Hampton School Adventure Society has a long tradition of running trips both in this country and abroad. One of their most exciting trips is the annual summer expedition and this year a group of 24 Hampton and Lady Eleanor Holles Upper Sixth pupils travelled to Borneo for a three-week long adventure.
The first stop of the trip was Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Borneo, where the group made the most of the the opportunity to acclimatise. They took a short boat ride to Manukan Island, the second largest island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, where they were able to enjoy a swim in the beautiful warm water. Next stop was the jungle in Tampat do Aman, which in the native Rungus language, means ‘place of peace’. The pupils spent several days working at a local primary school building a new car park for the community, as well as admiring the wall built by the 2016 expedition team. Interspersed with the community work were treks into the Bornean jungle for survival skills training. The adventurers learnt essential jungle skills including fire building and trap setting; they also cooked their own food over self-built fires and discovered the best way to make camp.
The second week began with an ascent of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia at 4,095 metres. The hike should have taken two days to complete, but due to atrocious weather the route to the summit was closed and the via feratta deemed too dangerous in the high winds and rain so the explorers descended from over 10,500 feet back to base. The group also visited the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sepilok to experience first-hand the work of the conservation charity that Hampton has built up strong links with over the last few years. Everyone was delighted to see the orphaned orangutans thriving in the nurseries, and hear about the success stories of those recently released back into the wild.
Usukan Island was the final destination of the trip, where our adventurers had time for rest and relaxation. The next few days were spent snorkelling and scuba diving, with plenty of swimming in the crystal clear water. The Adventure Society expedition was a fascinating insight into the rich history and culture of Borneo. It was truly the trip of a lifetime, with unforgettable memories for all our intrepid travellers.
Back to All Articles
