Adventurous Journey

The adventurous journey seems very daunting. In actual fact it is just a walk and some camping. And the fun thing is that you can plan and do it with a friend. The planning can be done over time and doesn't have to be onerous. Below is a Word document to help planning before entering it into Terrain.

Adventure-Hike-Plan-Template-V1.0.docx

Rules

The requirements for the Adventurous Journey are as follows:

Plan and undertake a hike of at least 30 km with at least four other Scouts into unfamiliar terrain requiring two nights out of doors. Use lightweight equipment and foods as far as practicable. The hike must be monitored by an adult leader to ensure the safety of the Scouts. All government and Branch rules and regulations must be complied with.

Canoes or bicycles may be used but the distance covered should be increased accordingly. If canoes or bicycles are used the team should be self-sufficient, as with hikes, and carry all items required for the journey

The size of the hike party must be at least 5 for safety reasons, but no more than 7. Five is the recommended size. Large parties are impractical for a number of reasons both operational and for enjoyment of the experience. Where more than one Scout is completing the journey for the test, provision must be made for the full responsibility to be given to each for a significant time over the hike where they can demonstrate their leadership and field skills. Full preparation and reporting must be carried out by each one from when the journey commences.

Each scout to be assessed needs to develop an individual hike plan for assessment in Terrain.

Your Adventurous Journey is a way for you to get out, explore, and put in place the skills you have learnt during Scouting. Your Adventurous Journey should occur whilst working on Milestone 3. The Adventurous Journey for the Scout section is 3 days and 2 nights duration

You should consult with a skilled Mentor about your Journey – this could be another Scout with Outdoor Adventure Skills Stage 7 or above in the relevant area, or an appropriately-skilled adult. The Journey should be a human-powered experience such as bushwalking, cycling, kayaking, sailing etc. The journey itself will be undertaken by you and fellow Scouts and should not require attendance by any adults. Adults will, however, need to be aware of both your route and when you have completed your Journey.

There are 4 steps involved in an Adventurous Journey

1. Pre Plan to take to your Unit Council

2. The Plan once the Unit Council has given the all clear for the Journey to go ahead

3. The Journey

4. The Review

This document helps you with the first two steps of your Adventurous Journey, which are your Pre-Plan & Plan.

The components listed next should be seen as planning that needs to be done before approval from the Unit Council for the Journey to be further planned. Our suggestion would be these components are presented ideally 3-6 months out from the Journey occurring.

What type of Journey will you do? – bushwalking, cycling, kayaking, canoeing, ski touring, sailing or a combination of some of these – remember your Journey needs to be human powered
What route will you choose? – Travel to and from the Journey should not be included into the Journey duration time – research different options for your Journey and come up with your preferred option and maybe one or two back up options
Roughly when do you want this Journey to occur? - This might change through further planning however you should have a rough idea in your head as to when you want the Journey to occur.
Consider a Mentor – a youth member with skills in the particular Outdoor Adventure Skills area or an adult that can help you with questions and guidance. Your Unit Council may be able to help you in suggesting a good Mentor
Consider initial packing list, equipment list and risks that might be associated with this Journey

Enter the plan into Terrain

Once you have thought out these initial planning points, take your initial details to the Unit Council. They should approve it for further planning in Scouts | Terrain to occur before your Journey occurs.

Once you have the pre planning out of the way, get started in Scouts | Terrain.

Use the ‘save’ button in Scouts | Terrain to your advantage, you should be able to complete the information on Page 1 – “Journey Details” only, and then click save. This gives you flexibility, and you can come back and edit it in the future.

The Journey Details page will ask you for:

The name of your Journey
Your aims for this Journey
A description of the location / route
Attachments of the maps/ location maps etc
The dates in which you are planning to do your Journey
The weather conditions specific to this time of year in the area you are going
A detailed route plan
Attachments of your route plan (you can use the template or create your own)
A menu for the Journey – you can create this in Scouts | Terrain or attach it, this should include quantities of ingredients
A list of who is coming on the Journey with you
Assign a mentor if needs be for this Journey (this could be your Scout Leader a fellow Scout or someone outside the organisation, however they must have the skills to support you through your planning and Journey)
List the equipment you and other people attending will need to bring along. This includes any personal or group gear needed

The Risk Management page will ask you for:

Your emergency contact/contacts name and phone numbers
A contingency plan or plans in case your primary journey cannot occur and needs to be changed, or you need to do a different journey all together
Your risk assessment/ management documentation for the risks associated with your journey and how you will address these (you can use the template or create your own)

The Logistics page will ask you to:

Review your gear list and split it into
The gear that the group needs to share/ bring together (e.g. Tents, cooking gear, emergency gear etc)
The gear that every individual will need to have (e.g. clothes, boots, rain coat, water bottles etc)
An equipment/ packing list (from the gear lists above) and allocate who is bringing what Group gear

Additionally, you should:

List the support you need to/ already have provided to the participants – think about skills, fitness training, briefings etc
Set the cost/ budget for your Journey and attach a copy (you can use the template or create your own)
Set the transport plan, times, from where to where, which cars, people in cars or public transport route
List how you will minimise your environmental impact throughout your Journey and if you have a plan attach it (you can use the template or create your own)

During the Final Checklist you will mark off that you have completed a range of tasks designed to help you make sure that you and your Journey are ready to go ahead. We have given you an indicative time frame, which is a guide for how long these things should occur before your Journey.

Made campsite(s) booking (2-3 months before Journey)
Confirmed route permissions (1-2 months before Journey)
Completed the relevant Scouting paperwork for undertaking your Journey (4 weeks before Journey)
Notifying the relevant authorities of the Journey (2-4 weeks before Journey)
Additional components to plan and gather before your Journey takes place;
You will need to have all Medical Details on hand of the participants
You will need to know any dietary information to adequately do the meal preparation
You will need to nominate a first aider(s) for the Journey – ideally at least 1 person will have completed a Provide First Aid course Planning Guide Adventurous Journey

Lastly you will need to deliver a Journey briefing for all participants ideally including;

What the route plan is
What the transport plan is
What is the emergency plan if something goes wrong
What is the group and individual equipment that needs to be packed
How will you all care for the environment and yourselves while on the Journey

If your briefing is being held in person or online, you should attach or take a photo of and attach, your notes (or the briefing itself) to the relevant part of Scouts | Terrain.

You are now ready to Review> all components of your submission before selecting Submit for Review. This will send all of your planning information and attachments above to the Unit Council. Remember there may not be lots of time between your Journey being submitted to the Unit Council and it occurring, however as long as you have kept your Unit Council updated throughout the planning process and all steps are complete, you will have a wonderful time, a great Plan> and a challenging but safe Journey.

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