What is it?
Firstly, it is one of the Top Awards available to Explorers (over 16) and Network members in Scouting. It’s also one of the most unique expeditions in scouting, Guaranteed to be a remarkable experience that you’ll look back upon fondly, travelling somewhere new in a team, learning about where you travel as you go, making tons of memories as you go! It comprises of:
- ❖ A 10-day expedition across a country (or multiple!)
- ❖ Planning your own route for the journey as a team
- ❖ Completing a major project as you go (chosen by your team!)
- ❖ Completing several minor projects/challenges (chosen by various leaders to push you in your journey)
- ❖ Keeping to a strict budget for your food and accommodation throughout
Where is it?
The Baltics!
Not to be confused with the last Explorer Belt in the Balkans! This is composed of:
- ❖ Estonia
- ❖ Latvia
- ❖ and Lithuania
We will be based in Latvia – Riga where participants will start/end and when planning their routes they can travel out to Estonia and Lithuania as they wish. With direct flights available from the UK to Riga it serves as an easy jumping off point for the trip as well as being home to plenty of fun activities for R&R. As participants can travel to the starting location however they desire, there is also a fun route available from Finland – Helsinki to Riga via a frequent ferry to Estonia! As for why the Baltics in general, in a very similar sense to the Balkans, there is a very rich culture that a lot of UK scouts are unlikely to know about, so it serves as a brilliant destination for learning. The Baltics are also a safe destination so participants can feel comfortable exploring the more rural parts of the countries and getting to really know the locals.
Why should I do it?
Who better to sell you on the expedition than those who’ve just done it! From 2 of our 2023 EB participants (and now 2025 leaders!) here are the top reasons to sign up.
Number 1 – Meeting new people! Completing your explorer belt will provide you the opportunity to meet new people from not only the countries you will visit but from around the world (and people come with some interesting stories!)
Number 2 – Freedom & Independence! Your explorer belt, your choice. During the expedition you have the opportunity to explore countries you might not have planned to see and throughout you get to choose what you do while you immerse yourself in the local culture, whether that be food, history, or anything else!
Number 3 – New Foods! As you travel in your chosen countries you will have the opportunity to try new foods that you wouldn’t necessarily find at home (whether good or simply…interesting!)
Number 4 – Culture! Whether this be festivals, architecture, arts, daily life, or scouts in another country, you won’t finish your explorer belt without discovering new cultures and possibly adapting some of this into your own lives!
Number 5 – Skills for Life! The explorer belt will test you but also provide you with skills such as adaptability, teamwork, independence and most importantly cooking.
Number 6 – Creating everlasting memories! With all the above and more, the explorer Belt will leave you with some great memories that will last a lifetime and that you’ll wish you could revisit for the first time!
Pricing + What is included?
Total price for the trip is £600.
What isn’t included: Only one part of the trip isn’t included in the above cost, and that is the transport to and from the country. This is done as participants may want to take a variety of different journeys before and after the trip, potentially visiting other nearby countries on their way too! The leaders will be able to advise as participants wish throughout the process and if desired participants are more than welcome to book onto the same flight as leaders (potentially preferable for younger participants) Total cost of travel to & from country whether flying or interrailing shouldn’t come to more than £200 if booked with plenty of time.
What is included:
Everything else!
- ❖ All training weekends,
- ❖ Initial Kit o Branded Polo shirt & Hoodie o 2 EB 25 Neckers o 1 EB 25 Badge
- ❖ Travel Insurance o Note: This may not cover some expensive items such as cameras
- ❖ Your budget for the Expedition o I.e. All your food & accommodation during the expedition o Also including emergency budget (if not used will be returned for post expedition activities)
- ❖ Pre-Expedition costs o E.g. Base costs, food, activities
- ❖ R&R (Post-Expedition costs) o This will include a variety of celebratory activities and meals.
- ❖ Awards ceremony o Including Badge, Belt, and Certificate
Itinerary
Below are the key dates for the Expedition and the Training Weekends. You are expected to make all of these dates. Some dates are approximate since they are far in advance but will be confirmed as soon as possible.
- ❖ Training Weekend 1 – September 6 th -8 th 2024
- ❖ Training Weekend 2 – November 22nd -24th 2024
- ❖ Training Weekend 3 – April 11th -13th 2025
- ❖ Expedition – Approx 24th July -> 7th August 2025
- ❖ Awards Presentation – Approx October 2025
Who are the leaders?
While the expedition is all your own adventure, here are the leaders we’ve recruited to help support you and make sure your expedition is unforgettable!
- Jordan Craig (Expedition Leader) – Previous EB 23 Assistant Leader
- Billy Newsham (Deputy) – Previous EB 23 Assistant Leader
- Martin Burgess Assistant Explorer Scout Leader – Chorley
- Lynne Percival Explorer Scout Leader – Chorley
- Alex Tolan Assistant Explorer Scout Leader – South Ribble
- Gabby Howson-Tax ADC Squirrels – Blackpool
What about Independent Explorer Belts?
You may have heard about doing an Explorer Belt independently, and we fully support that! Doing an EB expedition as an individual team is a brilliant experience, however a lot of scouts don’t know where to get started making it happen or need help finding a team. If you’re interested in this then you’re more than welcome to sign up and come along to the initial training weekend and use it as a jumping off point, making use of the leaders and support available. Or if you have any questions regarding an independent explorer belt, reach out to the expedition leader at jordan.craig@westlancsscouts.org.uk.
I want to join, how do I sign up?
If you were sold before you even started reading or you’ve been sold along the way we’re thrilled to have you want to take part in this amazing experience! To sign up complete the below form by August 1st, 2024. You can do this either via the link or QR code below:
https://forms.office.com/e/MdE0kjk0LT
One you have done this you will be sent details regarding how to pay the first deposit. The initial deposit is £100. If it is decided you’re going the independent route, you will be refunded what isn’t spent on the 1st Training Weekend.
The schedule for remaining payments is as follows.
- ❖ 2 nd payment of £150 is due by 21st November 2023 (prior to Training Weekend Two)
- ❖ 3 rd payment of £150 is due by 10th April 2024 (prior to Training Weekend Three)
- ❖ 4 th payment of £200 is due by 1 st July 2025 (prior to the Expedition)
If you have any queries about the trip prior to signing up, please use the following email address: jordan.craig@westlancsscouts.org.uk