Inuvik (June 20/03) - A group of Inuvik Scouts are gearing up for an experience they won't likely forget, when they head to meet with a few thousand of their compatriots this summer.

Two leaders and 14 Inuvik Scouts will attend the Pacific Challenge Jamboree July 5 to 11, joining a group of about 4,000 others at Camp Byng, Roberts Creek on the B.C. Sunshine Coast.

The Inuvik troop will be broken into two groups with a wide variety of activities over the week-long event. There will be rock wall climbing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, biking and hiking.

As a warm-up to jamboree, the Inuvik Scouts spent last weekend camping at Airport Lake.

Scouter Allan Fehr said this was the first summer camp of the year for the troop, but they did have a spring camp at Rachel Reindeer Camp in April.

"All the kids slept out in snow huts," he said.

Over the past weekend, the kids learned the schedule they will have to follow at jamboree.

"We roust everybody up at 6:30 in the morning and they all have to be fed and cleaned-up by 8:30," Fehr said.

Over the weekend, the Scouts learned how to cook and clean outdoors, as well as build tables and played games at the camp.

"Some of them say they're going to go swimming, but they're braver than I am," Fehr said.

Inuvik has had representation at the past three Canadian Jamborees and the last one was in 2001 where there were 14,000 Scouts in attendance.

The first jamboree was held in London, England in 1920.