Set In Stone

I believe it is well in order to carry on from the wave of optimism in which I finished my last blog. This expedition, the research, and of course the impact it will create, have all been on our minds every single day for two years. We have juggled the overwhelming preparation of an incredibly daunting task with the rest of our busy lives.

And now, after many months of answering “it’s too early to tell yet”, “it’s looking likely” and “I have no idea”, if someone asks if Guyana is actually happening, I can now answer “absolutely.” And why? Because permissions- from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and from the Ethical Review Boards of the Universities of both Aberdeen and Guyana- are all in. And now, all flights are booked; we embark on the 27th October and return on the 26th November. I have never been more thrilled.

I confess to you now that I first learned this brilliant news on the toilet on the train back up to Aberdeen. Confirmation of a project you have poured your heart and soul into is an effective laxative, let me tell you! But there was no time to stop and celebrate.

Ever since then, our work has only increased tenfold to tick every required box- from arranging internal transport to exchanging currency to ordering badges of our expedition logo to sow into our clothes. Our drive to get this project off the ground has only became more intense. And this has paid off: To complement the excellent revelation, I am tremendously excited to announce we now have backing from Craghoppers.

Where we were once uneasy at the thought of equipment- particularly clothing- letting us down in the harsh environments we will be facing, with no less than Craghoppers themselves providing us kit, this worry is sincerely quelled.

The to-do lists for the four of us have never been longer. But now we have no need to silence the once internal doubts of “why are you still bothering with all this work? Nothing is even set in stone.” Now it is set in stone