SENIOR pupils at a Chorleywood secondary school will leave British soil behind next month when they embark on a four week expedition to Ecuador.

The group of 13 sixth formers from St Clement Danes School in Chenies Road, Chorleywood, have spent more than a year planning and preparing for the expedition.

They will be accompanied by teacher Ms Erica Howard and a specialist leader appointed by national expedition organisers World Challenge Expeditions.

The expedition, for which each pupil was required to raise £3,000 to take part, will involve participating in a number of set tasks and excursions, during which they will each take it in turn to lead the group

All group members have been involved in plotting the itinerary for the four-week trek.

It has been designed to immerse students in the culture of Ecuador.

It also aims to help pupils develop skills areas such as communication, team work and leadership.

The group will begin their journey in Quito, where they will prepare for their first trek to the crater of the volcano Quilatoa.

From here the students will undertake the challenge of ascending Pasochoa, an ancient 4,200 metre volcano.

Other scheduled activities include trekking in the Cloud Forest around Golondrinas, and exploring the rainforest, during which they will stay in local villages helping the community with local conservation projects.

After the physical challenge of the trek and community schemes, the pupils will be rewarded with the chance to take advantage of their surroundings and participate in a session of white water Rafting in Tena.

Ms Howard said: "I have been really impressed with the World Challenge courses that I have been on over the past 12 months.

"I now feel, as a leader, I am well prepared for the chlallenge, which looks to be the experience of a lifetime.

"The team are all quite different in personality, and all have different strengths and weaknesses, which will make for an interesting team.

"They have already started to bond well, and I sure they will do so even more over the four-week expedition, during which they will learn to work as a team and depend on each other."

Friends and family of the group are invited to say a final farewell during a special Expedition Build-up Day, held at the school on Saturday, July 13.

Those wishing to attend or to sponsor the group prior to the expedition can telephone Mrs Howard on 01923 284169.

July 4, 2002 15:30