In June 2026, Network Scouts Charlie, James, Harriet and Charlotte from Ashford Explorer Unit in Ashby & Coalville swapped Leicestershire for Norway to take on one of Scouting’s toughest challenges: the Explorer Belt.
The Explorer Belt is a 10-day expedition outside the UK, designed to give young people a real understanding of another country, its culture and its way of life. Teams plan their own route, manage their own budget, keep a logbook and complete a series of projects along the way, all while spending at least 50 hours travelling under their own steam.
After flying from Stansted into Oslo, the team set off on foot, following the river Ådalselva and walking well over 100km, with a mix of public transport to help them cover the ground. Each of them carried two litres of water a day, topped up with the help of water purifiers. Nights were just as varied as the days, with wild camping, hotels, hostels, cabins and campsites all making an appearance.
From city streets to open countryside
For their major project, the team explored how culture and the environment change as you leave city life behind and head out into the Norwegian countryside, keeping a close eye on the local wildlife as they went.
One thing that really stood out was how wholeheartedly Norway has embraced renewable energy. Even in the most rural spots, electric cars were everywhere and the team even spotted more electric lawnmowers keeping the gardens in check than they could count.
Plans? What plans?
If there’s one thing the Explorer Belt teaches, it’s how to adapt. The team quickly discovered that the route they had carefully planned at home didn’t suit the terrain, not helped by the fact that Norway doesn’t have the kind of detailed walking maps we take for granted in the UK. Some routes turned out to be along fast roads that simply weren’t safe to walk and on more than one occasion they arrived at a planned campsite only to find a quarry or a commercial bin store.
Each time, they regrouped, rethought and carried on. Impressively, despite all the changes, they still finished within budget.
Wet weather and cold water
The Norwegian weather kept everyone guessing. Rainy days put a damper on things (literally), with makeshift washing lines regularly strung up to dry out soggy kit. One lesson learned the hard way: do not dry your clothes in the microwave.
On the fine days, though, the views more than made up for it. The team even braved a dip in a glacier lake,and it didn’t take long to work out why the locals were giving them funny looks and why nobody else was in the water. Even in summer, it’s very, very cold.
The power of the necker
As always, a Scout necker proved to be the best conversation starter going. The team found the locals were always very welcoming and very chatty and their uniform opened doors in the most unexpected ways.
In Oslo they met up with two local Scout leaders and ended up chatting for three hours, swapping neckers and stories. The leaders even taught them a Norwegian campfire song, all about how proud they are to be Norwegian Scouts! The team also visited a Scouting museum, which was specially opened just for them.
The team also managed to meet the Secretary General of the Norwegian Scouts, who put her own meetings aside to spend time with the team.
Culture, cooking and cinnamon
Alongside the walking, the team worked through their minor projects, which included joining in with a local cultural event, photographing Norway’s spectacular waterfalls and cooking and eating local delicacies. Reindeer stew was on the menu, as was Kanelboller, a traditional Norwegian cinnamon roll. The verdict? Delicious, and very, very large!
A huge well done
The Explorer Belt asks a lot of young people: resilience, teamwork, problem solving and the confidence to throw yourself into another culture. Charlie, James, Harriet and Charlotte showed all of that and more. Congratulations to all four of them on a fantastic achievement and thank you to everyone who supported them along the way.
Feeling inspired?
The Explorer Belt is open to Explorers aged 16 and over and Network members.
Find out more at scouts.org.uk/top-awards/explorer-belt or have a chat with one of our Top Award Mentors:
topawards@leicestershirescouts.org.uk
