Explorer Belt – Sweden 2024

Between: 10th August 2024 – 23rd August 2024 Location: Sweden

Sections: Explorer Scouts, Scout Network

The Explorer Belt is the challenge of a lifetime

It’s a 10-day expedition that will bring you a deeper understanding of one of our European neighbours, its culture and way of life. It’s an independent exploration of a foreign country in a small team. It’s one of Scouting’s most challenging Top Awards.

Read about the 2024 Explorer Belt to Sweden below. Then click the link to register your interest and to attend an Explorer Belt Information Session in September or early October.

Skåne in southern Sweden is the location for the 2024 Explorer Belt

Skåne, the southernmost province of Sweden, offers a blend of history, natural beauty and vibrant culture.  You’ll find monuments from the Viking era, medieval churches, picture perfect villages and Danish influences from when the region was part of Denmark.

Rural Skåne, where you will spend most of your Explorer Belt, is a diverse, patchwork of farmland, forests and lakes. Villages of half-timbered and brightly coloured houses are surrounded by golden fields of crops, sparkling blue lakes and deep green woods. Skåne’s coast dramatically contrasts rocky shores, sandy beaches and the open sea.

Skåne’s towns and its main city of Malmö combine old and new architecture, trendy markets, and a thriving music and cultural scene.  Typical August temperatures are the same as London and the south-east of the UK.

Your Explorer Belt expedition

You’ll travel through Skåne as a small team of 4 or 5 Explorer Scouts or 3 to 5 Network members for 10 days.

You’ll meet local people, talk to them and complete a series of projects. These will help you gain a deeper understanding of this area of Sweden, its people, culture and way of life.

During your expedition, you’ll select your own route and cover about 150 km on foot.

After your expedition you’ll make a presentation to gain your Explorer Belt

Previous expedition members have said the Explorer Belt is the best thing they did as part of Scouts.

Important pre-requisites

• You must be either an Explorer Scout aged 16 or over before the start of the expedition, or a Scout Network member.
• As a guide, you should have hiking, lightweight camping and expedition experience at Chief Scout’s Diamond / Silver DofE award level.
• Ideally, you will have formed a team and will register as a team for the first training weekend in November. Explorer teams must have 4 or 5 members, Network teams can be 3, 4 or 5.
• You must attend the two training weekends, on November 18^th and 19^th 2023 and March 16^th and 17^th They will be held in Surrey and south west London.
• Between the two weekends, you will be expected to conduct specific training and team-building activities individually and in your team.

Register your interest and start your Explorer Belt journey here

If you’re interested in the 2024 Explorer Belt, sign up for one of the two information sessions using this link. These are on zoom on Saturday 24^th September at 6pm and Wednesday 4^th October at 7:30pm.