Trekking, diving, origami and murder!

Don’t miss the Loop update below, with all the news from Alphas 1–4.

Meanwhile, you must be dying to know what our divers and trekkers in Alphas 5 and 6 are up to, and of course those lovely folk at Field Base in Kota Kinabalu. Here’s a quick rundown of all the latest, and please check the blog again around the middle of next week for a full update on the new Alpha Group allocations for Phase Two (yes, it’s almost that time already!)

Alpha 5 kicked off Phase One with an adventure trek starting in the village of Long Pa Sia. So they were straight in at the deep end of the expedition, getting stuck into some serious mud, heavy rucksacks and hills from Day One. As a result of the unusually wet weather we've been having (even for here in rainy Sabah) several Alpha 5s have been afflicted with that common trekker's ailment - foot rot - and so for the final few days of their trek phase, they were back in Long Pa Sia staying with families in the community there.

It wasn't all lounging around with feet up, though: the group had blowpipe lessons (some more successful than others - lucky their dinner didn't rely on Alpha 5's traditional hunting skills!) and went swimming in the river. The group were disappointed not to complete their trek but enjoyed the relative luxury of a few leech-free nights with a roof over their heads. They have since moved on to the island of Mamutik, just offshore from KK, where they are currently relishing some long overdue sunshine as they complete their PADI scuba diving qualifications.

Alpha 6, meanwhile, are on the same adventure phase but in reverse order. So they got the "cushy" option of starting their expedition on the dive island - although as it rained pretty much the whole time they were there, they may not have topped up their tans as much as hoped! Having successfully completed their diving courses, the group came back to the mainland around a week ago to begin their trek. Since then, like Alpha 5 (but with slightly less rain) they've been getting to grips with the steep inclines, squelchy terrain and leeches around Long Pa Sia.

Meanwhile in KK, those staff who haven’t been out and about on the Loop have been bringing domestic bliss to Field Base, with home-baked brownies, banana bread and cookies courtesy of Administrator Gill, and in-house aerobics and circuit training sessions led by leotard-clad Medic Karen and Accountant Nic (just kidding about the leotards). Country Director Jim has been sharing his origami skills (yes, really) with the group, and Field Base is now festooned with paper birds, flowers and stars.

And that’s not the only decorating that’s been going on. As fortunately (touch wood) there haven’t been too many medical incidents taking up Karen’s time, she has been busy re-painting Field Base sickbay. Previously featuring peeling floral wallpaper and a yellowing ceiling, it is now a delightful pale blue with matching curtain ties – nice one, Karen!

Gill has also been busy with a paintbrush, resourcefully fashioning a Raleigh Mail postbox out of an upside down biscuit tin. Here it is about to set off in the back of the Loop vehicle. It returned to Field Base somewhat battle scarred (sorry Gill) but stuffed full of letters which should now be winging their way to some of you even as you read this...

Last night was Murder Mystery night at Field Base, necessitating much raiding of the leftover Raleigh kit box to craft suitable fancy dress outfits out of old bits of trekking gear! In the superbly appointed drawing room of Aldbury Manor (aka the upstairs meeting room) a motley assortment of minor aristocracy and servants quaffed the very finest vintage Ribena, nibbled cucumber sandwiches and scones, and attempted to find out whodunnit.

Your all-star Murder Mystery cast from left to right:

• Ed Dimmock as Seb Raider, arrogant City boy and all-round cad
• Martin Warnock as Charlie Smock, the gardener with a dark secret (and a silly hat)
• Gill McLellan as Delia Ingemells, the village vicar who may not be all she seems
• Anna March as Victoria Strutbury, spoilt It Girl obsessed with fame and fortune
• Nic Steele as Hilary Strutbury, a shy, reclusive librarian
• Karen Gambrill as Lady Strutbury, old, bossy and unmoved by her husband's murder
• Larissa Robson as Kathy Mart, the cook and village sticky-beak
• Martin Knowles (not pictured because he took this photo) as Knowles, the faithful family butler