The first task was to find a TV, and once it had been determined that England was not ‘coming home’ just yet preparations began for the acclimatisation walk the next day.

Over the course of the next three days, Wisbech Grammar pupils faced many challenges. Their route took in the Cirque de Gavarnie, a bowl carved into the 3000m peaks, which includes numerous waterfalls, the tallest falling over 400m, physical geography at its most impressive. Day 3 saw the expedition begin in earnest, a relatively short route in term of distance but a climb of 1000m over a ridge at 2400m was certainly testing, throw into the mix a low cloud base and electrical storms and this was interesting Alpine trekking.

The following day was much longer, passing through many Alpine meadows, with an abundance of wildlife. Once the climbing was complete in the first half of the day the route contoured along a valley to the Barrage d’Ossoue. Their site was ‘wild’ that evening, truly immersing us in the Alpine culture; this was the first experience of wild camping for some, no toilets or shower, just a nice chilly waterfall and stream in which to freshen up!

Motivation was high on the final day, tents and breakfast eaten and tents packed in record time. All were keen to finish the route, which yet again following a steep climb took the pupils down the valley to the village of Gèdre. The weather was mixed, with bouts of glorious sunshine mixed with showers and low clouds, throughout the gaps in the cloud revealed stunning views of the valley way below. Finally, after a tough four days, the end in the village square of Gèdre was a welcome sight, with a distinct feeling of relief and elation that the expedition was finally complete.

The R and R day followed, and once group equipment had been serviced and put away, the pupils walked down the hill from the refuge to meet two French guides with cars full of wetsuits. After donning wetsuits on the roadside and following a quick safety briefing, they were led to the edge of a nearby river gorge and lowered by a rope in the icy waters below. This was Canyoning, and it required everyone to make their way by climbing, scrabbling, jumping and abseiling down the river channel while battling the rapids and chilly water of a glacial meltwater river. Jumps of near to 10m into the plunge pools below took a strong mind and was a challenge the whole group enjoyed.

“The expedition section of the D of E is meant to be challenging, and to residents of the Fens, the hills of the Peak District or the Lake District can be challenging enough. This group have certainly earned their stripes when it comes to the expedition section. A stunning location, with some challenging routes, will certainly live long in the memory.”  Dominic Garfoot, Expedition Leader and Head of Outdoors Learning, Wisbech Grammar School. 

 

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