Twenty-three Midsomer Norton Sixth Form students travelled to the Pyrenees in the summer holidays to tackle a four-day expedition as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
Greeted for the most with glorious sunshine and temperatures into the 30s, the expedition saw students walking high mountain routes crossing from Spain into France.
Starting in Torla in the Ordesa Valley National Park, the expedition route took them to the hamlet of St Nicholas Bujaruelo before branching off to France and a night's sleep under the imposing north face of Vignemale - at 3,298 m the highest of the French Pyrenean peaks. The third day involved another challenging route-taking the walkers over two 'cols' and across a snowfield before descending to their final wild-camp locations and a spectacular night of stargazing!
As well as having to remain totally self-sufficient, the teams had to spend time studying an element of the expedition, some choosing aspects of the local cuisine or culture, others looking at things like the flora and fauna.
Apart from the expedition, students also had time to engage in leisure activities – a chance to try new things and relax a little. Those with a head for heights undertook some of the local 'Via Ferrata' courses through the rocky terrain and there was an opportunity to try 'Barrancos' (canyoning) in a spectacular and steep river gorge. The trip was rounded off with a visit to the world-famous town of Lourdes and the Rosary Basilica there.
Mr Chandler, Outdoor Education Co-ordinator for the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, said "We are proud to be able to offer all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and this really was a trip to remember. Students had to plan all aspects of the expedition and then deal with the challenges and any problems that arose. As well as being great fun and exciting, there is no doubt that an experience like this really develops and enhances leadership and team-working skills. I congratulate all of the students for the way in which they worked together to complete their expeditions safely."