by Tilly | Mar 8, 2016 | Expeditions, Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
Interested in the HSX Patagonia 2017 expedition but never heard of Hampshire Scout Expeditions before? Why not join us on our annual trip to the Lake District this Easter.
Hampshire Scout Expeditions invite you to Ad+Venture our annual trip to The Lake District, March 24-28, leaving Thursday evening from various locations around Hampshire. There will be lots of activities available providing introductions to; rock climbing, scrambling, hill walking, gorge scrambling, and many more. Anyone is welcome, whether you are a seasoned mountaineer or have never been on the hills before. A great chance to meet the leadership team, find out about our expedition and many more!
If you are interested please contact us on patagonia@hsx.org.uk and we will get back to you.
Hope to see you there! -The Leadership Team
by Tilly | Feb 25, 2016 | Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
In 2017 a team of Hampshire Scouts and leaders, will take to South America to embark on a 6 week expedition to Patagonian Chile. here are some facts about the area, that you may not know, Enjoy!
The area of Patagonia spans a massive 1,043,076 km2, occupying almost half of Chile and Argentina, and yet is only home to less than 2 million inhabitants.
Until 180 million years ago, South America was knows as the super continent Gondwanaland, a combined landmass that also included India, Antarctica and Australia. The continents split, and South America drifted some 4800 kilometres westwards, to its current latitude.
There are 31 national parks located in Patagonia, each with their own unique charms: Torres Del Paine is the largest, and one of the most visited parks in Chilean Patagonia. The park is an extremely popular hiking destination.
All of Patagonia is in the Southern hemisphere, so summer is from December- March
In Chile you can find the driest place on earth- The Atacama Desert. At 7500 feet, some parts of this region have never received a drop of rain. The desert is a 1000km long strip between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, spreading over an area of 363,000 square km. Why not ask Rich – our deputy leader more about this amazing landscape?
Penguins live in Chile- penguins don’t only live in Antarctica or at the zoo, they can be found in several areas of southern Chile. They usually lounge on the beach and commute to nearby nests. Humboldt penguins, named after the current that they swim in, are also found on the north coast of Chile.
The slopes of the Andes, provides Patagonia with about 120,000 square kilometres of temperate rainforest. Home to the giant Alerce tree- the second longest living thing on the planet, similar in size to the Giant redwoods of North America, the Alerce trees are home to the rare little hill monkey, and the Patagonian toad.
The capital city of Chile is Santiago which has a population of around 7 million people, about 36% of the total population.
Travelling around in Patagonia can be quite challenging, unless you are willing so swap a bus for a hike, but this challenging aspect is what helps the region to retain its charm. Sometimes you are more likely to see more wildlife than people, and that makes this landscape 100 times more picturesque.
Most people visit between November and March, which are the warmer months in Patagonia. Warm is a relative term. Within Torres Del Paine National Park, the summer (Jan-Mar) average temperature is 41°F to 68°F (5°C- 20°C). The weather is still unpredictable. Four seasons in a day is entirely possible. Wind, rain and cold can challenge you any time of the year.
If you want to know more about the Expedition, please feel free to contact the leadership team on patagonia@hsx.org.uk
Keep Watching This Space! – The Leadership Team #Pat2017
by Ian | Feb 22, 2016 | Cambodia 2016
Well according to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page there are two paths which lead to the Stairway To Heaven, a legendary song that was inspired by a ‘trip’ to Cadair Idris. On the weekend of the 22nd to the 24th of January HSX also climbed the Stairway To Heaven, enjoying a wet and windy weekend in the mountains to the south of the Snowdonia national park. Wikipedia however claim there are three main paths (the Pony Path, the Fox’s Path and the Minffordd Path) to the top which is a height of 893m.
Our Cambodia Expedition Team along with other members of HSX set of from Ferny Crofts on Friday evening for the long drive to Mid Wales, arriving late at Joe and Dobby’s house. We all piled in, found our rooms and hit the sack for a well earned rest. Up early on Saturday morning, with sausage sarnies and porridge filling us all up before a briefing about who was in which team. Our team was all of HSX Cambodia (minus a couple, who were missed) with Dobby and Steve joining us; there were
three teams in total. The first task was to complete route cards for our weekend walk, with the aim of climbing Cadair Idris and camping out on Saturday night. When we left the comforts our hosts house the weather was good, with a mix of blue skies and cloud. We headed off in the mini buses to our start point. The walking was initially on roads before heading off onto tracks with a gentle climb to warm us up. Lots of catching up since our last weekend and conversations about what we had been up to over Christmas and the start of the New Year was a great way to begin the walk, and spirits were high all weekend.
A focus of the weekend was to learn and develop our map reading and navigation skills. We took it in turns to lead the group along our route and all of us did so with confidence and great skill. We learnt about the Four ‘D’s’ which are distance, duration, direction and description – and these are key to successful route planning and navigation.
The walk up to Cadair Idris was initially quite gentle however when the terrain became more challenging our expedition leaders took over navigation. The weather continued to be dry and mild and the mood of the group buoyant. Cadair Idris is not in the same league as the more rugged and higher peaks of Snowdonia however it looked really exciting to climb, with patches of snow still on the ground and some seriously strong winds to contend with higher up. We decided to leave packs at the bottom of the climb to save time and energy (although little did we know that some gremlins would take great delight in adding a few extra pounds of weight in the form a rocks to most of our packs!). The route up was initially straightforward and sheltered and as we gained height the terrain became steeper. Although the tracks we had been following died out, the route was still obvious and the need for map and compass was for a lot of the time unnecessary.
Lunch was eaten on the go and we got to the top of Cadair Idris early afternoon. The views were stunning and gave an amazing 360 degree panorama. After a short stop at the top we began our walk back down retracing our footsteps. The wind continued to blow and thankfully for the time being kept the clouds and rain away. On the descent we bumped into the other two HSX teams, having a quick chat before going our separate ways again. As we left the hill side and began the walk in to our camp for the night 
Matt enlightened the group on the link between Cadair Idris and Led Zeppelin. Interestingly there are numerous other myths and legends associated with this peak. With bottomless lakes and the suggestion that if you sleep alone on the slopes you will wake up as either a madman or a poet! However the mountain’s name is generally understood to refer to the mythological giant ‘Idris’ who was said to have been skilled in poetry, astronomy and philosophy.
As we neared our camp site the weather began to change and rain started to fall. Our pace quickened and as we arrived at camp and started to put up tents, the rain got worse. Tents up, dinner cooked inside the tent porch and hungry tummies fed we turned in for a very early night. Sleep was not initially on the cards, and to honest not a great deal was had by Tom, Ed or I. The sound of the wind and rain kept us awake on and off, and Ed getting acquainted with the inside of the tent which seemed to spend most of the night flat packing on his side kept some of us amused (not Ed!)
Up early and with rain still falling we had a quick breakfast on the go whilst packing up camp before a short walk back to the mini bus. Wet packs were stashed in the back before meeting up with the other two teams and commencing our drive back home. As we left the mountains behind, we took lots of great memories – the sense of achievement at having climbed Cadair Idris and getting to know both the HSX Cambodia team members and HSX members in general even more.
We arrived back at Ferny Crofts just after 3 giving us time to sort out wet tents before our lifts home arrived. Another brilliant week end. Thank you to Joe and Dobby for the use of their house, to those who arranged the weekend and those who drove. Most of all thank you to HSX Cambodia, we make a great team.
Report by Bradley Carter
Photographs by Tom Mawby & Liam Foster
by Ian | Feb 18, 2016 | Antarctica 2018
February saw the Antarctica team assemble at Badaguish near Aviemore. Joe, fresh from his Winter Mountain Leader training down the road at Glenmore Lodge, joined the rest of the team who had made the long journey up from the South.
The team planned to spend most of the week on a ski mountaineering course, building upon the success of the recent Alps ski trip in December. Making the most of the glorious conditions and fresh snowfall, the team got up bright and early on Monday morning and headed into Aviemore to collect kit and meet instructor Graham. On the hill, the group learnt how to apply ‘skins’ (strips of carpet-like material attached under the ski to provide grip when going up-hill) and headed into and Coire Laogh Mor.
On the way in, Graham coached the group on the different style of ascending steep slopes, and taught us about the different settings on our ‘risers’ allowing us to keep our feet at 900 to the slopes and ski more efficiently. Being able to lift our heels out of our bindings took a bit of getting used to, as this was totally different to downhill skiing experienced in Alpine ski resorts previously.
Expecting an easy day with lots of learning, we were soon shocked when we arrived at the tops of the Ski Tows and Graham showed us the rest of the route he had planned for us; a ‘quick’ ascent of around the side of Cairngorm, followed by Stob Corie an t’Sneachda and Cairn Lochan, before a decent down Lurcher’s Gulley. Being seasoned Scotland veterans we’d walked these routes numerous times. Never one to shirk away from a challenge, we relished the opportunity to push ourselves and skis.
Given the heavy snowfall over the weekend there was lots of powder to be found, which made for some interesting descents and our first attempt at skiing downhill saw most of the group wipe-out in deep snow. Inevitably, this was followed by much laughter from Graham who finally gave us some top tips with how to deal with deep powder… maybe we weren’t as expert as we thought! Enjoying the most of the good weather, we covered a total of 20km and enjoyed stunning blue sky views.
Our second day with Graham was a total contrast, with +100mph mile an hour winds predicted on the Cairngorm Plateau, we headed around to the Lecht Ski area an hour north of Aviemore where winds were a bit more manageable. After a bit of coaxing and digging the van out of ice, we headed out into the scrawl, Gor-Tex’d up to the eyebrows.
With lots of spindrift whipping around, the team spent the day focusing on perfecting our technique and managing our kit; an extremely useful taster for those infamous Antarctic storms! Overall, the team preformed much better and Graham was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the team picked up the skills needed to move quickly and efficiently in the mountains.
With the winds dropping and the cloud base rising, Wednesday and Thursdays saw the team heading back out into the Cairngorms in order to reinforce what we’d learnt over the previous couple of days. With the mercury heading back below freezing, the snow pack firmed up and the skiing changed, with much larger patches of ice and nevee forming; definitely a test of the team’s limits which required digging the ski’s edges into the hard-packed snow.
Overall it has been a great week in the Cairngorms learning another vital skill required for the long slog to the pole… and back.
by Ian | Feb 9, 2016 | Patagonia 2017, Patagonia 2017
Since its foundation in 1986, Hampshire Scout Expeditions (HSX) have successfully run over 20 international expeditions for Hampshire Scouts across the globe. In 2017 we’ll be breaking new ground and heading to the Patagonian Andes!
Patagonia is a sparsely populated region located at the southern tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes, characterised by granite pillars, deserts, steppes and grasslands.
Over the course of this six-week expedition the participants will experience Chile’s unique culture, incredible sights, stunning scenery and a fascinating history. All elements that we will explore as we work with its warm and welcoming people as part of a community development project. The expedition will draw upon participants from across Hampshire who, with the support of an experienced leader team, for this once in a life time experience over the winter of 2017/18.
Prior to the expedition the participant will undertake an 18 month training programming focusing on teamwork, personal development and leadership skills to ensure that members gain as much as possible from the experience. The hope that as well as being a life changing experience for those involved, such experiences and contacts will bring greater understanding and tolerance, of the multi-cultural society in which we live today.
The expedition aims to continue the HSX tradition of being a life changing experience for all involved and inspiring the next generation of expedition leaders.
If you’d like to know more about the expedition please feel free to contact the leader team (Patagonia@hsx.org.uk) or stay tuned to the blog for more details.
by Ian | Feb 1, 2016 | Antarctica 2018
Image this… you’ve just walked 15km up a 900m mountain, battling 40-50mph winds, in temperatures barely above freezing and a wind-chill of -5oC. Now picture the heavens opening and contents of your tent is slowly filling with rain…
… You’d probably think that things couldn’t get much worse! Well as Joe and Ollie were about to experience, you’d be wrong!
This was not what the start of the HSX January weekend had been like, far from it in fact.
The purpose of the roaming weekend is to visit a new upland area every year, testing our wild camping skills in deepest, darkest January. This year Joe happened to suggest visiting the Cadair Idris range of mid-Wales, an area he knows well from his work with The Outward Bound. Given its proximity to the Snowdon and Glyderau range, this part of Wales is a hidden jewel not frequently visited by hoards of tourists, giving the team the perfect opportunity to get away from it all!
It was for this reason that Joe suggested bringing HSX up to this region to get some quality mountain day logged for the aspiring mountain leaders and introduce members of the Cambodia expedition into typical HSX terrain. Joe and his house mate, Dobby, had stupidly suggested that all 30 people stay at their house on Friday night, which proved to be a tight squeeze leaving elbow room only for breakfast the following morning.
The group was split into three teams comprising of a Cambodia team, a team with the younger HSX members, supported by Antarctica member Chris and Dave, lastly a mixed experienced team with Joe and Ollie. The Cambodia team would be doing a walk on the south side of Cadair Idris and latter two teams where doing a linear route along ridge that flanked Cadar’s east and west flanks, swapping van keys at the half way point, before camping out that night and driving home in the morning.
Conditions were great throughout the early morning with sunshine but a strong southerly wind, insisting that softshell jackets be worn by all. All of the teams walked across each other paths where stories of how the smallest member of the team had been blown around were exchanged, as the thick clouds sprouted up all around them, darkening the sky and adding to the brooding backdrop. However this did not curb anyone’s enthusiasm as the Antarctica team members helped teach the importance of confident navigation skills to the younger members of HSX.
Everyone made it to their campsites just as darkness was descending and the rain was beginning to hammer down. Utilising what shelter was available the teams sheltered in the ruins of sheep folds or huddled around Llyns’ (welsh for lakes) seeking protection from the wind.
This is where our story re-joins Joe and Ollie. Just as Joe was settling into his sleeping bag, looking forward to a goodnights sleep, a strong gust of wind caused the tent poles to snap, resulting in the tent collapsing all around him, fabric flapping in the wind. With Joe’s resolve weakening, so did the teams enthusiasm for sleeping out on the Cadair Idris, with no space for the extra bodies in the already packed tents. The team, after being wrapped up in their warm sleeping bags, regrettably had no choice but to get up and trudge back to the van, heading for the sanctuary of Joe’s house.
However, with the keys to the house with Dobby, some 4km back up the mountain, Joe and Ollie had to dig deep and jog up the mountain in the horizontal rain to get the keys for the house. After what felt like an eternity, Joe and the rest of his team finally reached the relative warmth and comfort of home.
The other two teams, more protected from the wind, soldiered on through the howling gales and rains. Emerging into the clag the following morning less than impressed about how the weather had treated them, but well pleased by how HSX’s new Vango tents had stood up to their first test. The younger members of HSX were strangely smug about having survived their first “mini-epic” and looking back on the experience as a great learning curve of how to cope with long hikes, minimal sleeps and floating roll mats, the members of the Antarctica team took it all in their stride, having done this countless times!
