Love the snow? Try the Arctic

There are two kinds of people. Those who, after three days of snowball fights and frozen toes are sick and tired of the white stuff, and those who just can't get enough. If you're in the later group, I've got just the thing...

How about spending a couple of weeks, a month, or even two whole months in the stuff, learning real polar survival skills? You'd be mastering the art of crossing glaciers in a pair of crampons, finding out how to deter a polar bear, practice ice-ace arresting and crevasse rescue and could even try your hand at ice-climbing.

You don't have to be a mountaineering expert or polar guru, in fact all you need is a bit of drive and enthusiasm, and a love of being out in the open. Anyone from the age of 16-23 can apply as a Young Explorer, and adults with experience might like to consider leading.

The British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) are the 'Daddies' of Arctic adventure and have been running polar expeditions since the 1930s. You can choose from a 3 week or 5 week Arctic Adventure, 2 week Arctic Skills or Environmental Studies expedition, or for those up for a challenge, the 2 month Extreme Arctic Gap Year Expedition.

Check out the website www.bses.org.uk or contact lucy@bses.org.uk to find out more!

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£1000 BSES funding for the Channel Islands and North East

The Royal Geographical's Society affiliate charity, The British Schools Exploring Society, is offering young people in the Channel Islands and North-East £1000 towards expedition costs.

The British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) has been running expeditions to extreme locations for 16-23 year olds since the 1930s. Most expeditions run during the school summer holidays for three or five weeks, offering young people the opportunity to explore the Arctic wilderness, Himalayan mountains, Amazon rainforest, Oman desert or Namibia's savannah.

Older students have the opportunity of spending extended periods of time in the Arctic or desert, on longer gap-year projects, and can opt for specialist expeditions such as 'Arctic Skills' and 'Polar Nights'.

BSES expeditions are called 'adventures with a purpose', meaning that environmental responsibility and research are an integral part of all trips. From monitoring glacier retreat to collecting data on river dolphins and caiman populations, all BSES conservation research is published, presented and archived at The Royal Geographical Society.

In addition to ongoing research and contributions to the society, BSES gives young people first hand experience and direct interaction with some of the most pressing global concerns of the 21st century.

Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for a place on an expedition and learn about fund-raising techniques. With BSES's strong ethos that no-one should be excluded from opportunities, to assist students in the North East, £1000 funding in now available to each student to apply for on a first-come-first-served basis. Young people in the Channel islands are also eligible to apply for this funding, to assist with additional travel costs they will incur flying to the UK to embark on their adventures. For students based outside the North East and Channel Islands, significant support and grants are also available to assist young people in meeting their expedition costs.

Find out more by visiting www.bses.org.uk or contact lucy@bses.org.uk to ask for expedition details.

This article was also posted at www.responsibletravelnews.com

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