Survival School Expedition 2005

In September 2005 Survival School will be going on another Expedition.  In 2003 we had a very successful expedition in Ethiopia and Tanzania with the goal of getting everyone to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro.

In 2004 we went to the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains.  It was quite simply breathtaking.

This year we are running a second Desert Training Expedition in the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

In September 2005 Survival School will be going on another Expedition. In 2003 we had a very successful expedition in Ethiopia and Tanzania with the goal of getting everyone to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. In 2004 we went to the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. It was quite simply breathtaking.

This year we are running a second Desert Training Expedition in the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

The Morocco Expedition will last for 10 days. The itinerary is as follows:

DAY 1: Monarch Airlines Flight: Luton to Gibraltar (arrives Gibraltar 11:30am). We will then cross the Straits of Gibraltar by ferry and meet up with the Land Rovers. The party will drive to a secluded spot in the Mid Atlas Mountains.

DAY 2: Transport from Cedar Forests in the Atlas Mountains to Meski. At Meski traditional Moroccan meal and overnight stay at the Kazbah.

DAY 3: Minibus transport from Meski to Erfoud and then onwards to edge of Erg Chebbi. We will then set up camp.

DAY 4: Session 1: Water collection, purification etc; solar still, distillation, dew collection, collecting from vegetation etc. Party split into 3-4 groups to build various water collection devices. Session 2: Water preservation; correct clothing, rationing sweat and water loss. Session 3; Basic Desert Survival Strategy. Session 4: Signalling; signal fires, contrast signals, heliograph, etc. Light a signal fire, send and receive signals to support crew with heliograph. Session 5: Navigation using stars and moon.

DAY 5: Session 6: Shelter building; sangars, using your vehicle, sand shelter. Build individual shelters for themselves. Session 7: Desert fire lighting techniques; basic emergency techniques e.g. car battery, jump leads and wound dressing, compass magnifying glass etc. Session 8: Desert cooking techniques; solar cookers, benghazi stove. Session 9: Desert environment; landscapes, wildlife etc. Night walk looking for animal tracks, scorpion hunting with u.v. lamp etc.

DAY 6: Session 10: Basic desert survival recap. Session 11: Navigation, GPS. Evening meal. Strike camp. Night hike (10-15km) out across hamada and back to Southern edge of Erg Chebbi.

DAY 7: Collected by Land Rovers transported around the different desert landscapes ;- waddis, oasis, jbel dayet, hamada. Session 12: Vehicle preparation and kit. Session 13: Emergency repairs. Session 14: Vehicle recovery (sand ladders, air jack etc).

DAY 8: Drive up Todra in to middle Atlas, wild camp at altitude.

DAY 9: Land Rover out of mountains to Meknes. Afternoon and evening of sight seeing / shopping and onto the Cedar Forests for the last night.

DAY 10: Taxis back to Ferry. Ferry from Ceuta to Algerciras and then by taxis to Gibraltar to catch evening flight back.

The dates for the trip are 5th - 15th September 2005

The cost of the Morocco Expedition is £795 per person. This does not include flights. Return flights cost around £100 per person.

Civil Aviation Authority regulations state that we cannot sell you your flight and course together. If you would like to attend this course, please call us for a seat reservation number. We will give you the number, you then call the airline and pay for the flight.

It is also wise to have cancellation insurance incase of political instability in the region or other unforeseen problems which may affect the running of the expedition.

A deposit of £250 is payable to secure a place on the expedition.

We are limited to taking 12 people

There is also a lower age limit. All members of the expedition must be 18 years of age or over on 1st September 2005.

Survival School would like to thank Kev Palmer for the use of his photographs