Raleigh International - Malaysia, Spring 2008

Farewell, so long, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:11:00 +0000

That's all, folks. The Spring 2008 Raleigh Malaysia expedition is now officially over! At the time of writing, all the participants are either en route to the airport to catch their flights home, or have been released into the big wide world (well, Kota Kinabalu backpacker hostels) to continue their travels in South East Asia and beyond.

We've had a brilliant couple of days here to round off the expedition, with plenty of sunshine and a packed schedule. The official Closing Ceremony, hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sabah, took place on Monday evening. Last night was the participants' party, which was held a couple of hours along the coast at a longhouse right on the beautiful white sand beach. The sun shone, lots of silly games were played, DJ Gerard rocked the place, and a great time was had by all. The stunning sunset was a fitting end to what's been a really successful expedition.

We wish all the participants the very best in whatever they move on to next, and huge thanks go to the entire volunteer staff team, who have got a couple more days' work to do before they can chill out on the beach for a well deserved rest!

Grand Opening for Tampasak Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:39:00 +0000

After a challenging ten weeks in Kampong Tampasak and - over the last couple of weeks in particular - some very long days working in the hot sun, there was much excitement for Alpha 1 yesterday at the official Opening Ceremony of the new Kindergarten. And it looks fantastic!

Working closely with the community, the Raleigh group in Phase Three have put in a huge effort to finish the project on time, and the building has transformed within a matter of days. As Jim, Mark and Anna drove into Tampasak yesterday morning from Field Base, last-minute finishing touches were being added - paint was still wet and lino was just going down on the floor.

After speeches from the head of the village, known as the JKKK, the local project partner PACOS Trust, Raleigh Country Director Jim Clements and the Alpha 1 volunteer project managers Clare "Betty" Bethell and Izzy Noble, the assembled crowd was treated to a show of traditional dancing performed by some of the village's women and children.

Keen not to be outdone, after a slap-up lunch of rice and wild boar laid on by the community, Alpha 1 performed their own song-and-dance routine - to the tune of YMCA and featuring a motley assortment of fetching yellow hard hats usually worn on the construction site.

On that note, sadly that's it for the Raleigh Malaysia Spring 2008 expedition. Tomorrow, all six Alpha Groups will leave their projects for the final time and head back to Borneo Paradise for the end-of-expedition wash-up, closing ceremony and, on Tuesday 15th, the farewell beach party (featuring a final bout of fancy dress, with a disco theme this time!) Then it's time for goodbyes on the 16th, with all participants either heading off to the airport or continuing their travels.

We'll post a final update and some photos here next week...

A busy week in Imbak Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:30:00 +0000

As reported in the last blog post, industrious Alpha 3 down in Imbak Canyon have been flexing their muscles for the last week or so, getting stuck into some serious heavy lifting for the new suspension bridge. They haven't been too busy to give us an update on what they've been up to though, and so - in their own words - here's a news summary courtesy of Chrissie and Kate, the Alpha 3 'news hounds':

We had to shift the upright beams for the bridge up the hill to the trail. They're made of 'iron wood' from the Belian tree. It took 20 of us to complete the task as the beams were 13ft long and 2ft by 2ft in diameter.

We split into two groups on either side of the river to work on the bridge foundations. Group One were digging up the sand and gravel from the river and then winching it across. Group Two were then mixing the concrete to complete the foundations. It was hard work but they're finally done, - five weeks ahead of schedule!

Some of the group helped to clear away the landslide that has been blocking the road between Ranger Camp and the worksite for the last couple of months. Then we moved the timber to the worksite: 60 2x4 iron wood planks are pretty heavy. We also winched the metal suspension cable over the river. It is extremely long and heavy and we had to drag it out of the gorge, which took a lot of "One, two, three, PULL"s until it was long enough to secure to a tree to stop it falling back into the river.

Over the next few days the upright beams will be moved into place and cemented into the foundations. Meanwhile, we are feeling very settled and at home in Imbak, even producing home-baked treats from the camp kitchen, including chocolate-filled doughnuts and fresh bread. The group have also trekked to see more of the area, with a short walk from the camp to see an enormous Belian tree (estimated by the rangers to be over 1000 years old) and a longer trek up Repeater Hill to a spectacular viewpoint looking out across Imbak Canyon.

Before the end of the expedition the whole group is hoping to complete the Bucit Beruang trek, which will take us up to the summit of the North Ridge. From there, we will be able to see the mist coming up through the trees, the sunrise and the surrounding palm oil plantations, which once threatened the Imbak Canyon Reserve.

Phase 3 updates...

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:21:00 +0000

The expedition continues to fly by here in Sabah and the third and final Alpha groups are settled into their new projects and grafting hard to get their work finished and squared away in the next ten days. After eight weeks, we are of course now all Raleigh old hands, adept at sleeping in a hammock without falling out, fashioning a delicious meal out of rice and a few miscellaneous tins, washing in half a bucket of water, and removing a leech without so much as blinking...

Alpha 1 have still got plenty to do on the construction site of the new Kindergarten at Tampasak, and are putting a huge effort into getting that finished by the end of the expedition. They're now working on the walls and are busily painting everything in sight as fast as it is put up.

Alpha 2, meanwhile, have moved out of the goat shed and back to their usual riverside campsite, from where they continue to assist the community of Batu Puteh with the Eco Lodge, as well as with other projects including digging drainage trenches for villagers' houses, and cutting and stripping logs to make a boat. They inform us they recently held a fancy dress party themed 'over the bridge'. We're not sure what that means either; you'll have to ask Alpha 2...

In beautiful Imbak Canyon, Alpha 3 are putting the finishing touches to the foundations for the new suspension bridge and slowly moving the (extremely heavy) wooden support posts for the cables. There are four posts and it takes 20 people to lift one of them! Mike's birthday was celebrated in style last weekend with yet more fancy dress - a jungle theme this time.

At Alpha 4 in Danum Valley, the group is working with the rangers to clear trails and plant seeds, as well as doing some painting work at the field centre. Continuing the fancy dress trend, Alpha 4 had an animal-themed party on Wednesday. Sadly no photos of that yet, but we'll see what we can do...

Meanwhile among the Adventure groups, Alpha 5 are going great guns on their trek and are well over halfway through already, looking forward to finishing with a relaxing stint on the gorgeous tropical island of Mamutik. Alpha 6 have already finished their diving and just commenced their trek - leaving the ultimate expedition challenge 'til last!

It's a busy phase too for Field Base: Gill is still at Alpha 3 until the weekend, and was joined for a couple of days earlier this week by roving reporters Mark and Anna on their way from visiting Alpha 4. Bob has been out to Alpha 2, and the Loop (Ed, Nic and Bob again) has been to Alphas 1 and 4, heading on to Alpha 3 tomorrow but minus Ed who is now back in Field Base. Carolyn heads out on Sunday to join Alpha 6 on their trek, swapping with Antonia who will be the Field Base Medic for the final week. Then on Tuesday, Mark and Anna set out again to the Dive Island with Alpha 5, and on to the Opening Ceremony at Tampasak with Jim, if Alpha 1 achieve their goal of completing the construction work on the new Kindergarten. Phew.

The end is in sight, with just over a week still to go. As always, please keep your messages coming - we'll be printing them all out to stick up on the notice board at the end of expedition when we return to the very lovely Borneo Paradise...

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:06:00 +0000

Changeover 2 - Borneo Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Changeover 2 was a monumental event with loads of fun and games had by all. Situated at the lovely Borneo Paradise, everyone had a good old chin wag to catch up with all the news from the project sites in phase 2 and the participants performed their skits from their alpha groups to fill us all in on their activities. Lots of laughs were had, and everyone enjoyed receiving their mail and blog posts from home.

Tuesday involved lots of swimming and sunbathing the participants all enjoyed the Easter themed games in and around the pool. In the new alpha groups, they had to do a relay race in a ridiculous number of inflatables, an egg and spoon race, a jelly eating competition and a treasure hunt. The winning team Alpha 5 enjoyed their mini eggs to the max!

With a very early start on Wednesday all the participants deployed to their last project of the expedition (aahhh).

Prepared for lots of hard work with PMs Betty and Izzy, Alpha 1 will finish (fingers crossed) the Kindergarten in Tampasak. These hard workers are: Alice Small, Andrew Dockerty, Anna Underwood, Ariana Janjua, Edward Dick, Guy Woodgate, Helen Armstrong, Jack Kessler, James Carn, Jonathon Morris, Rosie Curtis, Roy Johnson, Song Jie Lim, Thomas Hywel-Edwards and Vicki Unwin.

Ready to enjoy the community and eco lodge of Batu Puteh with PMs Alex and Bev, Alpha 2 are: Alex Robinson, Anubhav Datta, Catherine Hirst, David Smith, Estanto Karulus, Fredrick Jago, Helena Brice, Jennifer Sheardown, Lucy Hitchen, Sam Gost, Sarah Turpin, Sophie Hiatt, Tom Lowe and William Novell.

Building the bridge in the amazing environment of Imbak Canyon with PMs Sancia and Skinner and special guest appearance from our admin officer Gill, Alpha 3 are: Alice Baxter, Ashley Smith, Bivieana Fredzex, Charlie Beadle, Christina Stocking, Eleanor Stewart, George Askew, Jia Loon Chong, Jonathon Pilcher, Kate Lomas, Michael Richards, Philippine Ruskamp and Samantha Pitts.

Heading to Danum Valley with Alpha 4 to enjoy the exceptional wildlife with PMs Kate and Penny are: Aleksander Piskorz, Andrew Morton, Christian Davies, Christopher Hill, Daniel Robinson, Emma Williamson, Jasper Fry, Jeremy Marchant, Jon Peters, Lizzie Rumble, Lu Yi Yap, Mark Abram, Sailee B Limat, Sophie de Valk and Stephanie Le Cornu.

Hitting the road to trek round Long Pa Sia then enjoy the diving off Mamutik Island is Alpha 5 with PM Jon and PM/Medic Karen: Emma King, Iman Effendi, Jack Moody, Jessica Greenwood, Lauren Roberts, Malcolm Chambers, Michael Donlea, Michael Anstis, Sieb van Es, Tamara Castelli, Tom Davies and William Evans.

Last but not least are Alpha 6. Chillaxing on the dive island and getting the open water qualification before trekking round Long Pa Sia with PM Bec and PM/Medic Antonia are; Anna King, Camilla Stasiak, Casper Todd, Clare Morrow, Cyril Masuil, Edward berrill, Grace Bickmore, Julia Robertson, Richard Wingfield Digby, Ryan Marshall, Tobias Steadman and William Newman.

Squaring everything away and running the show back at field base in sunny KK are: the big cheese Jim, DEL boy Ed, number cruncher Nic, Martin'll fix-it and Medical extraordinaire/Staff Liaison Officer Carolyn. Out on the road throughout to get lots of good stories and pictures are our intrepid reporter Anna and snap happy Mark. A big thanks goes to Dr Adrian who is off to sunnier skies - we will miss all your invaluable advice and quality jokes.

A Day in the Life of Alpha 4

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:57:00 +0000

- BEEP, BEEP BEEP it's 07.00 and time for a quick assessment of the night's kitchen raid. Was it Ed the Bearded Pig trashing the place, or a leopard monkey? Or was it one of Richard's midnight feasts?

- 07.10 and whoever is on housekeeping duty stirs, taking comfort only in the racket they can create to make sure everyone else wakes up too.

- At 07.20 breakfast is served, and grumbles about who's taken too much porridge are heard.

- 07.55 means it's 5 minutes to the scheduled time to start work, and Caspar tumbles out of bed.

- At 08.30, after half an hour of waiting for the rangers, the group are cranky after the early start and high levels of caffeine from their morning coffee(s).

- 10.30 and after two hours of hard graft Alpha 4 take a break from digging holes and painting, for a well deserved bag of banana chips.

- At 12.00 it's time for lunch. Housekeeping have outdone themselves yet again, with two packets of crackers and a scraping of peanut butter. The daily squabble over who gets to eat the cracker crumbs ensues (Anu wins). After lunch, the group chill out until their next shift begins.

- 14.00 and back to work with lots of sweating - it's hot.

- At 17.00 the group head back to camp and the queue for the shower begins.

- At 19.00, refreshed and a little less smelly, Alpha 4 relax and reflect on the day's achievements.

- 20.00 decisions, decisions! What feast will we whip up tonight? Alpha 4's amazing cook SJ is guaranteed to impress.

- At 21.00, with a full dinner in our bellies, Alpha 4 sit down to another evening of banter.

A Day in the Life of Alpha 1

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:53:00 +0000

- Early morning wake-up for radio check with Field Base and porridge - mmm...

- Off down to the work site for an 8am start and wait to see if the carpenters are there today, to get cracking on continuing to build the Kindergarten.

- After work, the group have been taking it in turns to teach English to the kids, and later to the adults, in the village.

- At 4pm it's sports time in the village, with the choice of badminton or football.

- The evenings are full of experimenting with our food rations to make the best dessert, followed by at least one game of Mafia.

- The various other things Alpha 1 are up to include cooking and Malay lessons with the villagers, and visiting the oil palm plantations.

- By the end of this phase, Alpha 1 hope to have completed laying down the floorboards in the Kindergarten and made a start on the roof.

A Day in the Life of Alpha 2

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:02:00 +0000

Hot on the heels of A Day in the Life of Alpha 3, we bring you A Day in the Life of Alpha 2:

- Up at 7am in the comfortable but smelly surrounding of the goat shed, a bit sore from sleeping on the hard floor.

- After a quick bowl of porridge, we're off to the MESCOT building [the project partners] to catch a boat down the flooded river to our work site. This invariably takes longer than planned. We're laden with three bowls [for washing, rinsing and bleaching mess tins etc] and the various parts of our work site cracker lunch, and usually grumpy from the early morning drizzle.

- Wildlife on the journey consists of anything from hornbills and storks to red leaf monkeys and colobus monkeys in the trees on the banks.

- After our radio check with Field Base we get cracking on the day's work. More recently this has involved filling vast numbers of sandbags with sand and wheelbarrowing them half a km to the far side of the eco lodge. However, in that past we've also shovelled ankle deep mud and fished sandbags out of a waist-deep pool full of leeches, where some rampaging elephants had knocked them in.

- Lunch is a relaxed affair, with lots of snoozing in wheelbarrows and drying of socks, accompanied by copious quantities of crackers and peanut butter.

- Afternoon work is much the same: lots of carrying and grunt work. It's quite a big step up for most of us as it's really hard work, but immensely satisfying at the end of the day when you see what you've accomplished.

- After work is always nice and relaxed as we have a couple of hours free. The options are: having a wash on the jetty; strolling over the bridge into town to have some roti susu and a diary writing session; or just relaxing at the goat shed.

- There's always something different going on for dinner as well. The most basic is staying at the goat shed, cooking and eating outside at the side of the road, much to the annoyance of the occasional passing pick-up truck. There's also a riverside cafe next to the MESCOT building, which serves a sumptuous dish of chicken and noodles with a fried egg on top. We've also had cooking lessons at MESCOT and homestays during our time here.

- Finally, after dinner there's usually some kind of entertainment being put on by the MESCOT guys for the tourists - e.g. martial arts lessons or cultural dancing and music shows - which we're welcome to crash. Otherwise, Mafia is always a great game to fall back on...

- Everyone's generally tucked up in bed by 11 o'clock, reading, diary writing or just getting some much needed sleep for the day ahead.

Loop No. 2 returns!

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:21:00 +0000

Hooray, the Phase 2 Loop has successfully made it round its tour of Alphas 1-4 and returned safe and sound to Field Base to tell the tale. The first and most important thing to report is that everyone is doing great and there is plenty going on at all the project sites. Here's a rundown of all the latest news...

The Loop set off from Field Base last weekend, with Logistics Martin (aka Bob) and Expedition Leader Larissa sharing the driving, and Administrator / Accountant Gill manning the GPS and navigation side of things. It was a bright and early start as the first stop was Alpha 4 down in Danum Valley, a full (and long) day's drive from Field Base in KK. Arriving late afternoon, the Loop set about its normal business of distributing post (and blog comments, of course), collecting outgoing letters, and opening a small mobile shop of essential items that participants might need - shampoo, postcards, mozzie repellent, choccie bars etc...

Caspar and SJ relaxing in the spare Alpha 4 hammocks

After a delicious dinner featuring banana fritters and custard for pudding, everyone hung out and chatted then headed for their bunks ready for another long drive for the Loop and some hard manual labour for Alpha 4! The next day the group had arranged with the local rangers to help dig up an elephant's skeleton known to be underground nearby, and as the Loop departed they were hard at work with pick-axes and shovels. (Unfortunately, it took a full two days of digging and the assistance of a JCB and a Caterpillar earth mover before they located the elephant. Even more unfortunately, once it was found it quickly became obvious that despite being dead and buried for over a year the elephant was not yet fully decomposed and gave off a nasty niff once un-earthed, at which point Alpha 4 beat a hasty retreat. They do now have a three-foot elephant bone at their camp site as a souvenir of the experience, however!)

Alpha 4 digging for buried elephants...

The Loop's next stop was Alpha 2 in Batu Puteh. As the blog has already reported previously, due to heavy rains and high water levels Alpha 2 have had to evacuate their riverside campsite and set themselves up temporarily in the village goat shed. Although the river is now finally starting to drop, they are still at the goat shed at the moment, but it is hoped that the next group in Phase 3 will be able to return to the campsite. As the Loop discovered, it is actually not a bad little place - nice and dry, with a handy porch for cooking and storing muddy wellies.

Alpha 2 relaxing at the headquarters of MESCOT, their project partners

Despite the inclement weather, Alpha 2 have still continued to get stuck into their work and are building up plenty of muscles doing lots of lifting and digging at the eco lodge, where they have been laying paths and walkways. And it appears they're not tired enough from all that activity, as they're still finding time to fit in a bit of sport and this weekend they've got a football match scheduled with the community.

From Batu Puteh, the Loop headed on to Alpha 3 in Imbak Canyon. It was Martin's birthday so the Field Base visitors were greeted with great festivity and an enormous feast of Thai curry followed by Project Manager Skinner's now legendary bannoffee pie. After a slow start to the phase due to (yes, you've guessed it) the rain, Alpha 3 are now flying through their work on the suspension bridge and are hoping to complete the foundations by the end of this phase.

Andrew getting the Alpha 2 kitchen ready for breakfast - very early!

It was an early-ish night with very full stomachs, as some of the group were getting up even earlier than the Loopsters the next morning to go on a dawn walk with the rangers. Close behind, the Loop headed off at first light for the final leg of their journey, visiting Alpha 1 at Tampasak. As well as cracking on with the floor and wall supports for the Kindergarten, the group there has also found time to organse a sports day for the local kids. However, despite spending their days wielding tools and lugging heavy loads around their work site, puny Alpha 1 still lost the tug-o-war!

The kids of Tampasak showing Alpha 1 how it's done...

Finally, as you know Alphas 5 and 6 sadly can't receive a visit from the Loop as they are all out either trekking in the jungle or diving on Mamutik island. However, we are still in touch with them every day over the radios and can report that all is well. Alpha 5, first of all, have had a brilliant trek - the total opposite of the weather experienced by the trekkers in Phase 1, with scarcely a drop of rain! They've now moved across to Mamutik to complete their diving courses. Alpha 6, meanwhile, are just completing their trek and preparing to return to KK for Changeover - when the whole expedition gets back together, sorts out all the kit and swaps into new (and final!) Alpha groups for Phase 3.

There'll be another update on the blog as soon as the new Alpha groups are announced, so you'll know who is where for the final phase. Keep an eye out for that towards the end of the week...

A Day in the Life of Alpha 3

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:59:00 +0000

The Loop is still out and about on its tour of the Alpha groups. So far Loopsters Bob, Gill and Larissa have dropped in on Alpha 4 in Danum Valley, Alpha 2 at Batu Puteh and Alpha 3 at Imbak Canyon, and today they are on the final leg of their round-trip, which sees them at Alpha 1 in Tampasak.

Each of the Alpha Groups has been asked to prepare a 'Day in the Life' that we hope to publish here on the blog to help friends and family at home get more of an idea of what the average Raleigh day looks like here in Sabah. Those will be trickling in over the radios and in person via the Loop, and we hope to get them online over the next few days. For now, Alpha 3 in Imbak Canyon get a gold star for sending theirs in early - and here it is:

07.00: Andy wakes everyone up, if they haven't already stirred. All listen to jungle sounds...

07.15: Everyone makes porridge in their individual mess tin, tailored to personal preference but usually with loads of sugar. The more adventurous add raisins and hot chocolate powder.

08.00: The Day Leader and Deputy Day Leader radio in to Field Base with the daily update.

08.30: The Day Leader then ushers the whole group across the river to the Alpha 3 work site, with everyone sporting ultra-fashionable trekking sandals. Once safely across the river, they switch to hiking boots for the muddy and steep ascent to their work site.

Rest of morning: Half of the group collect sand and gravel from the riverside in baskets and cart it all up the hill. It is very sweaty work. Meanwhile, the other half of the group begin mixing cement, which they pour into the foundations for the bridge, where the steel suspension cables will be attached.

12.15: Alpha 3 break for lunch, which is prepared by that day's housekeeping team (2-3 participants who stay behind to cook, clean the camp site etc) and usually involves crackers, peanut butter, chocolate spread and home-made pâté fashioned from Raleigh Rations. Project Manager Sancia offers a lunchtime pilates class, which everyone joins in. Sancia's Salon then opens for eyebrow plucking etc, and some of the group nip off for a quick sunbathe.

14.00: The group return to work. Some manage a leeching and screams of 'Argh, get it off' echo around Imbak.

16.00: After two more hours of sweaty work, all relish a swim in the river. Some make use of the waterfall for a power shower. Others choose to hang out at the beach area close to the camp site.

17.00: On return to camp, jerry cans and buckets are filled with water and slowly carried uphill by groaning participants. The housekeeping team begins preparing dinner as the sound of rumbling stomachs echoes around the Canyon. It's time for some reading and letter writing to keep everyone's mind off food...

19.00: Dinner is announced and the ground shakes as all rush to form a disorderly queue. There is much pushing and shoving to re-queue for seconds and then again for pudding.

20.00: Once everyone's appetite is satisfied (or there is no more food left, whichever happens soonest) the evening is filled with chatting and games - the most popular being mafia and fancy dress nights (including a recent hip-hop/gangsta party, during which the outcome of a girls vs. boys dance-off is still hotly debated within the group).

21.00: The night gets darker, the cicadas get louder and everyone heads off to their hammocks for a hot and clammy night's sleep. A few stay up chatting until the wee small hours (which for weary Raleigh participants means about ten o'clock!)

Phase 2 – the story so far…

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:35:00 +0000

We hope you’ve all been enjoying the photos on the last blog posting (below). We hope to have some more pics for you soon. Meanwhile, the participants have been in their new Alpha groups for over a week now (which incidentally means the expedition is halfway through, already!) Here’s a quick round-up of what everyone’s been up to so far in Phase 2:

Alpha 1 down at Tampasak have been making a few improvements to their campsite and have built what they assure us is a luxury long drop. (Field Base can’t wait to check that out when we visit on the Loop!) The group has been settling nicely into village life, playing football with the local children, going along to church on Sunday morning, and continuing their cooking and Malay lessons. Alpha 1 are making progress fitting the floor of the new Kindergarten they are building in the village, and have also visited the nearby palm oil plantations.

Project Manager Betty collecting oil palm kernels.

After the recent heavy rains across Sabah, Alpha 2 in Batu Puteh have been keeping a close eye on the Kinabatangan River. When the rising water eventually got a bit too close to their camp site at the weekend, they decided to pack up and de-camp to higher ground in the village. So, until the river levels drop, Alpha 2 are now safely installed in the goat shed (minus the goats). It might be a little bit smelly, but it’s actually a lot more luxurious than the description suggests and in many ways it’s an upgrade on the Alpha 2 camp site as it boasts four walls, a floor and a roof! Despite the rain, Alpha 2 are keeping busy laying pathways at the Eco Lodge, as well as learning traditional dancing, music, cooking and the ancient Malaysian martial art of Silat, with the local community.

Alpha 2 Project Managers Jon, Nic and Penny gave Field Base visitors Ed and Dad a guided tour of their luxury goat shed.

Alpha 3 have also been suffering from river-related problems. In fact, they win the Phase 2 prize for the longest journey to reach their camp site. After an un-scheduled overnight stop in everyone’s favourite place, Telupid, they eventually managed to make it as far as the very smart Imbak Canyon Rangers' Camp (pictured here and built by previous Raleigh expeditions). However, the group's attempts to reach the Raleigh campsite were then thwarted because the river was too high to cross. They finally made it to their campsite on Monday this week but it’s continued to rain hard ever since, hampering their efforts to get stuck into work on the suspension bridge.

Imbak Canyon Rangers' Camp

However, rain has eased in the last couple of days and Alpha 3 have been busy moving lots of sand and gravel, to begin mixing the cement for the bridge foundations. They also held a Gangsta Rap party last night to mark the halfway point in the expedition - we're looking forward to seeing the photos from that...

Alpha 4 down in Danum Valley have maintained their Kings and Queens of Fancy Dress reputation by throwing an '80s party to launch Phase 2. They’ve also trekked to Tembling waterfalls, cleared trails, made sushi (we’re very impressed!), collected wild ferns to eat for their dinner, and continuing their attempts (so far in vain) to stop the resident bearded pig raiding their camp kitchen. Remaining on a wildlife theme, lucky Alpha 4 reported yesterday that they'd spent an hour watching orang-utans in the trees around their campsite.

The Alpha 4 Bearded Pig, nicknamed Ed (confusingly, as she's a sow with piglets...)

Down in Long Pa Sia, Alpha 5 have been enjoying their trekking, which (touch wood) has been unusually rain-free so far - so much so that Field Base has had to check that Alpha 5 are actually still in Borneo, after they reported that the overnight weather had been "dry and cold". Today they are trekking to spectacular Maga Falls, before a final four days back towards Long Pa Sia and the return to KK, from where they'll head over to Mamutik Island for a week's diving.

Beautiful Maga Falls, near Long Pa Sia in south-western Sabah

Finally, over on Mamutik, Alpha 6 have been enjoying some welcome sunshine. As well as gaining their PADI scuba qualifications, they have been planting coral and assisting with a seabed clean-up. They also managed to squeeze in some time to lounge around on the beach, go snorkelling and play volleyball. This week the group left their paradise beach for the depths of the jungle, and headed down to Long Pa Sia to begin their 12-day trek. So far, that's been going really well and the sun has been shining on Alpha 6...

Mamutik Island at sunset

The Loop vehicle - manned by Bob, Gill and Larissa - will be heading out from Field Base this weekend, calling at Alphas 1-4, so we hope to bring you more news and photos when they're back next week. Please keep your comments coming in the meantime - anything received before Saturday will be printed out and sent round with the Loop. The Alpha groups love hearing from you!

More photos from Phase 1...

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:02:00 +0000

Hi blog readers and thanks as always for your comments, which the Field Base volunteer staff are continuing to pass on to the Alpha groups whenever we get the chance.

A few of you have asked if it’s possible to see more photos. As you may have gathered, it’s tricky for us to get hold of pictures during each phase as the project sites are quite remote and therefore far away from computers and blogging opportunities.

However, we have managed to get hold of some great pictures from Phase 1, so here are a few highlights from the first few weeks of the expedition.

[Also, a quick note on picture size: on our slow internet connection here it can take a painfully long time to upload large files, so apologies if the photos are not as big as we’d prefer.]

Thanks for bearing with us and we hope you continue to enjoy the blog!

ALPHA 1 - BUILDING A KINDERGARTEN IN TAMPASAK

ALPHA 2 - HELPING TO COMPLETE THE ECO-LODGE IN BATU PUTEH

ALPHA 3 - SUSPENSION BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN IMBAK CANYON

ALPHA 4 - CLEARING TRAILS AND ASSISTING SCIENTISTS IN DANUM VALLEY

ALPHA 5 - TREKKING AROUND LONG PA SIA THEN DIVING OFF MAMUTIK ISLAND

ALPHA 6 - DIVING OFF MAMUTIK ISLAND THEN TREKKING AROUND LONG PA SIA

Phase 2 Alpha Groups revealed...

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:39:00 +0000

Hooray, everyone made it safely back from Phase 1 and, for a mad 36 hours from Monday evening to Wednesday morning, all volunteer staff and participants left their campsites around Sabah and met up again to find out about Phase 2 projects, get to know their new Alpha groups, wash all their grubby kit, pick up fresh supplies, play games, eat donuts and generally catch up.

The Raleigh Malaysia Spring 2008 expedition blog can now exclusively reveal who will be where for the next three weeks:

Joining Betty and Izzy in Alpha 1 to continue building a Kindergarten in the village of Tampasak are: Alice Baxter, Andrew Morton, Charlie Beadle, Christian Davis, Edward Berrill, Jasper Fry, Jonathan Pilcher, Julia Robertson, Lizzie Rumble, Lu Yi Yap, Michael Anstis, Vinay Gandhi and William Evans.

Off to Alpha 2 in the community of Batu Puteh with Jon, Nic and Penny are: Camilla Stasiak, Emma King, Iman Effendi, Jeremy Marchant, Jessica Greenwood, Jonathan Morris, Kate Lomas, Ryan Marshall, Roy Johnson, Sailee Limat, Sieb van Es, Stephanie Le Cornu, Tom Davies and William Newman.

Heading to Alpha 3 in Imbak Canyon with Sancia, Skinner, Medic Carolyn and (for the next week or so) Photographer Mark are: Alex Robinson, Andrew Dockerty, Anna Underwood, Ariana Janjua, Clare Morrow, Cyril Masuil, Edward Dick, Grace Bickmore, Jack Kessler, Jack Moody, Malcolm Chambers, Michael Donlea, Rosie Curtis, Tamara Castelli and Thomas Hywel-Edwards.

Spending Phase 2 in Danum Valley Conservation Area with Alpha 4 Project Managers Kate and Alex are: Alice Small, Anna King, Anubhav Datta, Caspar Todd, Emilie Halligan, Jennifer Sheardown, Lauren Roberts, Richard Wingfield-Digby, Sam Gost, Samantha Pitts, Sarah Turpin, Song Jie Lim, Tobias Stedman and William Novell.

On the adventure projects, kicking off Phase 2 with a 12-day trek followed by a week’s scuba diving are Alpha 5 with Bev and Karen: Aleksander Piskorz, Ashley Smith, Bivieana Fredzex, Christina Stockting, Dan Robinson, George Askew, Guy Woodgate, Helen Armstrong, Jia Loon Chong, Lucy Hitchen, Mark Abram, Philippine Ruskamp, Sophie Hiatt and Tom Lowe.

Meanwhile, diving first with trekking still to come in a week or so’s time are Alpha 6 with Bec and Adrian: Catherine Hirst, Chris Hill, Dave Smith, Eleanor Stewart, Emma Williamson, Estanto Karulus, Frederick Jago, Helena Brice, James Carn, Jon Peters, Lewis Bowick, Mike Richards, Sophie de Valk, Vicki Unwin.

Finally, at Field Base making it all happen are: permanent staff Jim and Larissa, and volunteer staff Anna (Comms Officer and blog author), Antonia (Medic), Ed (Deputy Expedition Leader), Gill (Administrator and cake chef), Martin / “Dad” and Martin / “Bob” (both Logistics).

Trekking, diving, origami and murder!

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:34:00 +0000

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

The Loop returns!

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:54:00 +0000

A little later – and quite a lot muddier – than anticipated, the intrepid Loopsters (Ed, Martin "Bob" W and Anna) have now safely returned to Field Base after an exciting and eventful week driving around Sabah visiting Alphas 1–4 at their project sites. A fantastic time was had by all, and we’ve got plenty to tell you about how everyone’s doing and what they're all up to. So here goes…

DAY 1
The views were stunning as we headed off at first light last Thursday, driving out of town, up into the hills and past Mount Kinabalu. Squeezed into a 4x4 with tons of kit plus two extra passengers (team coach Penny and participant Anu, both transferring from Alpha 6 to Alpha 1) the Loop’s first destination was the village of Tampasak.

Getting to Tampasak from Field Base involves a 3-ish hour on-road drive from KK to Telupid (the kind of town you would only go to if you’re on your way to somewhere else, although the Loop Crew developed a certain affection for it) and then an off-road drive that could take anything from two hours to two days (see posting from 5th Feb). We managed the whole journey in a respectable ten-ish hours, despite being faced with The Hill of Death (very steep muddy track) and The Bog of Doom (very deep squelchy track).

On arrival at Tampasak the Loop was greeted by sugar-crazed Alpha 1s desperate to get their hands on the fizzy drinks and chocolate on sale in the Loop shop. Cravings satisfied, the group then gave us a guided tour round their campsite, which is on a gentle slope on the edge of the village, with a nice cooling breeze and amazing views. They've been given the use of the community hall (see left) and have set up their basha (sleeping bunks) inside, with a kitchen and lounging area at the back under a tarpaulin.

Alpha 1 have settled nicely into the community - teaching English (the song Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is a particular favourite), playing football and badminton with the local kids, and receiving Malay language and cooking lessons. They are making good progress on their kindergarten construction site, where they have now put in the supporting stilts and begun work on the floor.

DAY 2

After another pre-dawn wake-up call, the Loop bid a fond farewell to Alpha 1 and set off bright and early, having dropped off Penny and Anu and picked up Expedition Photographer Mark. However, we had not reckoned on The Revenge of The Bog of Doom, which despite our best efforts, and much pushing and pulling, had us well and truly stuck in the mud until a truck came from Tampasak to tow us out. Undeterred and in true British fashion, we awaited the cavalry with a nice cup of tea brewed up at the roadside, and a slice of fruitcake...

Without enough time to get to our next destination - Alpha 4 at Danum Valley - in daylight, we stopped off at the river to wash our now extremely mud-encrusted vehicle, then had an unscheduled overnight stop in (yup, you've guessed it) Telupid.

DAY 3
The Loop set off once again at Early O'clock the next morning, fortified by porridge cooked up on our trangia stove, with a magnificent view of the sun rising over Telupid's carpark, rubbish bins and resident pack of stray dogs. We continued on the main road towards the south-east coast of Sabah and the town of Lahad Datu. From there, it was off-road once again as we entered the Danum Valley Conservation Area and were wowed by the awesome scenery.

Alpha 4 are living in a fantastic campsite in the middle of the forest, built by Raleigh volunteers on previous expeditions and with a few improvements added by the current group. It has wooden walkways connecting a sleeping area, kitchen and dining area, and - incredibly for a Raleigh project - a loo and shower block with running water. The participants have been fine-tuning their cooking skills too, and the hungry Loopsters were impressed by a delicious two-course dinner rustled up from Raleigh rations.

The day the Loop was there, some of Alpha 4 had spotted an orang-utan in the trees above their camp. We were also visited by a bearded pig and her piglets, who seemed to be taking quite an interest in the camp kitchen...

Day 4

Reluctantly leaving Danum - and Mark, who has stayed on there for a few days to take some photos - the Loop headed back to Lahad Datu and on towards Batu Puteh and Alpha 2.

On the edge of the Kinabatangan River, the Alpha 2 campsite boasts spectacular views. Situated about 15 minutes' walk from the village and about 15 minutes by boat from the site of the eco-lodge the group is helping to construct, Raleigh Palace (as it's become known) has the usual basha for sleeping, and covered areas for cooking and eating, as well as a jetty for washing, lounging around and keeping an eye out for wildlife along the riverbank.

Just like Alpha 1 in Tampasak, Alpha 2 are making the most of living and working alongside the local community. Post-work volleyball matches have become a daily fixture, and the participants are also getting stuck into Malay cooking, language and culture. To show off their new found skills, Alpha 2 treated the Loop to an evening of local cuisine (curry, rice and pumpkin, with home-made donuts to follow) accompanied by traditional music and dancing.

Day 5

Having woken to a stunning sunrise over the Kinabatangan River the next morning, the Loop hit the road once again. Our final destination was Imbak Canyon, which meant a third trip to Telupid and then another off-road stint, mainly through palm oil plantations. This time we managed not to get stuck in the mud, and were met by the rangers, who helped us to get our stuff across the Imbak River in a little boat, followed by a drive to a second river next to Alpha 3's campsite. There, the group helped to carry all the Loop kit across the water and gave us a guided tour of their fantastic new home - which was built by previous Raleigh volunteers for the film crew of BBC documentary series 'Expedition Borneo' - and their work site, where they are making a fantastic start on the new suspension bridge.

The Alpha 3 set-up is amazing, with tons of space to hang out. The sleeping basha has lovely long, comfy bunks and is connected by wooden walkways to a big dining area, kitchen and another space to sit and chill out. There are 'proper' loos (not plumbed in, but they look nice) and the river provides the best washing facilities anyone could wish for.

After seizing the opportunity for a refreshing swim and much needed scrub-down, the Loop sat down to a sumptuous Alpha 3 feast featuring home-made veggie burgers and Raleigh-style banoffee pie. Suitably stuffed, we spent the rest of the evening playing games (superbly compered by participant Mike) and listening to the sounds of the jungle.

Day 6
Gutted to be leaving beautiful Imbak and hospitable Alpha 3 (and to be getting up outrageously early for the umpteenth day in a row) the Loop set off back towards Field Base. Escorted off the campsite and back over the river by Project Managers Bec, Skinner and Sancia, we happily whiled away a few spare minutes waiting for the rangers to pick us up at 7am (see left). And then, after another roadside porridge breakfast by the Imbak River, we were off. With a fourth and final stop to enjoy the sights (well, yummy fried noodles and iced coffee) in Telupid, the Loop hit the surfaced roads again and drove back to Kota Kinabalu, civilisation and Gill's delicious home-made cakes at Field Base.

Week 1 on project sites

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:14:00 +0000

Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who has left comments on the blog – we’re delighted it’s being read! We will try to make sure your messages are seen by all Alpha Groups at changeover (the mad couple of days between phases when everyone swaps projects).

It’s already a week since Phase 1 began, and Raleigh participants and staff have been getting stuck into their projects. As you may have gathered by now, the weather in Sabah has been pretty rainy and so for most groups getting their campsites shipshape has been a priority. Here’s a quick rundown of what each of the Alpha Groups has been up to:

In the village of Tampasak, ALPHA 1 have made fast work of completing the foundations of the Kindergarten, and have started on the stilts that will support the structure. They have set up a luxurious campsite with kitchen, dining area, a “snazzy” long-drop (their words – we are all intrigued!), a washing area and hammocks. They have also been busy learning Malay and giving English lessons in the community.

Meanwhile, down in Batu Puteh, ALPHA 2 have been making good progress despite the heavy rain. They have made repairs to improve their camp site on the shores of the Kinabatangan River, set up a system for collecting fresh water, and visited the eco lodge where they will be working on the construction site. They have also been working with the local community to plant trees in areas affected by fire or deforestation. On a day off, they visited the local caves famous for the birds' nests much prized in Chinese cuisine – and stepped in lots of bat droppings!

In Imbak Canyon, ALPHA 3 have been getting back to nature, including plenty of close encounters with bats, bugs and the odd leech. Work was hampered at first by high water levels in the river, but they are now able to get to their construction site (which we are pleased to announce has been declared a leech-free zone!) They have been on a trek with the local rangers and are hoping to do a night-time trek in the next few days, to spot nocturnal wildlife.

ALPHA 4 are settling into life in Danum Valley Conservation Area and have already spotted tons of wildlife, including orang-utans, flying squirrels and snakes! They’re also well on the way to earning a reputation as the Alpha Group party animals, having already organised not just one but two parties: Valentine’s Day fancy dress and limbo, and an American theme night complete with burgers and card games. They have made repairs to their campsite, played football with the rangers (Raleigh lost!), met the scientists at the Field Centre, and are helping to clear an orchid trail in the forest.

ALPHA 5 made the most of a slight delay in the start of their trek (while Field Base rushed some replacement bits of radio kit down to Long Pa Sia) and organised a disco and a feast to celebrate Carolyn’s birthday. Since then, the group have been getting stuck into their trekking and fine-tuning their jungle skills as they set up a new camp each afternoon.

Finally, after a somewhat damp and blustery week on the island of Mamutik, ALPHA 6 have completed their PADI scuba diving qualifications and have now just headed down to Long Pa Sia to commence their 12-day trek (separate from Alpha 5 but in the same area). They too were keen to join in the Valentine’s Day celebrations last week, staging Alpha 6 Blind Date hosted by Cilla Black aka Andrew. We look forward to seeing the photos!

Tomorrow, what’s known in Raleigh speak as The Loop will be heading out from Kota Kinabalu. The Loop is basically a Landrover full of Field Base staff and lots of kit, which travels (in a sort of loop-type shape) around Sabah in the middle of each phase. The Loop aims to visit all the static sites (i.e. Alphas 1–4) bringing supplies, picking up and dropping off any staff who need to move sites, and generally checking in with the projects.

Your fearless blog correspondent will be braving car sickness and Ed's Bryan Adams albums, to travel in the Loop vehicle and bring you live news (and hopefully some photos) direct from the Alpha Groups. So please look out for further updates here in around a week’s time…

Miscellaneous missed-out bits…

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:20:00 +0000

As you’ll probably have gathered, it’s been a packed schedule for the last few weeks here at Raleigh Malaysia. Hopefully all the most important info has appeared on the blog already, but now that there are a few spare minutes, here are a few bits and pieces that didn’t make it until now. (For an update on how things have gone for the Alpha Groups during their first week out on project sites, please check back here around the middle of next week.)

4 February 2008: volunteer managers’ karaoke night
Karaoke is huge in Malaysia and an essential part of any cultural induction. However, to save all our blushes, it would probably be kinder to quietly gloss over the staff team’s karaoke night… But of course that’s not going to happen! So here are a few selected highlights:

· Martin W’s Hawaiian shirt
· Bev singing in Malay
· Jon’s Elvis impression
· The boys sing Spice Girls
· The girls sing Tiffany
· Sancia, Carolyn and Alex get Bootylicious
· Penny’s FAME dance

[Ever the dedicated roving reporter, your very own blog correspondent was on the scene as always. I won't give up the day job yet though - my full-tilt rendition of Hey Big Spender was met with slightly stunned silence broken only by Country Director Jim: “Blimey, she’s got a pair of lungs on her”...]

6/7 February 2008: participants arrive!
The expedition properly kicked off with the arrival of our nine host country participants, from here in Sabah as well as from West Malaysia. After a quick stop-off at Field Base, they headed over to the camp site where they would be spending the next week or so. The next day, and coinciding with Chinese New Year (sort of the Malaysian equivalent of arriving in the UK on Christmas Day, only with fireworks) it was the turn of the rest of the participants, who reached Kota Kinabalu safe and sound if a bit tired and bedraggled after their long flights.

7–11 February 2008: participant induction
With the whole expedition now in one place – the same fantastic riverside camp site where the staff had their inductions a few weeks ago – the Raleigh timetable kicked into action like a well-oiled machine. (Well ok, maybe more like a slightly rusty second-hand machine, but we are operating on Sabah Time!) The participants were put into temporary groups known as Delta Groups (before their final Alpha Groups were confirmed) and over five busy days they took part in ice-breakers and name games, a swimming test and admin sessions; they had their photos taken individually and with the whole expedition; they learnt about health and safety, and first aid; they were trained in camp craft, river crossings, radios, navigation and tools; and for a bit of light relief, they joined in quizzes and games, and watched staff make idiots of themselves performing skits.

Probably the biggest event of the inductions was an overnight trek into the jungle. Just like the staff volunteers a few weeks ago, the participants packed up all their stuff and carried it over a steep hill to a spot where they would set up camp for the night. The weather was not especially kind and there was plenty of rain and mud. However, it was a great opportunity for participants to put their new-found camp skills to the test when rigging up their hammocks and tarpaulins – some of which turned out to be more sturdy and weatherproof than others (although there was only one reported incident of the thud...ouch that signals a hammock giving its occupant a rude awakening in the night).

12 February 2008: Opening Ceremony
The day before they headed off to their various project sites, all participants returned to Kota Kinabalu to find out their final Alpha Groups and sort out all their (mostly already pretty muddy) kit, ready for an early start on the 13th. The whole Raleigh group was also treated to a buffet dinner and traditional Malaysian dancing at the official Opening Ceremony for the expedition, courtesy of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sabah. Tiredness soon evaporated as everyone tucked into some fantastic Malaysian food and willing volunteers got up on stage to join in the dancing.

Then it was finally time to go: after a 5 o’clock start the next morning, Field Base staff waved off the project managers and participants as each Alpha Group headed off – with lots of hugs, a few tears and plenty of bleary eyes – to their first projects…

Who's gone where?

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:57:00 +0000

Phew, at the end of a long, wet and muddy week of inductions, everyone has managed to cram all their kit back into their rucksacks and, with much excitement, headed off this morning to their project sites around Sabah. Here's a quick rundown of who's gone where. More info to follow soon (and please see also the last posting, below, for a brief summary of each project)...

ALPHA 1
Heading off to Kampong Tampasak to help build a Kindergarten with Izzy, Betty, Mark and (next week) Penny are: George Askew, Grace Bickmore, Malcolm Chambers, Jia Loon Chong, Sophie de Valk, Michael Donlea, Emilie Halligan, Jack Moody, Samantha Pitts, Michael Richards, Eleanor Stewart, Christina Stockting, Caspar Todd, Emma Williamson and Richard Wingfield Digby.

ALPHA 2
Assisting the community of Batu Puteh, and Project Managers Jon, Bev and Kelly, with the completion of the eco-lodge project are: Mark Abram, Tamara Castelli, Bivieana Fredzex, Christopher Hill, Roy Johnson, Anna King, Cyril Masuil, Clare Morrow, Jon Peters, Aleksander Piskorz, Lauren Roberts, Daniel Robinson, Philippine Ruskamp, Ashley Smith and Tobias Stedman.

ALPHA 3
Heading off to Imbak Canyon with Bec, Sancia and Skinner are: Michael Anstis, Edward Berrill, William Evans, Jessica Greenwood, Lucy Hitchen, Frederick Jago, Estanto Karatus, Tom Lowe, Ryan Marshall, Julia Robertson, Camilla Stasiak, Vicki Unwin and Sieb van Es.

ALPHA 4
On their way to Danum Valley with Kate, Alex and Adrian are: Helen Armstrong, Lewis Bowick, Helena Brice, James Carn, Tom Davies, Iman Effendi, Natalie Forrester, Sophie Hiatt, Catherine Hirst, Emma King, Alexander Merz, Jonathan Morris, William Newman, David Smith and Guy Woodgate.

ALPHA 5
Setting off to trek with Mike and Carolyn in the area around Long Pa Sia are: Alice Baxter, Rosie Curtis, Christian Davis, Andrew Dockerty, Vinay Gandhi, Sam Gost, Thomas Hywel-Edwards, Jack Kessler, Song Jie Lim, Kate Lomas, Jeremy Marchant, Matthew Page, Jonathan Pilcher, Lizzie Rumble and Sarah Turpin.

ALPHA 6
Kicking off with SCUBA training and diving off the island of Mamutik with Dave, Antonia and (for this week only) Penny are: Charlie Beadle, Anubhav Datta, Edward Dick, Thomas Dixon, Jasper Fry, Ariana Janjua, Stephanie Le Cornu, Sailee B Limat, Andrew Morton, William Novell, Alex Robinson, Jennifer Sheardown, Alice Small, Anna Underwood and Lu Yi Yap.

Project sites revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:33:00 +0000

Over the last few days all Project Managers have been out and about around Sabah, “enjoying” long and bumpy – in some cases very long and very bumpy – bus and 4x4 journeys. They’ve visited their project sites and met the project partners and communities they will be living and working alongside for the next ten weeks. Now, with just hours to go before the first participants arrive and the Raleigh Malaysia Spring 2008 Expedition swings fully into action, we can exclusively reveal details of projects and staff teams*.

[* A note on Raleigh jargon: all project groups are known as Alpha Groups and each project is allocated a number 1–6. Each Alpha Group has two or three Project Managers, who will be joined on each three-week phase by around 15 participants from the UK and Malaysia as well as other countries. Please come back for another look at the blog in around a week’s time to find out which participants will be in which Alpha Group for the first phase of their expedition...]

Community Development Projects

ALPHA 1: Building a kindergarten in Kampong Tampasak
Project Managers Izzy Noble and Clare Bethell (aka Betty) and Youth Worker Penny Hinchcliffe had an eventful trip to their project site in the rural village (kampong) of Tampasak, where over the next ten weeks Raleigh volunteers will be helping to build a kindergarten. Despite it being closer to Kota Kinabalu than any of the other project sites, they managed to take a whopping two and half days to get there, due to a combination of slow buses and not just one but two broken down cars. Undeterred, and fortified by avocado ice-cream and a slap-up curry resourcefully rustled up on trangia stoves in a car park, they eventually made it to Tampasak to meet the local school teacher and staff from the project partner, PACOS Trust.

ALPHA 2: Supporting the community of Batu Puteh with eco-tourism initiatives
Raleigh International has been working with the community of Batu Puteh since 2002, helping to develop a cutting-edge eco-tourism project. Alpha 2 will live in an environmentally sound jungle camp, just 10 minutes up river from the site of the eco lodge that they will help to construct. The team will also help develop trails, plant trees and support the local community in its battle to rid the Tungog Lake of invasive weed species Salvinia molesta. Last week Project Managers Bev Salmon, Jon Rowe and Kelly Rheam headed off to Batu Puteh to meet the community and plan the work their volunteer group will be involved in over the next ten weeks. Living in an amazing riverside setting in the rainforest, and with recent elephant and orang-utan sightings in the area, Alpha 2 are promised a fantastic project!

Environmental Projects

ALPHA 3: Trail and infrastructure development in Imbak Canyon
Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation) wants to preserve Imbak Canyon as a natural gene bank to help protect future biodiversity of the whole region, and has asked Raleigh International to help. In this expedition, Alpha 3 will be helping complete the field centre complex, develop trails into the canyon and upgrade existing tracks to a waterfall and jungle camp. The team will also begin work on a new suspension bridge across the Imbak River. Project Managers Claire Skinner, Sancia Keogh and Bec Atkins travelled to Imbak last week to meet the rangers, check out their camp site (as featured in BBC documentary “Expedition Borneo”) and hug some trees.

ALPHA 4: Trail clearance and camp construction in Danum Valley
In the world-renowned Danum Valley Conservation Area, Alpha 4 will help to improve access for scientists so that they can carry out further research. The group's ctivities will include continued trail clearance and maintenance, and building a satellite camp site near the bridge for scientists to base themselves there while conducting research. Alpha 4 Project Managers Kate Parkinson and Alex Zawadzki, with Medic Carolyn Henry, headed down to Danum last week to check it out. They soon got to know the local population of extremely large bugs, as well as a few of Danum’s famous leeches, and even spotted elephants on their first day!

Adventure Projects

ALPHA 5 & ALPHA 6: Trekking and diving
Representing Alphas 5 and 6, Trek Leader Mike Reilly, Medic Antonia Stocken and Photographer Mark Larner (he's not in this photo because he took it) headed off last week to the village of Long Pa Sia, in the south-west corner of Sabah on the Kalimantan and Sarawak border. They braved yet more leeches, not to mention a local dog taking an unusual interest in their radio log book, to meet the local guides and plan a 12-day trek through this beautiful and challenging terrain. As well as trekking, adventure groups will also qualify as scuba divers and take part in an underwater conservation programme in the stunning Tungku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Lucky them!

Jungle camp!

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:47:00 +0000

The main event of the past week has been a busy schedule of staff inductions, designed to make sure that all the Field Base team and Project Managers get to grips with everything they need to know to do their jobs brilliantly, and are able to pass on that knowledge to the participants once they arrive. Fortunately this hasn't all been yawn-inducing lectures in stuffy hot rooms, and we've been out and about in the great Malaysian outdoors...

Last week, excited and equipped with lots of shiny new kit (which needless to say didn't stay shiny for long) we all de-camped to the Traverse Activity Centre (TAC) about an hour outside Kota Kinabalu. In a stunning riverside setting on the edge of the rainforest, we learnt about navigation, tools, HF radios and essential camp craft - including putting up hammocks and tarpaulins, how and where to dig a long drop (beautifully demonstrated here by youth worker Penny) and how to safely use the Malaysian machete known as the parang.

The next stage was to put all our new-found skills and know-how into practice, with a trek through the jungle carrying all our gear and food. Setting off in high spirits, Delta Groups 1 and 2 led the way (see pic) followed by Deltas 3 and 4 bringing up the rear. After a great deal of sweating, mud and much hilarity, we all eventually made it to our temporary new home, a small clearing next to a stream where we were to set up camp for the night.

Through trial and error, we discovered some of the do's and don'ts of putting up a basha (hammock and tarpaulin): DO find two trees that are far enough apart but not too far; DON'T put your tarp up the wrong way round because you'll only have to take it down and start again (see pic of your intrepid blog correspondent, left, looking chuffed before I realised the error of my ways); DO put vaseline or sticky tape on all your ropes to deter the ants (but DON'T be surprised if they stage a surprise attack in the middle of the night anyway, the cunning little blighters).

After cooling off with a welcome and well earned dip in the stream, we whipped up a delicious gourmet feast (ok - rice, tinned curry and bean stew) on our trangia stoves and prepared for an early night, ready to be packed and breakfasted by 6am the next morning - eek!

En route back to TAC the next morning after a less than 100% restful night for some (see note on ants, above) our trudge down the mountain was interrupted by a surprise "broken leg" (cue over-acting and general melodrama from medics Carolyn and Antonia). All thoughts of lunch were abandoned as we flew into action, fashioning a stretcher from bamboo and a hammock, sending an emergency radio message, and carrying our reclining - sorry, injured - colleagues safely up and down some steep muddy banks.

So, well versed in the ways of the jungle and Raleigh procedures, we are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the participants on 6 and 7 February. In the meantime, Project Managers are visiting their project sites, meeting with project partners and generally planning for the big kick-off on 13 February when projects finally start!

Project Managers touch down

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:58:00 +0000

After a busy week for the Field Base team getting everything ready for the onslaught of the main expedition, the rest of the Project Managers have now reached Malaysia. They were welcomed to Field Base yesterday with a fantastic lunchtime curry, followed by a slideshow of the last Sabah programme in late 2007, giving a little taster of life on the projects.

With 25 people now living under one roof, Field Base is suddenly bustling – and already featuring a few gentle introductions into expedition life, including roll-mats for sleeping on the floor and bucket showers. The next few days will be a whirlwind of training and inductions, as we find out all about camp craft, operating the radios and generally equipping ourselves with all the know-how to make sure the programme is a big success.

A major part of the induction process is a three-day stint at Jungle Camp. On Thursday (tomorrow), the whole staff team will troop off to an outdoor activity training centre close to Kota Kinabalu. As well as getting to know each other better and no doubt playing lots of silly games (pictures will be posted here afterwards!) we’ll be receiving training and advice direct from the local experts, who will teach us essentials such as how to put up our hammocks without them falling down, and how to whip up sumptuous feasts using only a little stove and some dry rations…

So, watch this space for another update next week, when we’ll be back from Jungle Camp and full of stories of our adventures so far – and excited about adventures still to come!

Field Base team has landed!

noreply@blogger.com (Who we are) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:37:00 +0000

Getting everything ready for the arrival of the Volunteer Managers and Participants over the next few weeks, an advance team of eager Raleigh volunteers has already arrived at mission control - known as Field Base - on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's main city.

Field Base is the hub of all Raleigh's planning and support for our projects around Malaysia, so there is plenty to do to make sure that all the preparation and equipment are sorted out, ready for the projects to kick off in earnest in mid-February. So far, the following team members are in residence, just about recovering from jet lag and getting stuck into their respective roles:

Country Director: Jim Clements
Country Programme Manager: Larissa Robson
Deputy Expedition Leader: Ed Dimmock
Youth Worker: Penny Hinchcliffe
Medic: Antonia Stocken
Accountant: Nic Steele
Administrator: Gill McLellan
Logistics: Martin Knowles and Martin Warnock (yes, it does get confusing!)
Communications Officer: Anna March

And last but by no means least, we are being looked after by kitchen magician Lolita, whose mid-afternoon fried bananas alone may single-handedly guarantee that any hopes we may have had of losing weight while in Malaysia will almost certainly be in vain...