piss taking, abuse and banter between the five of us keeps our spirits up!
Written By: Guy Wright