Advice on how to avoid being eaten by a jaguar is conflicting. Some say you should stand up to one, while others say you should turn-tail.

Thankfully, Berkeley Institute student Steffany Sanchez, 16, never had to face a jaguar this summer while on an arduous five-day trek through a Guyana rainforest as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme.

She was one of 17 Bermudian young people, aged 15 to 19, who went to Guyana to achieve their gold and silver awards in the programme, where students from all over the world work through various levels of community service, expeditions and other activities.

This year, more than 200 young people from the Caribbean took part in the expedition in Guyana.

Jaguars, a near-threatened species in Guyana, were just some of the challenges they faced.

"We received a lot of different jaguar advice," said Miss Sanchez, who was working towards her gold award. "Some told us to stand strong and loudly say "RAAA!", and hope for it to run away.

"Others told us to not say a word, and step back quietly. But, we never saw jaguars." She said she was a bit disappointed by this, but they did see their pawprints on the journey.

"I'm not so sure how many miles it was we trekked, but we were on trucks at some points, and even boats to cross the rivers."

Students walked carrying around 35 lbs in their rucksacks and the temperature was usually between 85 degrees and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Sounds pretty hot but the trees around us provided shade," said Miss Sanchez. "You would think that being in the rainforest it would "rain" all the time, but it rained mostly at night (when our tents would get flooded).

"We were not trekking through dense rainforest with machetes. No, no, we were mostly on dirt trails. And by dirt, I mean muddy orange clay."

One of the biggest physical challenges of the trip was climbing 744ft Kaieteur Falls; the largest single drop waterfall in the world.

"The trail was narrow, wet, and had a lot of obstacles," said Taneé Esdaille, 18, who was also working for her gold award. "The challenging part of it was when we had to climb up to Kaieteur Falls and then climbing back down."

Miss Sanchez said sometimes the hard part was just staying motivated. "As a team we had to motivate each other to keep on going," said Miss Sanchez. "At some points some people cracked as they were accustomed to having sufficient food at home, clean water, and of course baths."

Before leaving Bermuda, students had to go through intense physical fitness and survival training. Part of their endurance training involved running around the National Sports Stadium four times.

They also had to learn map reading, and basic camping skills like erecting a tent, and wilderness cooking.

"Once we got to Guyana specific training was given to us for trekking through the jungles because we were not familiar with their terrain," said Aysha DeSilva, 17, a student at Berkeley Institute.

Miss DeSilva, who was working towards her gold award, said she went to Guyana in search of a life-changing experience.

"The trip to Guyana changed my whole life in so many ways," she said. "I now believe that I can overcome any challenge or obstacle that I come in contact with. I feel much more appreciative of my Island Bermuda because so many times we take our Island for granted."

Archer Hill, 18, who is currently at the Miami University Ohio, said he never had to think twice about going for the gold level in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme.

"Even though I would only have one day at home after the award to pack for college, I didn't want anything to stand in the way of my gold award," he said. "I enjoyed all the aspects of the bronze and silver in Bermuda, so getting to experience those aspects at an even greater level in a new country seemed too good to be true."

He said for two and a half weeks he was immersed in a completely alien environment.

"Trekking the treacherous and fatiguing five day gold trail through these unknown terrains and environments was physically and mentally challenging, and taught us many life-lessons that will be invaluble in the future, especially in university," he said.

Students also took part in community service projects while in Guyana. They planted protective mangroves along a coastal area, and picked up trash. "This is an important part of achieving the gold award," said Mr. Archer. "It was a situation where we all got to interact and enjoy ourselves while giving back to someone else, which made it a win-win experience."

The Bermudians were with 200 other Duke of Edinburgh Award participants from all over the Caribbean.

Mr. Archer said the social ties that were made on the trip were "overwhelming".

"I met and interacted with so many people and made new friends who to this day I still keep in touch with," he said. "We were living for two and a half weeks with people from all over the Caribbean.

"It was like a melting pot in terms of traditions and cultures. To be an ingredient in that pot was definitely an unforgettable experience."

He said the biggest hurdle he had to overcome was dealing with the lifestyle change.

"Even though I see myself as a fairly accepting person, it taught me even more than I already knew to respect people and their cultures, no matter how different from you and yours they may be," he said.

Miss Esdaille said her social skills were honed on the trip. She said the programme helped her achieve a personal goal of breaking out of her own shyness.

She hoped to put this to good use when she starts at the University of Middlesex in London, later this month.

She said she had gained a different view after the trip.

"My perspective has changed now that I am back in Bermuda," said Miss Esdaille. "Viewing the way other people live made me see how fortunate we are and how we take it for granted."

Nine leaders from Bermuda also travelled with the contingent. They were chairman Kenneth Bartram, deputy chairman Norman C. Pogson, national director Tina Nash, Lisa Brewster, Juanita Campbell, Brendan Millett, officer Jason Simons, officer André Symonds and Sonia Waldron. Other young people who worked towards the silver and gold award in Guyana were Rachael Antonition, Zaire Bean, Patrick Chapman, Shohreh Darooyan, Talisa Dyer-Cann, Kristen Greene, Chioma Nwasike, Jordan Osborne, Bryden Pedro, Jonté Raynor, Chéquan Richardson, Trae Trott and Jahkhari Woods.