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BSES EXPEDITIONS | ANNUAL REPORT 2004 Climbing Snaefell Ringed Plover, by James Starr ICELAND EXPEDITION MEMBERS Leader Team Brian Needham* Chief Leader Michael Gilding* Deputy Chief Leader and Chief Mountaineer Dr. Paul Poynter Smith Expedition Doctor Adrian Harris Mountain Instructor Anne Humberstone Young-Leader Fire Leader Liz Brookes* Young-Leader Fire Leader Ian Pike Young-Leader Fire Leader Malcolm Bell* Botany Fire Science Leader Marina Smith Glaciology Fire Science Leader Fiona Newcombe Ornithology Fire Science Leader Jeremy Ivens* Glaciology Fire Mountain Leader Douglas Jardine Botany Fire Mountain Leader Jackie Spong Ornithology Fire Mountain Leader James Starr Expedition Artist Craig Johnstone Base Camp Manager Darren Winterbottom Expedition Medic Young Leaders Edward Bennett* BSES Svalbard 2001; GAP Year Simeon Benson* BSES Ladakh 2001; University of Wales Aberystwyth Roy Boucher* BSES Ladakh 2001; University of Wales Aberystwyth Thomas Bradley BSES Iceland 2000; University of Bristol Molly Callam University of Nottingham Thomas Coling* BSES Arctic Norway 2002; University College London Peter Edwards* BSES Greenland 1998 Alexandra Ewence* BSES Greenland 2003; Cambridge University Kevin Gascoyne* BSES Tien Shan 1999; Lesotho 2003 (Assistant Leader) Catherine Glew* BSES Greenland 2000; University of Derby Adam Griffiths* BSES Arctic Year Svalbard 2002; Oxford University George Henes* BSES Alaska 99, Svalbard 2002; Cambridge University Alison Ingleby * BSES Ladakh 2001; Cambridge University George Mitchell* BSES Norway 2002; GAP Year Jennifer Palfrey* BSES Svalbard 2001; Durham University Victoria Parry* BSES Svalbard 2001 Samuel Rice* BSES Svalbard 2001; University College London Beverley Ross* BSES Alaska 1999; UMIST Vijay Shah* Belinda Thoday BSES Svalbard 2001;Loughborough University Mary Tonge* BSES Arctic Norway 2002; University of Liverpool 12 Young Explorers Marie Bridgeman St. Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Bristol Thomas Brown Winchester College Christopher Bryan Wellington College Rebecca Burridge Channing School, London Andrew Cowan GAP Year at de Montfort University; Oakham School Thomas Durrant GAP Year Nicholas Green Royal Russell School Katie Gyves Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham Oliver Hallam Highgate School, London Robert Horton Exeter School Barney Horwich Royal Grammar School, Guildford Christopher Howell Selby College Anton Hyett Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat School Katie Long The Sixth Form College, Farnborough Joseph Mallalieu Lawnswood School, Leeds and now University of Wales Aberystwyth Sarah Moore Merchant Taylors’ School, Crosby William Moss Eton College Andrew Prestt Teign School Holli Pritchard Guildford High School Lisa Roberts Penweddig School, Aberystwyth Katie Robertson GAP Year; Queensbury School Ian Rowe St. Albans Roman Catholic High School, Witnesham Dominic Rowland Winchester College Katie Scott Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow Larena Soper Headington School Martin Sykes Warwick School Philippa Tomczak Alderley Edge School, Cheshire Christopher Ware Wellington College Lindsay Weare The King’s School, Ottery St. Mary Miles Whitehead Winchester College Peter Williams Teesdale School, Barnard Castle * BSES Member
TANZANIA 2004 The Mountain of God Expedition Chief Leader: Colin Nicol INTRODUCTION Northern Tanzania is well known for the mountains Kilimanjaro and Meru. Those who have climbed either of these may have looked westwards from the summit and seen the mountain Longido with the Great Rift Valley beyond. Just visible on the western side of the Rift if the air is clear it is possible to see a number of volcanic cones and the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands. This was the area of our expedition. PRELIMINARIES Planning for the expedition started in the spring of 2002. The Chief Leader proposed taking a group of Young Explorers [YEs] on a trek from Longido right across the Rift Valley and the Crater Highlands to the Olduvai Gorge in the Serengeti. This would include a climb of the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, the Mountain of God. The scientific fieldwork programme was even more ambitious. The geologists proposed a gravimeter survey across the Rift Valley, something never undertaken before but completed by the expedition with readings on Lengai and the Western Rift Escarpment. The ecologists proposed a study of the flora on Lengai and on the extinct volcano Kerimasi, just 5 km further to the south. In the event they achieved this and more. The surveyors, using "Total Stations" equipment lent to us by Leica UK, fixed the gravimeter positions across the whole of the Rift Valley. They then completed a comprehensive survey of Oldoinyo Lengai. The expedition relied on logistical support provided by Gane & Marshall Tanzania [GMTZ]. This was the proposal from the start, and it would have proved impossible without the expertise of their Tanzanian staff. The initial proposal was for the basic expedition to last four weeks and confine itself to the Rift Valley. An optional one-week extension would continue up through the Crater Highlands. In the event, the popularity of the extended trip was so great, not only with the YEs but also with the leaders, that we could perhaps have planned only the single five week expedition. Only seven YEs chose the 4 week option. TANZANIA THE EXPEDITION TANZANIA | 2004 The 36 YEs and 9 leaders flew to Nairobi on 18th July 2004. We arrived in daylight the same day but left the airport after dark for the four-hour bus ride to our first camp in Northern Tanzania. This was in forest at the south end of Longido. We were welcomed into camp by the local GMTZ staff, pitched our tents and turned in at three in the morning. The next two days were spent sorting kit, meeting local staff, and carrying out a mass ascent of Longido [2629m]. Thirty-eight people on the summit at the same time was quite a spectacle. After three nights in Longido the expedition set off across the Rift Valley. The first 20 km were in vehicles because of a huntingrelated block imposed by the local officials. The trek along dirt roads took us to a camp near the foot of an extinct volcano called Kitumbeinei. We spent two nights here before walking to Gelai. Part of this walk was across country with a Maasai warrior as the guide. This was the first opportunity for many of the expedition to see the villages built of brushwood and mud that the local Maasai live in. This area had not had rain since March, and the locals at Gelai were concerned about the lack of water, so from Gelai we were trucked to Lake Natron. The camp at Lake Natron served us for three nights. On the first day the leaders took Landrovers to Kerimasi and Oldoinyo Lengai in order to find suitable base camps. The whole party of YEs were driven to a nearby waterfall for a thorough cleansing after a week of hot dusty climbing and trekking. The respite from the heat and dust was short lived and the following day the Survey and Geophysics fires trekked up to the foot of Lengai while the Ecologists visited the southern shores of Lake Natron and trucked up to Kerimasi the next day. The following two weeks tested the stamina of YEs and leaders, with long days spent on the mountains carrying out scientific projects. The 6,000ft climb up the 40 degree slope of Lengai was undertaken during the night to avoid the extreme heat of the day. Nearly every YE spent at least one night camped on the summit, and many spent two nights there. We were particularly fortunate that the volcano chose to erupt just 24 hours after we arrived, and kept this up for the next thirteen days. As "Dangerous Ben" put it: "hot and bubbly". 13
Page 1 and 2: BSES EXPEDITIONS 2004 ANNUAL REPORT
Page 3 and 4: I am pleased to report that the num
Page 5 and 6: BSES EXPEDITIONS OFFICERS AND COUNC
Page 7 and 8: major risks. A review of potential
Page 9 and 10: Statement by the Trustees The summa
Page 11: En route to snow and ice training I
Page 15 and 16: Survey Fire on the rim of a sunken
Page 17 and 18: Tunabreen glacier The mountaineerin
Page 19 and 20: THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, EXPEDIT
Page 21 and 22: Maurice Dybeck asked why the expedi
Page 23 and 24: STAR SCHOOLS 2004 Schools from whic

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