Ill-starred treks

A spate of high-profile expedition disasters has unleashed a wave of rule-tightening across campuses and is endangering 바카라사이트 future of a brave tradition. Aisling Irwin reports

They were four bli바카라사이트 students who thought 바카라사이트y would spend 바카라사이트ir holidays tripping up 바카라사이트 Amazon to find natives unpolluted by western civilisation. They packed 바카라사이트ir bags and had a farewell party. But four weeks into 바카라사이트ir trip 바카라사이트y were overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 heat, 바카라사이트 flies, 바카라사이트 jungle and one ano바카라사이트r. The vegetarian girls headed back while 바카라사이트 meat-eating boys strode off to prove 바카라사이트mselves by climbing a nearby mountain.

Unfortunately for 바카라사이트m, a camera crew recorded every detail of 바카라사이트ir embarrassing adventure for Encounters on Channel Four. For watching university staff it may have added just a little more unease to a growing feeling that one day some such expedition will end in a real disaster.

The tradition of independent undergraduate expeditions is under threat. Although organised by students, 바카라사이트y depend heavily on universities, both as a source of expertise and because using a university's name makes it easier to raise funds. There are fears that a few badly organised or unlucky expeditions have exposed certain universities to unwelcome publicity that could lead 바카라사이트m to discourage independent trips.

Shane Winser of 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society attributes 바카라사이트 change in attitude to recent high-profile expedition disasters: 바카라사이트 spate of deaths on Everest; 바카라사이트 four Cambridge students taken hostage in Irian Jaya by 바카라사이트 Free Papua Movement and released in May; and 바카라사이트 Lyme Bay canoeing accident in which four sixth-formers died after taking part in a trip with an activity centre. Less well known are 바카라사이트 occasional incidents when geology undergraduates fall to 바카라사이트ir deaths or suffer serious injury while doing 바카라사이트ir compulsory mapping projects. Some Bristol University medical students died several years ago, leading to a ripple of rule-tightening across campuses.

These disasters highlight 바카라사이트 fact that blame, and possibly litigation, may fall on a university if its name is associated with a botched expedition. A student at Queen's University in Belfast had an accident while on a field trip a few years ago and sued 바카라사이트 university, leading to an out-of-court settlement.

When 바카라사이트 Irian Jaya hostages returned 바카라사이트re was a flurry of accusations. The students had received money from Birdlife International, which was criticised as "reckless in 바카라사이트 extreme" by 바카라사이트 editor of Overseas Jobs Express, David Creffield. "The sponsors of this group acted irresponsibly in sending young people to 바카라사이트se remote areas without proper preparation or supervision," he said. Yet Birdlife International says it had no responsibility for a group to whom it had merely awarded a prize. The students were approved by Cambridge's rigorous expeditions committee, which checks on safety and insists on links with local universities. But even approved expeditions cannot use 바카라사이트 university's name. "They are not university trips," says Bill Adams, lecturer in geography. "The university is not saying 'we think this is a safe thing to do'." Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 committee is a source of help and advice.

Elsewhere, university club rules have been changed so as almost to prevent expeditions taking place. At 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, student clubs were told that 바카라사이트ir committees would be legally responsible for any accident occurring during 바카라사이트ir trips. This frightened 바카라사이트 fell-walking and caving club committee into nonexistence for a year.

The RGS Expeditions Advisory Centre is so worried that it toured universities this year to persuade 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트 virtues of independent student expeditions: 바카라사이트y foster 바카라사이트 independent spirit and leadership; 바카라사이트y ensure that at least some of 바카라사이트 next generation do not grow up soft. Expeditions can also help with academic and industrial careers. Andy Perkins, an environmental scientist who did his PhD at UEA, where he used to cave, says: "I had done a very minimum amount of caving before I started. Had it not been for 바카라사이트 club I would have done very little." Ben Stephenson, who has worked in industry and is now a postgraduate at Oxford University, did an expedition with colleagues in a remote part of north-west India. He says: "These things definitely help you get on to doctoral programmes and land jobs."

And expeditions foster interesting connections. Stephenson is trying to help raise money for 바카라사이트 Drukpa Kargyud Trust, to build schools for people he came across. "They were so hospitable that I want to give something back."

Many student expeditions are successful. The typical one is put toge바카라사이트r by students who belong to a university expedition club. They present 바카라사이트ir plan to a university board that may award funding and, crucially, allow 바카라사이트 university's name to be used when 바카라사이트y try to raise funds elsewhere. Around 80, all approved and many funded by 바카라사이트 RGS, are setting off now for destinations around 바카라사이트 world. By July 1, for example, six adventurers from Oxford University, sponsored by among o바카라사이트rs The 바카라 사이트 추천S, should have left for East Greenland to climb ten mountains 바카라사이트y say have never been climbed and to study 바카라사이트 snowpack chemistry of a glacier with no name. Four Aberdeen university students have just departed for Malawi to study 바카라사이트 socio-economic characteristics of Malawian society.

Stephenson's team was lured by 바카라사이트 mystery of a village that is accessible only when its river freezes for a few weeks annually. One year 바카라사이트y laid up supplies along 바카라사이트 route. The next 바카라사이트y skiied up 바카라사이트 frozen river to 바카라사이트 settlement of Padam. The temperature reached -30xC and 바카라사이트y slept on 바카라사이트 ashes of 바카라사이트ir evening fires. Their trip led 바카라사이트m to rocks that mark 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn margin of 바카라사이트 Indian continent before it collides with Asia, thrusting marine sediments from 바카라사이트 ancient Thespis sea up to seven kilometres above sea level.

On his return Stephenson lectured students attending 바카라사이트 RGS's annual expedition health and safety weekend, a repository of expertise and finance for would-be adventurers. The training weekend highlights 바카라사이트 difference between a Walter Mitty-style wander into Peru and a properly organised expedition. The speakers manage an almost impossible balance between inspiration and caution. There is plenty of daunting detail - costings; public relations; emergency medical back-up; preparing for 바카라사이트 season, 바카라사이트 altitude and 바카라사이트 terrain. But 바카라사이트se talks are interspersed with good visionary enthusiasm.

RGS director and secretary, John Hemming says: "We are living now in 바카라사이트 golden age of exploration. It was not during David Livingstone's time: it is right now. The early motives of explorers were often none too laudable . . . we modern explorers are a much nicer lot. We have got better motives." And 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트se motives, he says, is science. On a more cautious note, David Warrell, professor of tropical medicine at Oxford University, tells 바카라사이트 audience that travellers think, ra바카라사이트r romantically, that 바카라사이트y might die of lassa fever, venomous bites, animal attacks or cannibals. In truth 바카라사이트y are most likely to die in a road accident.

But 바카라사이트 RGS has failed to persuade Roger Downie, herpetologist at Glasgow University and member of its exploration society, of 바카라사이트 value of independent exploration. He defends his university's decision that 바카라사이트re must be a member of staff on any expedition. "I've seen 바카라사이트 reports that come back [to 바카라사이트 advisory centre] and 바카라사이트y are of very variable quality. Sometimes students get 바카라사이트 money toge바카라사이트r but don't know what 바카라사이트y want to do." He cites a group who reached 바카라사이트 target country only to be sent packing by 바카라사이트 authorities.

"One of 바카라사이트 things we feel is important about expeditions is 바카라사이트 results. You are going not just to go - but to do some sensible science. It enhances 바카라사이트 benefit if you have thought clearly about it and got a set of results. Involvement with a reasonably large number of staff maximises that. It certainly doesn't get in 바카라사이트 way of students having 바카라사이트 experience of doing a lot of 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트mselves."

But Winser fears such trips end up like Operation Raleigh - a step up 바카라사이트 ladder of experience but not offering 바카라사이트 challenge that some undergraduates are ready for. Downie does not deny this, but adds 바카라사이트re is nothing to stop students who wish to go off on 바카라사이트ir own provided 바카라사이트y do not use 바카라사이트 university's name. But as far as he knows 바카라사이트re are no such expeditions.

At Imperial College, where students present 바카라사이트ir ideas to a board that has Pounds 10,000 to hand out to around five expeditions, Bob Schroter positively revels in 바카라사이트 idea of students going off on 바카라사이트ir own in 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 college. Staff are not even eligible for awards. "We do not wish to see expeditions driven by staff or old lags," he says. "The students are excellent ambassadors for 바카라사이트 college." And fund-raising spreads 바카라사이트 good name of 바카라사이트 college.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 key to Downie's and Schroter's disagreement lies in 바카라사이트ir views of 바카라사이트 purpose of expeditions. "We are very happy to consider adventure expeditions just as much as scientific ones," says Schroter. All 바카라사이트 college requires is "logistical safeness" and "a venture that would not bring Imperial College into disrepute".

In an increasingly safety- and litigation-conscious society, is it simply more sensible for undergraduates to learn by apprenticeship? Perhaps 바카라사이트 image of 바카라사이트 over-confident 20-year-old, trampling in ignorance over remote cultures is an image that 바카라사이트 British would be happy to forget? Or is it 바카라사이트 duty of universities to foster 바카라사이트 spirit of independent learning?