Brathay Exploration Group is a not-for-profit charity which has been providing worldwide youth expeditions since 1947. Based in Ambleside

Ambleside

Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...

, Cumbria, BEG aims to run around five expeditions per year, to destinations all over the world. The group is aimed at young people (aged 15–25) from all backgrounds who share an interest in the outdoors and who want to "learn new skills, make new friends, gain new self-confidence and discover new places on expeditions, in the UK, Europe and worldwide". Run predominantly by volunteers, BEG prides itself on having only one full-time member of staff, with leaders contributing to expedition costs and giving their time freely.

History

Founded in 1947, Brathay has since taken almost 10,000 participants on almost 700 expeditions all over the world. In 1997 the Royal Geographical Society

Royal Geographical Society

The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...

 awarded BEG a Special Medal "for services to exploration and youth adventurous activities". The Group was a founder member of the Young Explorers' Trust and has published a number of scientific and other reports, which are available from the Royal Geographical Society Expedition Advisory Centre.

Group Structure

Brathay Exploration Group Trust Ltd. is a Registered Charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 (Reg.No. 1061156) run by a Board of elected Trustees, with the assistance of various committees. All of the Trustees and Committee Members are volunteers, with the exception of the Group's only employee, its full-time Director. The Director is responsible for running the Group's Office and Headquarters at Shackleton Lodge, both of which are situated beside the River Brathay

River Brathay

The Brathay is a river of north-west England. Its name comes from Old Norse and means broad river. It rises at a point 1289 feet above sea level near the Three Shire Stone at the highest point of Wrynose Pass in the Lake District...

 near Ambleside

Ambleside

Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...

 in Cumbria. All of its Expedition Leaders are also volunteers, many having risen through the ranks of members to eventually plan and implement their own trip.

Annual Reunion

There is an annual reunion (usually over the first weekend in the October half-term), where members and leaders of expeditions reunite and relive the fun of their expedition. In recent years, this has taken the form of formal presentations, followed by more informal discussions over drinks, followed by a ceilidh. The Annual Raft Race is also now a regular event.

Annual Dinner

There is also an annual dinner (usually held in January), where members can meet up and discuss past and future trips, as well as catching up on each other's news in yet another excuse for people to socialise!

Leaders' Weekend

The main Leaders' weekend (usually held in March) is where leaders meet to discuss one another's trips, plan future events, feedback into the Group and receive relevant information and training. It is also where most of the expeditions undergo their external vetting.

Young Leaders' Weekend

The Young Leaders' weekend (usually held in April) is where young leaders are invited to come along and become more involved in the Group. It allows members who have been on a number of expeditions to take the next step in leading their own trip.

Members' Weekends

Members' weekends occur regularly throughout the year. Accommodation at the Group's Headquarters is free for all members, and it is a chance for members to catch up and spend a weekend in the hills.

Previous Expeditions

Past Expeditions

Year	Destination 1	Destination 2	Destination 3	Destination 4	Destination 5	Destination 6	Destination 7	Destination 8	Destination 9	Destination 10	Destination 11
2010	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2009	Norway	Spain	D of E	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2008	India¹	Morocco	Corsica	Foula Foula Foula in the Shetland Islands of Scotland is one of Great Britain’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island was the location for the film The Edge of the World...	D of E	-	-	-	-	-	-
2007	Bulgaria¹	India	Morocco	Mull	Norway	Romania¹	Scotland	D of E	-	-	-
2006	Tanzania	India	Guatemala	Malta/Gozo	Alps	Foula Foula Foula in the Shetland Islands of Scotland is one of Great Britain’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island was the location for the film The Edge of the World...	John Muir Trail John Muir Trail The John Muir Trail is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, running between the northern terminus at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and the southern terminus located on the summit of Mount Whitney . For almost all of its length, the trail is in the High Sierra...	Norway	D of E	Lake District¹ Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...	-
2005	Alps (Tour Du Mont Blanc Tour du Mont Blanc The Tour du Mont Blanc or TMB is one of the most popular long distance walks in Europe. It circles the Mont Blanc Massif covering a distance of roughly 170 km with 10 km of ascent/descent and passes through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France.It is considered one of the classic long... )	China	Via Feratta Via ferrata A via ferrata or klettersteig is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities...	Tanzania	Guernsey*	Morocco	South Africa	Mull	D of E	Lake District¹ Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...	-
2004	Corsica	India	Alaska	Bolivia	Belize	Alps	Foula Foula Foula in the Shetland Islands of Scotland is one of Great Britain’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island was the location for the film The Edge of the World...	D of E	Lake District Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...	-	-
2003	Norway	Lake District Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2002	Belize¹	Corsica	Ghana¹	India²	Lake District Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...	-	-	-	-	-	-
2001	Oman	Ghana	India	South Africa	Malaysia	Canada	Romania	Corsica	Greece	Mull	Lake District Lake District The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
2000	India	Svalbard	Mongolia	Belize	Alaska	Morocco	Norway	Alps	Scotland	Mull	Foula

¹ Expedition cancelled
² Due to problems in Kashmir, this expedition was altered to go to Morocco