Why the Adventure Journey?

The Award programme provides the opportunity to engage in an Adventure Journey. It’s a chance to increase knowledge, understanding and awareness of the environment and nature; a chance to have some fun together while doing this. The Adventure Journey aims to take you outside your comfort zone but within a safe and secure setting achieved through suitable preparation and supervision. The adventure must involve self-reliant journeying in the countryside or on water, conceived with a purpose and undertaken by the participants own physical efforts.
Through this section young people have the opportunity to:
Format:
The participants are required to select a suitable venture which:
Standards:
In all cases the expedition must involve:
Minimum Requirements for an Expedition:
Bronze Award - Two days and one night
Silver Award - Three days and two nights
Gold Award - Four days and three nights
Adventure Journey Safety:
To help you with your group's adventure journey, we've put together a quick checklist that should keep everyone safe:
Gaisce Adventure Journey Checklist:
Through this section young people have the opportunity to:
- Plan and execute a task
- Demonstrate enterprise and imagination
- Work as a member of a team
- Respond to a challenge
- Develop self-reliance
- Develop leadership skills
- Recognise the needs and strengths of others
- Make decisions and accept the consequences
- Reflect on personal performance
- Enjoy and appreciate the outdoors
Format:
The participants are required to select a suitable venture which:
- Is sufficiently testing for them at their present stage of development
- Requires appropriate planning and training involving practice journeys and skilled training where necessary
- Is within the guidelines of the standards set out below
Standards:
In all cases the expedition must involve:
- Being away from home
- Staying in a self-catering hostel, camping or in accommodation approved by the Award
- Cooking at least one substantial meal per day
- Bringing all required gear on the journey
- The days on the venture are consecutive and must involve a journey going from point A to B to C etc.
- Spending the entire specified period of time exclusively on the expedition
- Maintaining a detailed logbook of the expedition including the planning
Minimum Requirements for an Expedition:
Bronze Award - Two days and one night
- Walking distance: A minimum of 25 - 35 km
- Cycling distance: A minimum of 100 - 130 km
- Canoeing distance: A minimum of 20 km (12.5 miles)
- All the above over two consecutive days
Silver Award - Three days and two nights
- Walking distance: A minimum of 50 – 79 km
- Cycling distance: A minimum of 190 – 220 km
- Canoeing distance: A minimum of 40 km (25 miles)
- All the above over three consecutive days
Gold Award - Four days and three nights
- Walking distance: A minimum of 80 – 110 km
- Cycling distance: A minimum of 300 – 350 km
- Canoeing distance: A minimum of 60 km (37 miles)
- All the above over four consecutive days
Adventure Journey Safety:
To help you with your group's adventure journey, we've put together a quick checklist that should keep everyone safe:
Gaisce Adventure Journey Checklist:
- Parental Consent for each participant under the age of 18
- Buildings and transport have been checked for Safety
- Adequate Insurance has been acquired for the trip
- Sleeping arrangements are adequate for males and females
- Sleeping arrangements are adequate for over 18’s
- There is one Leader per 8 participants, minimum of 2 per trip
- If there is a mixed group there should be a minimum of one female leader and one male leader
- Medical requirements of participants established
- First aid kit
- PALs and Participants have agreed a code of conduct re: Social Media and Mobile phones
- Appropriate footwear and raingear is being used by participants
- Emergency Contact Numbers of participant’s parents/guardians must be available to leaders
- A route map of your planned journey must be left with someone back home
- If your adventure journey involves undertaking an activity that requires specialist resource or training, this needs to be in place before completing your journey
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