Plucky Pioneer

Bold and confident, you leave no stone unturned during your expeditions, which lands you the title of Plucky Pioneer!

You’re super agile and always aware, so you can swiftly dodge any falling boulders or flying arrows from booby traps without flinching.

You draw your motivation from the excitement of making new discoveries (and the glory that comes with it!).

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Your ideal quest

Test out your bravery and explore uncharted territory on a treasure hunt Treasure Trail!

To find your closest expedition, head to the Treasure Trails website and click on the ‘Buy a Treasure Trail’ tab at the top. Choose your local area to see all the Trails nearby listed on the left-hand side.

Click on the ‘Advanced Filter’ drop-down option above this list, and then pick the right theme to show all the quests near you!

Once you’ve chosen your Treasure Trail, read on for top tips on how to plan your perfect adventure.

 

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Make an intrepid day of it

Pre-quest prep

Before you depart on your travels, it’s vital that you’re prepared for the perilous journey ahead.

Fuel up

You’ll need a hearty breakfast if you have any hope of tracking down that treasure and dodging the untold dangers. Proper pioneers way back when would eat whatever they could get their hands on, often hunting down their dinner or surviving on tinned foods. A nice (safe) modern equivalent would be a tasty plate of bacon, eggs and baked beans.

Get kitted out

You could be dodging booby traps during your quest, so make sure you wear something that lets you move easily without getting it in your way. Sturdy shoes are a must to help you clamber over rocks and trek along dusty paths. Remember you’ll be exposed to the elements, so make sure you’re wrapped up warm on cold days or pack sun cream if the sun is burning high and bright.

Limber up

If you’ve not been on a quest for a while, you might be a little rusty! Before you leave, have a good shake out, limb by limb, and jump right and left a few times to practice dodging boulders. Then, quickly crouch three times to avoid booby traps flying overhead. Finally, a brisk 30 seconds of scrambling up a rocky edge will do the trick – keep your knees and arms up high to get the best reach!

Still not warmed up? Follow our Explorer Training Video here:

Pick your explorer codename

You never know how many rival treasure seekers and enemy adventurers could be on your tail during your hunt for the treasure.

To avoid giving away your identity and drawing attention to yourself, you’ll need to choose a codename. Make sure each member of your expedition team has their own codename and that you refer to them with that name at all times!

 

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Out on your Trail adventure

Top Trailing tips

You’re bold and confident, which means you sometimes rush too far ahead and need to backtrack to spot the clues! Allow extra time to be sure you spot them all, and tread lightly – you don’t want to set off any booby traps along the way! 

Act like a true treasure seeker

Every time you find a clue, call out, “Snakes alive! I’ve found something!”

If you find yourself stuck, remember your archaeology and research training. Be thorough and leave no stone unturned. Read the clue again, and you’ll find what you seek!

Keep a lookout for…

Anything out of place or stones with unusual markings; you never know, they could be triggers to set off booby traps. Also, we suggest avoiding cracks in pavements and if you need to negotiate steps, avoid every third one just in case.

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Back at base camp

Submit your answer

To draw your journey to a close, you need to find out whether you can receive the glory of discovering the hidden treasure or whether you missed out this time. So, don’t delay – submit your answer!

Grab some grub

Now that you’re back in the safety of camp, gather around the fire and keep warm with a hearty bowl of campfire stew. Well, any old stew will do if you don’t have a campfire handy!

Hunker down in your cabin for some evening fun

After a challenging expedition, you certainly deserve to put your feet up and unwind!

Relax with a jigsaw or board game – Labyrinth (John Lewis, £24.99) will provide excellent training for your next expedition.

Gather your team on the sofa for an evening of adventure movies – you might get some ideas for your next quest! Try Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) for some classic exploration with Indiana Jones, National Treasure (2004) for a modern adventure (and a dose of danger), or Jumanji (1995 or 2017) to add a dose of fantasy to the escapades.

If you’d prefer to curl up in front of the campfire with a good read, The Explorer (Katherine Rundell, 2018) will make young explorers eager for their next quest, while This Business of Exploring (Roy Chapman Andrews, finder of the first known dinosaur eggs, 2011) will spark the imagination and wanderlust of adult pioneers. 

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What’s next?

Now that you’ve had a taste of adventure, you’ll be eager for some more! But did you learn anything while on your expedition? Put your new-found knowledge to the test and retake the quiz to see if there’s anything you’d do differently next time. You may discover that you’ve become a totally new type of adventurer!

Get social

Don’t forget to share your plucky pioneer escapades with us on social media. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – you never know, we might feature you as our explorers of the month!