GCUS Challenge

The Main trek has now been completeted, after five days of walking up and down mountains, getting to the next hut and beefy falling asleep for the evening we have finianlly completeted the Giants Cup Trail.  We are one of the few teams that have completed the trail and we completed it as a team, even though beefy was ready to pack it in after day 2, and one of the team was carrying an injury. 

 In total we have walked 58-60km depending on which signs you believe, there was a lot of nice scenery, the only problem was that most of the team were walking with their heads down. so there are very few photo’s.

A couple of days R + R and then one to phase 3 the project.  So far there has been copious amounts of snacks, chocolate and food eaten once the trek was completed as the food was miscalculated as on evening 4 dinner was eaten as was half of day 5’s lunch. 

See you all soon, not too sure when we will have access to a comptuter next so watch this space for more information.

Hey hey hey happy followers, hope all is well at home with you guys. Thanks for the comments, keep them coming the kids are loving them.

Just thought I’d give you a quick update.

Day 10 already - is this going quickly for you lot? Currently on ‘R & R’ (rest and relaxation) after the acclimatisation trek where the group really started to gel together, seems to be at it’s best when there are no other distractions. Almost all have had the opportunity to lead for the day - yes they are actually having to make decisions and boss people around (some are naturals others are finding it more challenging) but all are doing really well. They also have additional responsibilities like the catering, budget, travel and accomodation to name but a few. A good example of a challenge they faced today in pairs was to plan the menu for 8 days - 8 breakfasts 8 lunches, 8 main meals drinks and snacks. Not such an easy task when they needed to consider food needed to be purchased in one visit to the local market and food for over half of the meals will be carried by the group for 5 days so must not be perrishable or too heavy (good luck to them).    

Despite the rise in cost of living out here they have managed to stick to the budget. I’m not sure how well they are managing  their own money!? All of the gang are coming into their own and they have already demonstrated some interesting traits, fab skills or provided great memories that will stay with us much longer than this trip. 

So far (in no particular order):

Mishka - creative accounting, we’re right on buget not sure how because we can’t understand her anymore her accent is so strong.

Charlotte - the David Bailey of the group. She is our number one media mogule, we’ll have amazing memories as she’s taken some fab pics.

Rosie - Middle of the Mziki game reserve stripping down to her apple catchers and sports bra (what’s new) and doing an hour and a half of yoga on the hut roof at sunset.

Craig - Nearly losing our leader to the embers of the campfire after Craig climbed through the bush in the pitch black and scared the life out of him.

Zoe and Daisy - Theatrical presentation of ‘The Hungry Lion’ (I’ll let them explain) not forgetting ‘The Dance of the 14 Head Torches’

Amy - So laid back in the morning that she rocked up to the 18km trek on a wet morning to take on bush, beaches and rocks in her sandles!!!

Megan and Debra (aka Becky Lane) - Experiencing a coca cola induced sugar rush and trying to fend off not the wildlife but some other World Challenge students (it’s not completely clear how hard Debra tried!!)

Becky N - The only girl who can spend 10 days roughing it and her hair still looks amazing, Herbal Essence eat your heart out.

Alex - (The professional shopper) The only person I know who can spend 4 hours in two shops (and I thought I was good)

Beefy and Tim - Playing 9 pin bowling on the roof of the hut (two meter drop) with monkey apples and firewood, did they really not consider that the apples would roll off the roof and they would have to collect them??

Great Moments and Challenging Moments

Megan

Great Zoe’s head torch dance

Challenging Walking (anywhere)

Amy

Great Exploring the rock pools at the beach

Challenging Compromising

Mishka

Great Relaxing with the gang at the beach

Challenging Getting up the vertical staircase after the 6km we did along the beach (it’s not her fault she’s got little legs)

Alex

Great Dancing with Zulus

Challenging Surviving without straighteners, make up and home comforts

Charlotte

Great Paying someone to do her washing

Challenging Doing her own washing!!

Daisy

Great Meeting other people

Challenging Not spending all her money at once

Tim

Great Driving through the rural villages at dawn - sunrise on one side and the moon on the other

Challenging Getting everyone packed and ready on time

Zoe

Great View from the Mziki loo

Challenging Chatting up the driver (she’s still trying)

Craig

Great Zulu dancing

Challenging 18km trek

Becky N

Great Every day

Challenging Finding a decent shower

Debra (aka Becky L)

Great  Other World Challenge students

Challenging  Treking with an injury (nothing to worry about at home)

Rosie

Great Yoga in the sunset with an audience of monkeys and a view of the sea and the estuary

Challenging Controlling her bladder

Beefy

Great Actually getting here

Challenging Students personal organisation

Gail

Great Evenings around the campfire

Challenging Keeping everyone happy at meal time

It’s all fun fun fun - we’ll try to keep you posted.

Take care all

Gail xx

Hey parents!

We all got here okay Stayed in our first hostel last night which was really nice, we met Duncan our country agent and he told us what was what here and don’t worry he gave us lots of tips on how to stay safe etc etc! We’ve met a couple of other world challenge teams out here and has been really good talking to them finding out what they’ve done and stuff, one group has just come back from the Giants Cup trek we’re doing and they said it was amazing, they even saw a small herd of buffalo! Today we travelled to St Lucia which took about 3 and a half hours, most of the time we were all asleep but we had a good look at what the country was like. We also made some friends on the way by hanging our pants to dry out of the window1 We’re staying at another hostel but camping tonight as it’s cheaper. There are loads of monkeys about crossing the roads, sitting on bins and in the trees which is really cool to see. There’s a market just up the road from here and a few of us girls went up there and had our hair braided, when we were there the women who were doing it told us that the man standing near by loved us, we got to speak to him later and he said that he could love 14 women and prove it (wink wink) haha. Starting our acclimatisation trek tomorrow,

speak to you soon love alex and the team

After a long flight with not very good food, we arrive in south africa, wen tover budget on the transport to the firsts nights stay, made some if back with a pasta and vegaetable meal, porridge fro breakfast this morning, a long trip in a minibus and we are now in St Lucia Eastury.

Weather is great, hot and sunny,

so after a year and a half of planning and going to millets a hundred times to be told the WRONG things to buy, we have come to the build up day, only to be told again our stuff is WRONG.

Everything is going g r e a t.

Beefy is counting copious amounts of money which i wish i had but after £70,000 of wasted kit, im now going to be a lonely spinster for the rest of my life eating cabbage out of a can and owning 20 cats. Lovely.

But the excitement is gradually building, people (mainly me and craig) have begun running around hitting each other and having beefy shout at us for playing in the sports centre.

Comment of the day: STEP AWAY FROM THE WHISK (Beefy)

loving from zoe 

It is now 17:45 on day, the challengers have put up tents, taken down tents, unpacked bags, repacked bags, been given all of the group kit, shouted this won’t all fit in.

We are now sorting out the biggest challenge, what do we eat for dinner, so far it is a toss up between pizza town or indian.

Watch this space.