A Level PE hiking trip to France

The Year 12 A level PE cohort recently adventured to the French alps as part of an outdoor experience at altitude. Over the course of 3 days, the group completed a series of challenging hikes.

To begin the first day, students ventured up a local hike called Refuge de Folly, followed by an evening exploring the local town and lake.  The second day saw a steep minibus journey up Col de Joux Plane before we embarked on a shorter morning hike up to an amazing ridge line that overlooked Samoen and also looked across to Mont Blanc in the distance. In the afternoon, we went to Lake Annecy, exploring the local town and lake. Students enjoyed some gelato and a dip in the lake.

During the trip, students were responsible for their own meals. Each day, they had to plan and budget for meals that they would cook in their mini apartments for three evenings in total, to allow them to develop their independence and responsibility. Students grew in confidence, and it was great to see their teamwork when planning and budgeting for their meals as we went around the shops each day.

For the final day, the hike started in La Argentiere, where there was a long ascent into the mountains, climbing up to 2350m to a stunning view of Mont Blanc opposite. We then descended via cable car to experience views of Chamonix town before returning to base for our final evening. Students enjoyed a meal out with pizzas by the local lake.

We were so impressed by the levels of responsibility and resilience that students demonstrated on the trip. They all had an incredible time and I’m sure they can’t wait to go exploring again!

You will find more photos of the trip on our social media pages within the next week.