A few years ago, the British Standards Institute brought out a standard for overseas expeditions, known as BS8848 (8848 is the height in metres of Everest). The standard itself was made up of a hefty tome of a document, well over a hundred pages long. While those who actually ran expeditions may take the time to read through the entire document, it was a bit hopeful that the general public would sit down and devour its finer details.
So BSI brought out a summarised guide, just 4 pages long, which sums up what the standard represents, and what people should be looking for in an organisation who runs safe and responsible expeditions. It has been called the “Parents’ Guide” but is relevant for anyone who wants to know more about why the standard is important.
Quest Overseas successfully passed the assessment for 8848 compliance in September 2009, one of the first organisations to do so. Do have a read of the guide to understand what that actually means, so that whether you decide to apply to Quest or not, you can ask the right questions to any organisation about how they support their overseas expeditions