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World Challenge
I'm thinking about going on the Team Challenge expedition for the summer of 2006 and was wondering if anyone in here had any experiences of this scheme.
If I am to do it I will be doing it with my school and the trip will be to India (Rajasthan sp? and the Himalayas sp?) It sounds well good but its seems a lot of work aswell, like training (which I'm willing to do) but I have also have to find a way of raising the money. Its £3000 which is a lot!
Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone had been on a World Challenge expeiditon before and more speicifically the Team Challenge one, if so, what was it like, is it worth the money?
Thanks. :)
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I can't remember which one I did, I think it was a team challenge! The one during the A-Levels? Anyway, it's a huge amount of work, and a huge amount of money too.
The main thing I'd say is that it's so much better if you go with a group of people you get on with. I went to Nepal in Summer '01 with them, and I ended upgoing with a group of primarily arrogant jocks, which kinda ruined it somwehat for me.
The hiking (I presume you'd do about 2 weeks in the Himalayas? - Thats what we did) is very hard work too, by the end you just want to collapse and curl up into a ball... but then you'd have to deal with the leeches! :P
Anyway, once you've got past that, it is well worth doing. Despite all the negatives I experienced while out there, and I might even go so far as to say that at the time I didn't enjoy it quite a bit, I'm now VERY glad I went, and I think its one of the most worthwhile things I've done thus far.
Having said that, my brother did the other one (the Year 9 one) and he loved every minute of it, and is now going on the later one as well.
If you're willing to put in the effort, then I'd say go for it. :) Looks well good on your CV too...
Oh yeah, and if you've got any questions, shoot...
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Thanks for the reply.
I think we get to choose our own teams so it shuold be alrite as I'll get to be with my friends.
I've only really got one question I can think of atm, is the high altitude a problem? and how do you really train for it? Is it just cardio vascular fitness?
(I know it like three quesitons really but all linked :D)
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We took altitude pills, boosted the red blood cell count or something, but had the really odd side effect of making fizzy drinks taste flat...
Anyway, yeah, basically, cardiovascular fitness, and strong leg muscles for all that hiking :)
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O rite i see. I just thought of another question. Are there any places where I can charge stuff, like digicam and camcorder etc?
Thanks for the information btw, you've been a great help. :)
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as alex said i went on the first challenge trip to morrocco twice. (YR9/10) and im now going on the team challenge to peru summer 2005 our school does not have enough people to go on its own so we are joining up with another which could happen to you aswell so bear that in mind. however in morrocco this happened aswell and it was all good in the end. there arn't really any places you can charge digicam while you are out in the hiking stage but there might be when you are staying in proper accomodation which will not be often, so it is best if you carry spare batteries if you want to take camera.
as to fitness you will have to train and there is a training weekend which has to be attended before you can go
hope this helped
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Theres about 100 people from my school that are going to do it. But most of them are from the year below, and they are really cocky and stuff so i don't really like them. Theres about siz of us in my group so far so hoepfully we just go as a group of six.
I'll proberly just take loadsa disposable cameras :D
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If your trip is like mine was, then it may well be worth taking an APS camera for the wide shots of mountainous stuff...
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£3000 is a lot of money...in all seriousness if you have to pay yourself thing carefully...for me that is the equivalent of catered halls at uni in southampton for a year...or 3 sets of tuition fees at uni etc...Think carefully.
Altitude sickness: It can affect anyone, young old, fit, ill etc...The only real solution is to retreat back down to lower altitudes.