PlanningThe Planning was written by Jeremy Jackson six months after the Expedition Log had been completed. October 91 The Assistant District Commissioner For Ventures Tony Jones approaches Mark and myself, congratulating us on our two day, 50 mile canoe trip down the river Wye. We agreed with him that we were the best ever to enter the ventures in the district and then asked whether or not we fancied a new fresh challenge next summer. He informed us of the Explorer Belt Award-and of course we jumped at the idea; Just like the way we did on our Chief Scout Challenge in Switzerland 1990 (and like the way we are attempting our Queens Scout Exploration also in Switzerland in 1993.) November 91 Tony Jones handed me the Explorer Belt
Award booklet and explained that the exploration needed to be abroad for
ten days, in groups of two, answering ten mini projects and completing
a large project of our own choice when we got back. Next unit meeting we
asked our Assistant Venture Scout Leader Adrian Selgren for some advice
on how to tackle our challenge-well, that was as worthwhile as asking a
hedgehog to help a blind old lady cross the M25 on a pogo stick. We were
on our own.
It was decided that we would go to France and start walking as we left the ferry in order to cut the cost of traveling (which was by far the greatest of our expenses.) January 92 I took the opportunity to gather some channel crossing brochures from Sealink, P&O and Hoverspeed and worked out that a large ferry was the same price as the new SeaCat Hydrofoil owned by Hoverspeed-Blue Ribbon. I then wrote to each company asking whether they would reduce our fare as we were students and undertaking an exploration under the Scouting name. Even Tony Jones helped by writing a similar letter- but no chance "We have hundreds of letters from youth organizations asking us for discounts and we just can't oblige them all." Was there official reply. February 92 By this time we had decided on two routes. One was to start at Boulogne and work our way into France and up to Calais. We would then return to Boulogne via the coast and channel tunnel entrance. This would give one of the pair a chance to do a project on the Channel Tunnel. The second route was from Boulogne down to Abbeville taking an inland route and then returning to Boulogne nearer the coast. The projects being about the First World War and the land use around the Somme. I then ordered a map to cover both these routes on a 1:100,000 scale from the French National Geographical Institute. March 92 The 1:100,000 map arrived and when looking at the routes it was seen that the first route to Calais would be far too short by some 60km (37 miles). The second route was over the 160km distance by 19km but we decided to take this route anyway. A copy of a map but with the first route (to Calais) crossed out was handed to Tony Jones who then handed it on to Gillwell and the man who was to set our surprise projects. April 92 We decided to plan a few practice hikes. Fortunately the Forest Boundary hike was soon. For this we had to hike 12 miles in 4 hours. In fact we completed it in just over 3 hours with well over 25lb on our backs. We had all had camping practice being on numerous camps and expeditions and due to the fact that Craig and Mark will have just come back from a camp in Wales with the Scout Troop in which they will have participated in numerous hikes. Also Andrew and myself will have just arrived back from a strenuous rugby tour of Canada in July; so we will all be fit enough. As well as this, I sent off for our insurance documents along with the correct sum of money. May 92 By this time I had phoned some map companies in London and obtained a leaflet on the maps of France as the 1:100,000 map would be to small a scale. I opted for Three 1:50,000 scale maps which would cover our route significantly. However when I rang the map companies again, a less than helpfull man on the end of the line told me that the 1:50,000 series had been discontinued. The next scale map down was the 1:25,000 map of which there are four of these to cover the same area as a 1:50,000 map. I was not a happy man. I then realized that we didn't need to buy all 12 as some did not contain our route but I still needed to buy 9 maps. Each map costing about £5 and including the 1:100,000 map also at £5 we ended up spending £50 instead of just £20. I had also found a "Campsites of France" book and located a suitable stop for each night. June 92 By June I had worked out the expenses for the journey and an equipment list (Including the equipment needing to be borrowed from our store). Even the boat tickets and the insurance documents had come through. The French money was on order and all we needed now was our surprise projects!! July 92 Andrew and myself had arrived back from Canada and Mark and Craig were back from Wales. We were now handed our surprise projects (and what a surprise that was!) The project for Andrew and I was handed to me on the day that I got back, two days before we were about to set off, so I opened it. The questions weren't too difficult but when I read the places that we were to visit, they said "Wimereux", "Sangatte", "Wissant" and "Calais". We weren't going to any of these places, we were going to Abbeville. I then phoned up Mark who also had this same route. After a fairly large worrying session we consulted Tony Jones who told us to make up our own Questions as we went along- Excellent! we also decided to change our route slightly, making it the correct length of about 160km, which meant we didn't need some of the maps; which could have saved us some money- again I was not a happy person. When I checked a photocopy of the route given to Tony Jones it was plainly obvious that we were to go to Abbeville and not Calais and had they had checked the length of the Calais route they would have seen that it was 60km short. We did try to make the questions as similar to the original ones as possible. Any way, we carried on as planned until we nearly missed the boat as no-one had bothered to tell us that the SeaCat to Boulogne had been canceled and we were now going to Calais and then to get a coach to Boulogne. We finally arrived there an hour later than scheduled. |
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