DofE GOLD in the French Alps

Thank you to Laura C and Oliver A for this diary entry

Setting off

"Squeezing into the school mini-buses once more, we set off for Birmingham airport, excited and daunted for the week ahead.

The flight to Geneva was spectacular (the first glimpse of many beautiful views we witnessed across the week!) as we flew over Lake Geneva, pine forests and the Swiss Alps. The final part of our journey was the three-hour car journey across the border into France, where the drivers took us through picturesque villages and past the clearest blue lake; as the mountains rose up ahead, the enormity of our task started to dawn on us!

We settled into base camp in Bourg Saint Maurice very comfortably, spending the evening eating out in town (one of many occasions where GCSE French came in handy…)

Day Two

On day two, after a breakfast of freshly baked croissants, baguettes and pain au chocolat, we set out to the supermarket to buy our supplies for the week. Stocked up with snacks, wraps, fruit and yet more croissants, we headed back to the campsite, before embarking on an afternoon of high ropes. They proved to be a difficult but rewarding challenge to our physical ability and balance, but it felt like a good warm up for the difficulties we would face in the expedition. In the evening, half of the group headed back into town to watch the football, while the rest of us played card games in the tents.

Day three

Day three was our first expedition day! With the support of the leaders, we started with winding ascent through the woods and across fields of wild flowers into a tiny village that had apparently been used as a film set. We followed a road up further into the more remote countryside, as we encountered a variety of fauna, from moths, to patou guard dogs, to goats with the biggest horns and the loudest bells! Hot, hungry and tired, we arrived at our first campsite; I was very grateful for my pasta, hot chocolate, a few morale-boosting games with the group and a good night’s sleep!

It is easy to forget where you are when you are camping; waking up to panoramic views of the mountains every morning never failed to take my breath away. The first half of the day was spent trekking up towards the Italian border. There were many obstacles along the way, such as leaping across rivers and crossing frozen sheets of snow, which almost defeated me, but we pressed on through. Unfortunately, it was too wet and icy for us to get to the border, but we got as far as a stunning lake. We had lunch back at the campsite, then set off again.

The afternoon’s walk was undoubtedly tough. To reach the top of the Col de Montsetti, we had to scale a near vertical cliff face and then scramble up an extremely slippery slope of snow. It was certainly the most difficult part of the trek, but also the best example of the whole groups’ teamwork and support, with much-needed encouragement and cheering on the sidelines and one team even sledging back down the slope to help some of us carry our bags. We reached the top in slight shock but also proud, having reached the highest point of the trek (well over 2,000 metres above sea level). We were also rewarded with the best views of the famous Mont Blanc. Following this, we carefully edged our way back down the other side of the mountain and into camp. It was our first wild camp; the feeling of camping so deep in the mountains was unreal. We spent the evening eating, playing games and reflecting on the events of the day.

Day five

We started early to avoid the mozzies. Tents packed up and breakfast eaten, we began to walk to the ski resorts. Along the mountain path, we could see our route from the previous days in the valley floor and snow-capped mountains stretching into the distance. After a lunch stop below the gondolas, we continued our walk towards a secluded village. In the village there were quaint wooden farmhouses and a small dairy. Bottles refilled in the ‘basin’, we prepared for the climb up to the camp. What was ‘just a 40 minute climb’ turned into a 2-hour slog but the views of the glaciers at the wild camp spot were worth it! The next morning we descended back into the village, popping into the cheese shop to sample the local produce. We were shown the cellar in which the cheeses were matured and tasted the fromage de chèvre et fromage de vache, whilst also seeing the herd of goats used for the cheese. Fuelled by the cheese we continued to descend through the large ski resort and into the town below. We met everyone in a car park, and with that the expedition was finished. Baguette for lunch in a park before we were picked up and taken back to the ‘base camp’ for dinner.

The next morning, we were up for white water rafting with some very enthusiastic French instructors. The river was surrounded by spectacular views and cliffs to dive off into the freezing water. At the end of the rafting, we had lunch before heading to our second high ropes of the trip. The ropes were challenging but great fun. We headed back into town for our final dinner as a group that night. We all crowded into a café and had pizzas and crêpes before walking back to the camp. With a late evening and an early start the next morning, some of us decided to stay up all night, playing card games and chatting in the washblock. The hours passed slowly but finally it was time to pack up and get on the busses for the last time and head for Geneva.

After saying our goodbyes to Andy and Gwen we boarded the plane and were back in Birmingham in no time. We returned home exhausted but happy after a successful week of walking, camping and stunning views.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The French Alps Expedition was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although it was tough, it was worth it, for everything we have achieved and all of the amazing memories we made.