World Challenge: Ecuador 2015 - Abbie Merritt

Abbie will be travelling with a number of school friends who will each have to raise the £3,000 they need to undertake the world challenge trip. This is the outline itinerary for Abbie's trip... Challenging Trekking Phase: High altitude trekking - Once acclimatised, teams could aim to complete another challenging trek from 1-4 days. Many teams choose to tackle one of Ecuador’s volcanoes; Volcán Ruminahui (4712m), El Corazon (4788m) or Imbabura (4580m) are all peaks which are a suitable challenge for the whole team to summit. Jungle Phase: Rainforest exploration - Teams could undertake jungle exploration in the Oriente region of the Amazon rainforest, based from Tena or Macas. Here teams can explore by foot and sometimes by motorised canoe, and will spend their nights in bamboo stilted huts called Cabanas. Whilst in the rainforest they will get the opportunity to go on day treks alongside local guides who have an incredible knowledge of the ecosystem. Ecuador and Galapagos expedition project work - Teams can participate in a number of different projects mostly based in communities and schools where they can help to repaint buildings and carry out basic construction tasks. There are also an abundance of potential conservation projects, often linked to the preservation of the cloud forest and to promoting sustainable agriculture. There is also the possibility that teams may be able to work with the children of the Galápagos Islands teaching them about environmental awareness, and possibly complete conservation work within the Galápagos National Park.