Can anyone tell me more about the British Exploring Society?

[mariavontarp]

Thinking of applying to lead with them, would love to know more about the organisation if anyone here has experience with them? There is a website but it's a little thin on information and not much else out there. Thanks in advance!

I can! What do you want to know?

What is it?

Ooh I want to know aswell.

Oh amazing, thanks for replying @parentingisstressful ! I have a long list of questions :-)

How many young people are typically in an expedition, and how many leaders?

I think that they split up into ‘fires’ - do they spend the whole expedition in their fire or do they mingle and mix things up?

I know the purpose is primarily personal development, but what other purposes guide the exploring? Presumably they don’t just wander around for 3 weeks (or maybe they do?!)

Following the approval and application process, how soon do leaders hear whether they have been offered a role on expedition?

In your experience what were the hardest / best parts?

I think young people are age 16-21, in practice is there a tendency more towards a particular age (e.g. gap year students?)

Is there a basecamp where kit can be left / swapped / washed, essentials can be purchased and where showers can be had, or is living out of a backpack continuously for 3 weeks?

I think historically it was mainly for public schools, understand the organisation has branched out since then, but is that still generally the demographic on the non-Catch 22 expeditions?

That’s all for now but I may be back with more! Many thanks!

Is that the schools one that had the horrible polar bear attack a few years ago that caused the death of a boy and injuries to others?

I think I’d be asking a lot of questions about how they’d reformed their safety standards since then, given that, from what I remember, they were found culpable of serious failures.

Will DM you.