About BEG

Expeditions are what we're all about!

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Here at BEG, we're very proud of our expeditions as we bring to each one of them a mission or project that contributes to both the environment and welfare of the area we visit and the personal development of the participants and leaders.  You can visit our expedition reports of previous years to see what kind of things we get involved in.

The expedition programme is run by volunteer leaders with proven ability and enthusiasm.  Since BEG is a Registered Charity, all the monies from the expedition fees go directly to the expedition expenses or to the maintenance of our modest base on the Brathay estate, near Ambleside in Cumbria.

In joining a BEG expedition you become a member of the organisation which offers you much more than a “one-off” experience.  We encourage our members to keep in touch to continue the enjoyment of sharing experiences of adventure!

Where have we come from?

Brathay Exploration Group Trust Ltd. is a Registered Charity (Reg.No. 1061156) which has been running expeditions, training courses and other events around the world and at home in the UK for over 50 years. A Board of elected trustees assisted by various committees, runs the Group. We have one employee, the Administrator, who maintains our office on the Brathay Estate, Ambleside, Cumbria.  The Group’s leaders are all volunteers, many of whom have enjoyed previous BEG expeditions, worked towards training and gaining more experience and then progressed to be a leader.

Since our foundation in 1947, we have taken almost 10,000 participants on almost 700 expeditions all over the world. In 1997 the Royal Geographical Society awarded a Special Medal "for services to exploration and youth adventurous activities". The Group was a founder member of the Young Explorers' Trust. It has published a number of scientific and other reports, which are available from the Royal Geographical Society Expedition Advisory Centre.  For more information, we have a book called Brathay Exploring by Brian Ware, published by the Brathay Exploration Group Trust.  It's available in our shop.

• Each year, young people (aged 15-25) from all over the UK learn new skills, make new friends, gain new self-confidence and discover new places on expeditions, in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
• Expeditions vary in location and quantity from year to year. See the youth expeditions section for this year's selection.
• We offer unique opportunities for people to learn about themselves, other people, the environment and peoples of the world. Through our expeditions and related activities members of the Group grow personally so that they make a difference wherever and whenever they participate in society.
• No prior experience is required for most expeditions, and indeed many people get into the outdoors through BEG expeditions.
• BEG specialises in small-group expeditions, in which members can get to know the leaders and other members very well, and have a large degree of personal responsibility. As well as having a good time of course! We aim to achieve a good mix of individuals from different backgrounds, and with different degrees of experience.
• The great strength of BEG is that it is a very friendly, supportive community. Every year there is a reunion in October, when the members of the various expeditions meet up. There are slide-shows of each expedition, and those planned for the following year are announced. It's a great party and the best way to meet other members of the Group, as well as other leaders.