4. iALA students join the Cape Outback volunteers!

The Stellenbosch based Gap Year organisation iALA (International Academy for Leadership through Adventure) has joined the Cape Outback community. Their students will be the volunteers tasked with marking the route, manning the water stations and relocating the expedition villages during the expedition.

iALA students are exposed to a life time's adventure in one year! All this happens under the watch full eye of iALA's director Charl du Plessis (no relation to our route-guru Leo du Plessis). The iALA Gap Year volunteers' involvement in the Cape Outback forms part of their event management module. Other adventures that they embark upon include sea- and bush survival, scuba and snorkel diving, self defence, hunting skills, navigation, life skills, entrepreneurship and life orientation.

In addition to their work during the expedition in April, the iALA students will also be volunteers of the Cape Outback's Legacy Project. This project aims to leave behind a long term legacy for local communities that support the Cape Outback. This year the community sports stadium at Elim has been identified as our legacy project.

More information about iALA is available from Charl du Plessis on 083 442 8620 or on the iALA website http://www.iala.co.za/. The 2010 iALA course will start on 1 February and there are a few places still available.

In the next newsletter: Route profiles, distances and total ascents for stages 2 and 4.