Daring duo launch expeditions firm

By James Tourgout, Friday 11th August 2006

EXPLORERS Adrian Gray and Phil Beale are tackling a new venture - an expedition business.The duo have started Dorset-based Pioneer Expeditions with the aim of letting tourists achieve extraordinary expedition firsts'.

The company, which is based at East Chaldon, near Dorchester, caters for budding explorers who want to join in one-off adventure-style holidays and become the first to achieve a particular feat. Mr Gray said: "I am delighted to be launching Pioneer Expeditions."

"It is not every day you get the chance to offer a unique service for real adventurers who wish to become part of history, to be remembered by future generations of explorers, and still have time to take it easy."

Mr Gray, from Lyme Regis, and Mr Beale, from East Chaldon, launched Pioneer Expeditions after gaining travel experience.

Mr Gray worked as a tour leader in more than 20 countries and fellow explorer Mr Beale led the successful Borobudur Ship Expedition in 2003 to 2004.

They are supported at Pioneer by a team of experienced expedition leaders including Simon Jordan, who is based in Torquay.

The duo said they launched Pioneer because adventure holidays were increasingly becoming mainstream and catering to a mass market.

They said that there was a need for a holiday that would satisfy those looking for real' adventures, who wanted a new, exciting and pioneering experience.

The company creates and organises one-off itineraries which take small groups to exotic and little-visited destinations with the aim of being the first to achieve a particular objective. This could be swimming a volcanic crater, rafting a river from source to sea, scaling unclimbed peaks, trekking a glacier or traversing a jungle-clad tropical island.

The next expeditions will be a trip to Palawan in the Philippines in November 2006, which will include a swim across a volcanic lake.

Others lined up include a river safari in Tanzania, and a raft and trek down a new route of the Zomandao River in Madagascar.

There will also be a north to south trek of Liverpool Land in Greenland in April 2007.