1. The Adventurous Journey

2. The aim of this section is to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery
It is a ‘Rite of Passage’…an undertaking that must be completed in order to pass from adolescence to adulthood

3. This section requires an unsupported journey, away from habitation, using any non-motorised mode of transport…..you can use a mixture of these to make the journey more interesting

4. Types of Adventurous Journey
There are three types of qualifying venture
Expedition (all levels)
Exploration (all levels)
“Other Adventurous Projects” (Gold and 18yrs plus only)

5. All 3 types require the same process….
Initial Briefing and Training
Practice journeys
Planning and preparation
Qualifying Venture and Debriefing
Presentation and Review

6. For Bronze & Silver qualifiers:
The Adventurous Journey Approval Form (from your Leader’s kit or download from website) is completed by participants and goes to the Award Leader for approval
For Gold qualifiers:
This form goes to National Office for approval 6 weeks before the trip (3 months for Overseas Journeys) and an approval number is issued (once requirements have been met). You can do this electronically if you download the form from the website
Tess 2

7. How to complete an Adventurous Journey Approval Form
The Adventurous Journey Approval Form must be submitted to National Office before going on the Journey. This applies to Gold Qualifying Journeys only. However, it is good practice for participants to fill them in at all Levels for all journeys as they make a good Intentions Form. Participants (and leaders) should follow the practice of leaving an Approval Form with a responsible person every time they go off into the great outdoors….no matter what age or level

8. These forms are concerned with ensuring that The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award processes are followed. If we approve a trip we are saying that the requirements of our Adventurous Journey Section are being met
It is up to the submitter of the form to ensure that all outdoor safety procedures relevant to your organisation have been followed and an approval number issued by us does not ratify that fact

9. Common Errors Found on Adventurous Journey Approval Forms
Linear distance, rather than topographic (we can measure the route for you)
Grid References written incorrectly or missing
Not signed by Award Leader
More than 7 members in a land-based group
More than one group per form
Not all group members listed (and whether using for an Award)
Date/venue of Practice Journeys missing
Trip is being run by parents

10. Expeditions – How Far??
Adventurous Journeys are defined by hours of activity and there is no compulsory distance, although for guidance there is a suggested distance for a fit group in moderate terrain.
All listed distances are topographic……

11. The requirements are….. Bronze 6hrs planned activity per day Silver
(usually 4 hrs journeying)
Silver
7hrs planned activity per day
(usually 5 hrs journeying)
Gold
8hrs planned activity per day
(usually 6 hours journeying)

12. We have a suggested routes list to help you plan where to go (see website)

13. The Training Course Contains the following elements…… First Aid
Exploration Planning

14. Trip Planning
Food & Nutrition
Leadership

15. Navigation
Campcraft
Environmental Care

16. Proficiency in the chosen mode of transport

17. download from our website
Further Reading……
download from our website
$65 each level
Available from
National Office

18. Other Modes of Transport
Cycling, Horse Riding, Water Ventures
Bronze
6hrs planned activity per day
Silver
7hrs planned activity per day
Gold
8hrs planned activity per day

19. Planned Activity……
….means everything that occurs during that period from loading the horses/cycles/boats/kayaks/canoes/raft to setting up camp and preparing a meal
When planning a water venture always work from the worst case scenario, if you get to your destination early you can explore on foot or paddle or sail around the area to make up the hours

20. (see admin/ intro training)
Direct Entrants
A Gold participant who has not completed one of the previous awards (Bronze or Silver) must complete sufficient Practice trips for the journey and the Bronze and Silver training in addition to Gold training before going on to the qualifying trip
The time line would usually look like this: Bronze training - Bronze practice - Silver training - Silver practice - Gold training - Gold practice - Gold qualifier…this is in addition to the extra time required in the other three sections
(see admin/ intro training)

21. In addition to the extra time requirements in the other sections
Semi-Direct Entrants
A Gold participant who has completed Bronze but not Silver is a ‘semi-direct’ participant and must do sufficient practices before the qualifier including the Silver training and assuming they have completed the entire Bronze award will usually do Silver training - Silver practice - Gold training - Gold practice – Gold qualifier
In addition to the extra time requirements in the other sections

22. Expeditions, Explorations & Other Adventurous Projects
What is the difference?

23. What is an Exploration?
An exploration is a venture that involves less journeying than that of an expedition (typically a third)
It has a greater proportion of time spent on doing some form of activity

24. An exploration is a project with a journey it does not require a different campsite every night (you can base camp) but it is necessary to be outdoors and engaged in some form of activity
This can be….
Academic:
Scientific studies or surveys

25. Artistic:
Painting
Sketching
Photography
Sculpture
etc

26. Physical:
Caving
Climbing
Biking
etc

27. Think….
Just about everything in National Geographic Magazine is an example of an exploration

28. Who can do an exploration?
Any Bronze, Silver or Gold participant can do an exploration
Participants with Special Needs will usually do explorations rather than expeditions

29. The basic requirements are the same as an expedition
The duration
Where you go
Where you stay
How you get there
The Training

30. Practice
Any group intending to do an exploration must also do a practice exploration
BUT….IF……a group has completed a practice expedition and wants to convert to an exploration, they need to do a 1 day, 1 night supplementary practice of their assessment exploration project and this needs to be entered into the online record book

31. Important!!
An exploration requires a lot of prior planning, the group should have an activity plan for each day and some focused goals and outcomes
It is not an “easy option” it is a more academic option with more effort put into the project to balance the reduced amount of travelling involved

32. Expedition Exploration
Some Examples
Expedition Exploration
Tramping around Mt Ruapehu
Studying glacier recession on Mt Ruapehu
Cycling from Cromwell to Dunedin
A photographic essay of old Central Otago goldmines
Canoeing the Whanganui River from Taumarunui to Pipiriki
Study the settlement history of the Whanganui River system

33. Other Adventurous Projects
Usually take place in extreme terrain or environment and may involve another outdoor activity such as Climbing or Skiing
You may operate out of a base camp
There is no distance requirement, just the 6/7/8hrs activity per day

34. Requirements for all Ventures
a purpose
“Purpose” needs to be something that is encouraging participants to take note of their surroundings. It can vary from completing an arduous journey to concluding practical research or study, or achieving a physical challenge. It is important that the participants actually give early thought to their purpose which should relate to the interest and abilities of those taking part.

35. Requirements for all Ventures
all members must be involved in planning and preparation
group size between 4 and 7
young people

36. accommodation by camping or hut
different camp each night, except explorations/OAP’s
a substantial meal to be prepared each day
all participants are to be trained
equipment should be suitable for the activity and the environment

37. Practice Journeys
On page 77 of the International Handbook, section 8.5, it says:
Participants need to have the appropriate skills to undertake their journey, so must undergo relevant training.
Participants must undertake sufficient practice journeys to ensure that they have the ability to be self-reliant and safe in their chosen environment.
The emphasis here is on “appropriate” and “sufficient”. Gold Direct Entrants will usually need to start with the Bronze Training if they do not already possess the skills and experience for a 4 day Journey. And although there is no set number of Practice Journeys, it is best to use an approach that introduces the participant to the demands of the outdoors incrementally, so that the Practices have integrity as a learning and conditioning experience.

38. Practice Journeys
The practice trips are not just a tick-box exercise, the participants need to show that they have a good grasp of the skills needed to complete the trip and by the end of the practice should be performing at assessment standard
If the group is particularly bad at one or more aspects of the training then re-train and send them out on another practice…their safety is paramount

39. Supervision of Adventurous Journey Groups
Because of the challenging nature of New Zealand conditions in the outdoors, we have a tighter approach to group supervision than in the Handbook on page 81, section 8.6.5:
“The Supervisor should make contact with the group at least once
each day.”
Because we have a limited amount of tracks compared to (for example) European countries, usually the only way to make contact with a group is to follow them down their chosen route with a ‘Shadow Party’.
As a result, we use New Zealand outdoor ‘good practice’ and define supervision of Adventurous Journey groups as follows…..

40. Supervision/Assessment
All Adventurous Journey groups must be supervised by an adult shadow party at all Award Levels for both Practice and Qualifying Journeys
The supervisors are there to ensure the safety of the group in all circumstances and in the case of Practice Journeys they need to observe the group in action to determine whether any additional training is necessary either during or after the Practice Journey.
The Shadow Party must walk close enough to the group to be able to interpret and circumvent any dangerous or potentially dangerous actions or behaviour and to be able to determine the functionality of the group and its competence during the journey.
The actual distance will vary according to the weather and terrain but as a guideline you should be able to hail the group if (for example) they are about to attempt to cross a swollen river or similar hazard and you want them to stop. In practice this may vary between 75 metres – 1 metre on the understanding the maximum distance is not determined by the DofEIA to be safe for any given set of conditions.
As with all Safety Management Issues it is imperative that you understand your organisation’s Safety Management Systems around group control and safety and do not supersede your own processes with our advice.
Remember, the main priority of the Shadow Party is to ensure that they all return safely, this should come before any DofEIA requirements or processes.

41. Supervision Structure
Each and every Adventurous Journey group (4-7 participants) must have a competent supervisor shadowing them.
Certain aspects of the competence of the students and staff involved, behaviour, age, remoteness, terrain, weather or activity may require a higher level of supervision and you must use the outdoor safety guidelines for your organisation or group to determine the appropriate supervision structure for your specific circumstances. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is not responsible for incidents caused by inadequate supervision or risk management. It is imperative that you determine your supervision structure by way of robust and specific Safety Management Systems.

42. Supervision Structure
For more guidance see "EOTC Guidelines 2016"
Click this link to go to the page

43. Supervision Structure
Useful information on writing a safety plan can be found here (right click and select “open link”)
supportadventure.co.nz/
While aimed at operators who have to be registered under the new adventure activities regulations, it will also be useful to volunteer organisations, clubs, schools and tertiary institutions
The website was developed by TIA with support from Outdoors NZ and funding from the Dept of Labour

44. Parents as Assessors
Although not specifically mentioned in the Handbook, family members cannot act as the Assessor for any section of the Award - except under the following circumstances on an Adventurous Journey:
Scenarios
If a participant’s family member is helping to assess an Adventurous Journey group, there must be another assessor present who is not a family member so that a balanced view of the group’s performance can be determined. An Adventurous Journey group passes or fails as a group; there are no circumstances whereby some members will fail and others pass unless a participant had to leave the group and return home (usually because of sickness).
An Adventurous Journey cannot be run as a family group. Parents may not supervise or assess any journey if the group consists only of their family members. This is to ensure that all decisions around performance are made without bias, i.e. not being too hard or too lenient on the participant.
The group should be trained to cope with all eventualities that could occur within the group. This should include training on how to negotiate through disagreements if plans need to be changed to accommodate an injured group member, or to assist a participant struggling with one or more elements of the journey.

45. Changes of plan en route….
All group plans should include a bad weather/emergency alternative; either route or part of route, if this is used due to prevailing conditions the group still pass. If the group have to bail out and cancel the trip without doing the required nights, they will not be deemed to have completed the Journey
Intervention: An Assessor or Supervisor may intervene on the grounds of safety if the group is about to do something life threatening as the group may have good skills yet limited experience

46. Under these circumstances some discussion may be necessary to decide if the intervention was due to the group being incompetent or just inexperienced. It is OK to have an element of learning in an assessment scenario but the assessor should be experienced enough to know if the incident was one the group could be reasonably expected to identify and avoid
Dealing with circumstances never before encountered in real life may require assessor input if the consequences of failure or incorrect action are life-threatening

47. Open Adventurous Journeys
In the Handbook on page 80, section 8.6.3, it says:
Participants must undertake sufficient practice journeys to ensure that they can complete their qualifying journey safely. Even a highly skilled group of individuals must take part in at least one practice journey together to become familiar with each other’s
ways of working and develop as a team
Because of New Zealand’s small and very mobile population it is not always possible to ensure that the participants in the practice groups will be the same participants in the qualifying groups. We also have a number of Open Award Centres that cater for participants who cannot fit in with their Award Unit’s timetable.
Therefore, in New Zealand, we allow section to be overridden with the following statement:
Ideally participants should take part in at least one practice journey together to become familiar with each other’s ways of working and develop as a team
We recommend that Open Award providers, either voluntary or commercial verify the training and other Adventurous Journey activities that are signed off for unknown participants and satisfy themselves that the participant is fit for the journey and will not compromise group safety or performance.

48. Debrief
The debrief is important, it allows you to understand which parts of the training may need to be reinforced and how the group coped with the challenge of the journey
Young people are evolving constantly and the debrief helps us to develop the Award in order to maintain outcomes and remain relevant to the youth of today

49. Account/report/presentation
This does not have to be written, it can use any media or performance format the participants can come up with
There is no set size but as a rule of thumb we would look for a page per day per participant for written work
For other formats the group should keep you entertained for at least 10 mins at Bronze, 20 at Silver and 30 at Gold
For explorations the report should be at least twice as big

50. Outcomes……
One of the primary indicators of a successful assessment is this question…
Could they have done it on their own with no supervision or intervention???
Except in special, extreme, circumstances, the answer must be “yes” before you should consider signing off the Journey

51. The type of report should be decided well before the venture.
All Ventures
The type of report should be decided well before the venture.
Allow the group to fully express their creativity…

52. Assessment
Each participant is assessed on both the journey itself and their report
It may be that the report and the journey are assessed by different people
The report should reflect individual contributions and involvement in the project

53. The End of the Journey
Participants tend to remember their Adventurous Journey for the rest of their lives…..let’s make sure those memories are positive ones!
We strongly recommend that you sign up for an Outdoor Leader course, this can be done through us, please contact us to find out how

54. Please click the link to go to the Adventurous Journey Quiz
Quiz Time
Please click the link to go to the Adventurous Journey Quiz
Log in using the password given to you when you signed up for this online training
Take the quiz!

55. Please press “esc” to leave or the “up” arrow to return to the quiz link