FOLLOWING five days of exhaustive journeying through Guyana’s rainforest to reach the awesome Kaieteur Falls, irresistibly cascading in all its breath-taking majesty down the gorge, thirty-one participants of the President Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG), together with three unit leaders, two award staff and five members of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) 31 Special Forces Squadron, concluded another successful Gold expedition. The contingent commenced the expedition last Monday Morning from the Award Secretariat on Middle Street, and journeyed to the Soesdyke Junction to team up with members of the 31 Special Forces Squadron of the GDF, before arriving in Linden to be joined by participants of the PYARG from that town.

The dynamic mining town, reposed in solitude after three weeks of disturbances, openly displayed its evidence of destruction by protesters as we journeyed through en route to 58 Miles, our first official stop.

That journey took about three hours along the rough and bumpy trail, even as participants explored the vista of seemingly unending hinterland confronting their gaze before arriving at the first stop, where they obtained a light snack and an opportunity to relieve themselves at the washrooms.

The journey continued with the contingent headed for the police outpost at Mabura, where an identification check was made; and the contingent continued to the crossing at Mango Landing, where we awaiting a pontoon to cross before continuing to Tramacumari Junction, the second official stop along the route.

At that location, the contingent was briefed on commencement of the expedition, which was scheduled for Tiger Hill.

The contingent arrived at Tiger Hill, and the participants were briefed even as torrential rainfall descended; and the expedition thereafter resumed, with the physical journey of walking the trail to Mahdia.

This undertaking took the expedition just over three and a half hours, as the advance team arrived in Mahdia to set all logistics in place for the participants.

On arrival, the participants were debriefed of the overnight activities; and cooking and erecting tents for sleeping began in earnest, as the expedition was set to resume journeying at 06:00 hrs on Tuesday, the destination being Pamela Landing.

The expedition received support in equipment — three aluminum boats with three 25HP outboard engines — from the Region Eight Regional Democratic Council, with other support coming from the Regional Education Officer, Mrs. Marcia Paddy-Andrews, and finance staff member, former awardee Ms. Sharon George.

The expedition was unable to meet the Regional Executive Officer Mr. Ronald Harsawack, a former Gold awardee and united leader of the PYARG programme, who was out of the district on other business.

The advance team loaded the boats and engines on a trailer being drawn by a tractor from the Campbelltown Village Council, and journeyed to Pamela Landing, where the 31 Special Forces ranks took charge.

The contingent boarded the small boats with guidance from Godfrey, a shop owner at Pamela Landing, as they journeyed to Amatuk Falls.
In this trip down the Potaro River, the expedition saw first-hand river dredging at two locations, and other large-scale land mining on the east and west banks of the river, among the large rocks and rapids.

On arrival at Amatuk Falls, some of the participants disembarked on a nearby sand bank, since the large boat taking the group with the fuel could not reach to the bank at Amatuk, and the smaller boats had to transport the participants.
There, at Amatuk, the overnight camp was set up, cooking commenced in earnest, and participants enjoyed a bath and began their second interaction with each other, before turning in to bed under their tents. They awoke at about 05:00 hrs on Wednesday, prepared a hot snack, and got saddled for the second day of water travel, this time to Waratuk Falls.

The third day’s journey began with the crossing of the Amatuk Falls, lifting of the boats and engines to the other side of the falls; and boarding began as another captain escorted us down the river to Waratuk Falls.

The journey to Waratuk Falls was an experience of a lifetime, and the expedition was awed all along that journey.

One of the boats got stuck on a rock at Waratuk Falls; and in trying to get it unstuck, the river current caused the vessel to sustain a hole, through which it began taking in water.

The 31 Special Forces ranks were able to get the expedition quickly and safely to shore, and the punctured boat was taken out of the water and replaced by another boat from the Kaieteur National Park, as the expedition continued on to Tukyte.

We arrived at Tukyte at about 17:30 hrs on Wednesday afternoon, and begin the climb to the top of the Kaieteur Falls, where the contingent slept overnight, viewed the majestic falls early Thursday morning, and began descending the mountain to return to Tukyte.

We arrived at Tukyte at about 09:00hrs, and began the return process to Waratuk and Amatuk Falls, where the contingent overnighted; and headed for Pamela Landing on Friday morning.

At Pamela Landing, the final journey to conclude the expedition – trekking – commenced, and there was an uneventful return to Mahdia.

The contingent arrived at Mahdia Primary School at 13:00 hrs, and began cleaning and cooking in groups, as we prepared for Talent Night, when members of the expedition would express in cultural form their experience of the award and the expedition.

The participants thanked the staff leaders, and especially the five ranks of the 31 Special Forces of the GDF, for shepherding them on a safe and exciting adventure over the past five days.