Seven members from the Victoria Scout Group Rover crew have recently completed their Explorer Belt challenge.

The Explorer Belt is an international scout award which consists of a minimum of 150km hike spread over 10 days, during which, the rovers are given a number of challenges to complete along the route, such as exploring culture, connecting with locals and enjoying nature. The journey of the seven rovers, aged 20-22, started from Toulouse in southern France. They completed their hike by visiting various small villages and towns in the Pyrenees and on their way to the microstate of Andorra, they explored gorges and streams and even hiked through a tunnel.

The route between the three countries started in France, went through Spain and ended in Andorra, with the rovers taking a few days of well-earned rest at the end of the trip in Barcelona. On certain nights during the hike, the rovers camped in the wild, putting their survival skills to the test. During camping and the whole hike, the scouts embodied the Leave no trace philosophy and left the camping areas better than they found them.

The main scope of the journey was to explore and meet with the communities of the Pyrenees regions that surround the area of Pic Carlit, exposing the crew to a mixture of Spanish and French cultures that make up the region of L'Occitane. This project is partially financed by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ under the BeActive Scheme.

The scouts made use of sustainable transport, primarily trains and buses during the whole trip. The challenges included experiencing local cuisine, exploring nature and meeting different and interesting people in these regions. The group also explored changes in culture namely language, traditions and cuisine. The rovers ended up doing a 17-day hike, which covered approximately 200km of hiking with haversacks, and a total elevation gain of around 2.5km.