Expeditions

Every year there are numerous trips and expeditions to support various academic departments and extra-curricular activities such as CCF, D of E and Climbing. However, each Summer there is also a more adventurous expedition designed to put some of the outdoor skills we have learnt over the year to the test.

We alternate overseas trips with cheaper “home grown” ones giving everyone ample opportunity to participate

The expedition this Summer (2011) will be to Arran, on the west coast of Scotland. This island provides a wealth of mountain walking, Natural History and Geology in stunning scenery. Being totally self-contained and led by SAHY, we are free to please ourselves with the itinerary and can adjust the programme according to the weather and the group’s interests. Further details of the trip will be available soon when the trip is launched this December.

Longer, foreign expeditions have recently been to Ecuador, Tanzania, and Namibia and typically combine a trekking phase (such as the ascent of Kilimanjaro) with local community work or an environmental project (such as construction work in a local school).  Last summer (2010) we visited  Greenland for a month with Outlook Expeditions, and were able to trek across the arctic environment of Disko Island, explore glaciers and travel across an ice cap by dog sled.  The community phase was to build a garden for the local museum in the small town of Qeqertarsuup.  As with all expeditions of this nature everyone came back having learnt a lot about themselves as well as the world the inhabit.  These major expeditions all represent a significant commitment not just financially, but also in the time taken up by planning, preparation and fundraising.  However, this very much adds to the educational benefits of the experience.  As ever it is very much a case of getting out what you put in

At the moment our next foreign trip is taking shape and in the new year we hope to launch an expedition to the Indian Himalaya for the summer of 2012.  The aim is to trek through the Ledakh region (sandwiched between Pakistan and Tibet and tackle Stok Kangri a 6000m peak – a very serious undertaking and a new altitude record for Cranleigh.  (For further information on this or any other expedition matters contact Dr Simon Young on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

View photos from Greenland 2010 expedition