EXPEDITIONS
Endurance
Trek.
Push further than you thought you could. Then keep going
A CALL TO ADVENTURE
Rough terrain. Early starts. Long days that demand everything of you — physically, mentally, emotionally. This is where you find out what you’re made of.
The Endurance Trek is where your Expedition becomes a real and unmatched adventure. Everything you need is on your back. For several weeks you’ll move through landscapes most people only ever see in photos — fording rivers, climbing steep peaks, crossing plains with no roads in sight. Camp moves with you: a different spot each night, sleeping under the stars, your team around the fire.
You’ll navigate, you’ll decide, you’ll lead, and by the end you’ll have covered a serious distance, physically and mentally.
TREKS BY COUNTRY
01
MALAYSIAN BORNEO
ROUTE
Along the Historic Salt Trail in the Crocker Range
TERRAIN
Dense tropical jungle, river systems, remote paths
LENGTH
Up to 13 Days, 200km
HIGHLIGHTS
Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, river cruising, night wildlife walks
ACCOMMODATION
Hammocks & Jungle Camp, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
02
COSTA RICA
ROUTE
Through Cloud Forest, mountains and jungle, ending at the Pacific Coast
TERRAIN
Mountains, rainforest and sandy beaches
LENGTH
Up to 13 Days, 200km
HIGHLIGHTS
Unique fauna including tapirs and quetzals, beaches that support nesting sea turtles, crabs and shorebirds
ACCOMMODATION
Sleep in tents or Community salons, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
03
SOUTH AFRICA
ROUTE
Trek from Fieldbase to the North Drakensberg Mountains, traversing the famous Panorama Route
TERRAIN
Begin on open flat ground, and ease into tougher mountain terrain including rocky paths, scrambles and cold nights camping
LENGTH
Up to 13 Days, 200km
HIGHLIGHTS
Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, Mac Mac Falls
ACCOMMODATION
Tents, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
LIFE ON THE TRAIL
PUSH YOURELF.
THEN KEEP GOING.
01
VENTURE FURTHER
With vast distances to cover and tough summits to conquer, you will master skills in navigation and orienteering, as well as camp cooking and wilderness survival. Every night you will set up camp in different sites, every night you’ll be sleeping under the stars. No matter the weather, step by step you will have to overcome various different physical and mental challenges.
02
LEARN TO LEAD
On trek, your team is your lifeline. Together you’ll navigate by map and compass, make the call when the route isn’t obvious, and take turns leading different stretches. Get it wrong and you’ll feel it fast. Get it right and you’ll know exactly what you’re capable of. No one’s carrying you out here — the team pulls together because it has to.
03
SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Long days. Brutal climbs. Epic company. Inevitably there will be moments in the day where something goes wrong. You’ll end up laughing about it later. Step by step, you get through it together. You’ll come back tougher, and finally sure of what you can actually handle. That’s exactly what you signed up for.
A DAY IN THE LIFE.
Up before sunrise and take your tent. The Day Leader will brief the team on the route ahead. You venture into the wild terrains – they may be flat, rocky, steep and tough. Each day will take you somewhere different, with new landscapes across rivers, mountains, canyons and forest. Whatever the terrain asks of you that day, you step up and move forward as a team.
At the end of the day you set up camp for the night. You’ll cook your camp meals and the Day Leader will finish with debrief from the day and plans for the next. You’ll end the day in your sleeping bag and with a feeling of true accomplishment.
Accommodation
BORNEO
Hammocks & Jungle Camp, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
COSTA RICA
Sleep in tents or Community salons, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
SOUTH AFRICA
Tents, bucket showers (where available), long-drop, toilets (where available), camping stoves
GO WHERE EVEN
MAPS DON'T GO.
That’s when you find out what you’re capable of.
GETTING TREK-READY.
Endurance trek is far from easy – that’s what makes it an adventure. In South Africa you’ll climb through the Northern Drakensberg on legs that may start to ache, in wild conditions that may test you. In Costa Rica you’ll cross rivers and push through humidity that gets you working up a sweat. In Borneo the jungle doesn’t give you straight lines or easy ground – you’ll be challenged at every step.
At times you may want to give up. But What matters is that you carry on anyway. You don’t need to be an athlete or to be fearless. You just need to be prepared and believe that can go beyond what you thought was possible.
SO HOW DO I TRAIN?
The best way to prepare for the Endurance Trek is simple: get outside and walk. Here are some tips for when you’re doing just that:
DON’T
Panic or overthink. Things will feel harder when you’re training alone, but on trek you’ll be with others – they’re a big part of what carries you through.
Tell yourself ‘I can’t’. The power of mindset is huge – if you remove negativity, you’ll be amazed how far you’ll go.
Exhaust yourself – you don’t want to turn up on day 1 of Expedition with no energy!
Do
Wear the boots you’re planning to trek in
Start with shorter walks and build towards full days
Include some elevation in your training
Practice with a pack
Plan for rest and recovery (including stretching)
PRACTICAL
DETAILS.
Functional expedition living — not a hotel. What daily life on trek actually involves.
FOOD
SIMPLE. PRACTICAL. COOKED IN THE FIELD.
Eat from our “Raleigh Rations” — simple, sustainable, and nutritious food. On trek, Venturers cook together on gas stoves and trangias. Meals are shared responsibility — not room service. In remote phases, food can be simple expedition rations.
SAFETY
SUPPORTED IN THE FIELD
All Venturer Managers are trained in outdoor first aid and carry first-aid kits. Project and trek sites are risk assessed ahead of time with MEDEVAC and CASEVAC plans in place — including designated RV points, nearby hospitals and evacuation routes. Venturers must have appropriate travel insurance for their Expedition.
FIELDBASE
ALWAYS IN REACH
Fieldbase coordinates support, medical care and communications with trek groups in challenging environments.
COMMUNICATION
PROJECT PHONES
Project groups maintain contact with Fieldbase via project phones throughout the phase.
DURATION
APPROXIMATELY 19 DAYS PER PHASE
The Endurance Challenge phase lasts approximately 19 days in source materials, varying by Expedition length and destination. Confirm what’s included for your chosen duration when booking.
SUPPORT
24/7 FIELD BASE
Fieldbase staff are available 24/7 throughout the project phase.
ENDURANCE TREK FAQs
How fit do I need to be for the Endurance Trek?
You don’t need to be an athlete — but you do need to be prepared to push yourself physically over multiple days. A good baseline is the ability to walk for 6–8 hours carrying a loaded pack. If you can build up to that in the weeks before departure, you’re ready. Full preparation guidance is included in your pre-departure information
What is the Day Leader role?
Each day, one Venturer takes responsibility for leading the group — navigating the route, briefing the team, managing decisions and welfare throughout the day, and running the evening debrief. The role rotates so every Venturer leads at least once. It’s supported and debriefed by your Project Coordinator throughout.
What do I eat and sleep in on the Endurance Trek?
You’ll carry your own kit including a tent and sleeping bag. Meals are cooked in the field — simple, calorie-dense, enough to fuel the day. Occasionally you’ll sleep in community centres or local accommodation rather than tents, depending on the route and destination.
What happens if I get injured on the Endurance Trek?
All our staff are first aid trained and carry first aid kits throughout. Groups maintain regular contact with Fieldbase and casualty evacuation plans are briefed at induction. All Venturers are required to hold personal travel insurance before departure.
Is the full Endurance Trek included in all expedition lengths?
The full 12-day trek is included in both the 8- and 4-week Expeditions.
How does the Endurance Trek help with university applications or CVs?
The Day Leader experience gives you specific, concrete examples of leadership under pressure — navigating real terrain with real consequences, making decisions that affect the group, and being assessed on how you handled it. These are the kind of experiences that stand out in personal statements and interviews precisely because they’re specific and genuinely hard to replicate.
Does the route change each cycle?
The core route stays consistent within each destination, but conditions, terrain challenges, and specific sections may vary by season and cycle. The ecosystems and landmarks — the Drakensberg, the Panorama Route, the Pacific coast finish in Costa Rica, the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Borneo — are consistent features of each destination’s Endurance Trek.