Bonus Update!
July 29, 2023
Howdy folks!
What an incredible week we have had together! We all boarded our train to Paris this morning feeling incredibly accomplished as our entire group completed our Tour du Mont Blanc trek! Over the past week we have seen some of the most beautiful views, stayed at the coziest hostels, and eaten some delicious homemade French meals! Will and I are so proud of this group’s grit and determination to finish this trek. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience!
Our first day on the trail started nice and early as travelled from the town of Chamonix to the trailhead. We met our guide for the week, Remi, who taught us some about the history of the town of Chamonix! Our whole group instantly fell in love with this quaint ski village and many said it reminded them of a town from a Hallmark movie. Once we took a gondola up the mountain we were off on the trail! We were instantly blown away by the Alps as we admired its alpine peaks and wildflowers of every color. Our first day started off with a gradual ascent through the forest where we were quickly greeted by many folks on the trail. It turns out their was also a half marathon taking place this day on the trail so as we hiked we got to see the runners zoom past us! It was very impressive to see these athletes run up and down these mountains and even cooler to have a front row seat to the race! For lunch we stopped on a hillside for our first Alpine picnic. We all enjoyed the view and were serenaded by Duncan’s angelic cover of the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow”. Once we enjoyed some tasty sandwiches and French snacks we headed back on the trail to finish our hike. Once we reached the bottom of the valley we were not only greeted with our first Refugio of our trek but also a stunning first view of Mount Blanc! As a reward for our long day of hiking we enjoyed some delicious local ice cream! After dinner we spent the evening taking photos and having a dance party at the base of Mt Blanc. Louise and Lauren stole the show by showing off their impressive handstands!
Our second day was filled with even more laughter and jaw dropping views. We started our day with a quick breakfast before starting our first ascent. As we ascended up the trail we were able to watch the sun slowly peak over the high mountains above us. It was a fantastic way to start the morning! Lauren and myself spent the morning discussing how beautiful these mountains were and how lucky we were to be hiking through them! Around early afternoon we arrived in a small French town to stop for a fresh lunch. This town was filled with all sorts of mountain gear and apparel! Our LODs, Emmie and Jack, helped me shop for a delicious lunch for our group in the local grocery store. We all enjoyed fresh sandwiches and fruit in town before taking off for our afternoon trek. We spent the next several hours ascending into the mountains to reach our next Refugio. Along the way, we passed through many fields filled with cows, goats, and wildflowers! Our Refugio was nestled as the base of a jagged mountain peak which reminded many us all of the Dolomites in Italy! The views at this Refugio were top notch so we spent the evening playing our favorite game, signs, and soaking in the beautiful views around us.
Day 3 was definitely a memorable one as we were faced with some tough weather! We started the morning off strong by absolutely crushing a steep 600 meter ascent. We were all encouraged by Wilson’s positivity and motivation as we ascended up the mountain. Once we reached the top we enjoyed some celebratory treats which consisted of gogo-squeezes and Kinder cakes! As we continued on our trek we were greeted with our biggest surprise yet, golfball sized hail! Although this made our hike more difficult, our group’s positive attitude kept us all going up the mountain. Once the hail cleared for several minutes we were able to set up a lunch spot in a nearby grassy meadow. We enjoyed our sandwiches and our guide, Remi, even gave us local French chocolate wafers to try! We spent the afternoon descending to quite possibly our favorite hostel yet, the cheese factory. This hostel was nestled in between two jagged peaks and sat peacefully in a field of purple wildflowers. Once we arrived, Luke, Anders, Jack, Wilson, and Hannah helped our guide cook a French style dinner which was delicious! After we enjoyed a fondue dinner we were treated with some lovely songs on the guitar from Lia, Louise, and Wilson before resting up for another day on the trail.
Our fourth day consisted of another challenging hike but nothing our group couldn’t handle! After a quick breakfast we headed down the mountain to catch a bus to our trailhead. Once we arrived at the trail we started our first challenge of the day, a steep 600 meter ascent. Led by Emmie, Corinne, and Louise we made our way up this mountain and saw some of the most awe-spiring views we had seen all trip. All around us we were surrounded by massive peaks that reached above the clouds. We traversed next to these beautiful giants as we headed towards the Italian border! Before we knew it we had reached the top of the mountain pass and crossed into Italy! We spent the afternoon hiking briskly through the Italian valley to beat the incoming weather. We were all in awe of the gorgeous alpine peaks that surrounded us during this trek! After a long day of hiking we finally reached the small Italian town we would call home for the evening. For dinner we ate at a unique French restaurant with our guide and tried lots of new foods! Luke, Anders, and Lauren especially loved the spinach crepes! After a yummy dinner a gelato stop we all got some much deserved rest.
Our final day on the trail started off strong as our group was very excited for todays hike. During our hike we were hopefully going to get a clear view of Mt. Blanc from the Italian side! The hike started with a 700 meter ascent which our group absolutely crushed! It has been incredible to watch this crew grow in their hiking capabilities and reach new heights (literally)! Once we reached the top we were greeted with a gorgeous view of Mt. Blanc and the glaciers around the summit. We learned about how these glaciers were going to be melted in 30 years due to climate change and it inspired our group to take care of our planet. Once we admired the views, we made our way back down the mountain for once final descent. Along the way, we all discussed the accomplishments we have completed over the last several weeks and how proud of ourselves we should all be! Once we made it back on the bus we headed back to Chamonix to enjoy one last day in this cool town. Anders, Lia, and Wilson found some incredible local gifts to bring back home! For dinner we enjoyed some delicious burgers before resting up for our travel day to Paris. We have had a truly remarkable time on the Tour du Mont Blanc and can’t wait to let you all know about our adventures in Paris!
Cheers,
Frannie and Will
Celebration in Paris and a Heartfelt Thank You
July 29, 2023
Greetings friends and family!
Will and I are both happy and sad to share that our group has all safely boarded their flight back to the US. We truly experienced some of the greatest weeks of our lives together and as a group and we can’t wait to share all of our adventures with you all! While we wish our time as a group would never end, we are so grateful for the time we got to spend together.
Before we said our final goodbyes, we had another memorable adventure in Paris! Our day started bright and early as we put on our best European outfits and headed to a local crêperie for breakfast. All of our group absolutely loved their meals, but the fan favorites was definitely the Nutella banana crepe!
Once we finished our meal we headed to our first stop on our itinerary, Saint Chapelle! We were all absolutely blown away by the unique architecture of the church and its stunning stain glass walls. Everywhere we turned the sun reflected off the glass creating breathtaking pinks and blues that filled the room. As we walked around Wilson taught the rest of our group some about the history of this beautiful church! Once we took in our final views of this magnificent place we headed on to our next activity for the day, shopping! The boys headed with Will to explore a local thrift store while the girls traveled with me to check out some cool shoes! Louise, Lia, Emmie, and Corinne hit the jackpot and found some very stylish shoes to bring back home! Luke and Anders were also able to find some unique winter pieces to bring back with them to Colorado! Lauren and Hannah spent their shopping hour in the perfume section admiring all of the lovely French scents!
Once we made our final purchases, we headed to one of Will’s favorite pastry spots in Paris, Laundreé. We all enjoyed some incredible macaroons as we strolled down the quaint French streets. Jack even taught us some French words we could use around the city! For lunch we stopped into a cute corner restaurant to enjoy some french salads and burgers. We spent our lunch dying laughing at Duncan’s jokes and soaking in some of our last moments together as a group. Our final stop of the day was possibly our best one yet, the Eiffel Tower! We were all blown away by the size of this remarkable structure and spent our time here taking hilarious photos in a nearby field and admiring the view. For our final meal together, we all put on our best European outfits and headed to a local Italian restaurant. Our last meal together might have been our best filled with pizza, pasta, and yummy desserts. We all soaked in our last dinner and spent the time reflecting on the incredible 3 weeks we have had together. Our final Moonup last night was heartfelt and sincere as we showed our gratitude for every single person in our group and this life-changing adventure we have been on together. It was truly the perfect day to end our journey together!
We are so thankful that we had the opportunity to lead all of our students. It was so rewarding to see them conquer over 170 miles and thousands of meters of elevation gain over the last three weeks. Each and every one of us was able to learn so much about ourselves and from each other. It’s so rare to find a collection of people as wise, engaging, and truly caring for each other. We will forever be grateful for our experience, and we hope we all continue to pursue new heights as our trip has taught us. Thank you all for allowing us to experience the trip of a lifetime with your wonderful children, Will and I feel so honored to have been their leaders. We can’t wait to hear about the future holds for this amazing group!
Cheers,
Frannie and Will
Basking in the Spanish Sun!
July 22, 2023
Hey there Friends and family,
We are so excited be heading into our final section for the Tour de Mont Blanc. It has been the absolute greatest time in Spain and we can’t wait to start trekking again. Since our last update, the group has been having the great times. We’ve cooked, kayaked, baked in the sun, and had more laughs than we could count. We’re so thankful to be out here in the beautiful side creating the memories of a lifetime.
Our first day began with a long bus ride from our Hotel in Luz, we piled in and were able to compete in some card games while others took the opportunity to arch up on a long record nap. Anders and Luke taught Fran how to play slapjack whose competitive drive kept some of us awake as we awaited our arrival on to the beautiful beaches of Costa Brava. Once we finally arrived at our campground, we quickly found our Bungalows, and made a game-plan for the day. Our LODs Emmie and Anders went to the store with Fran to grab some grub for dinner while the rest of us cranked up some tunes, lathered on some sunscreen, and took in some rays on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Our dinner was a homemade burger prepared by some of our fantastic chefs with homemade Mac and cheese. Everyone had full bellies and we had our Moonup under a clear sky as we prepared for a day on the beach and a special surprise tomorrow!
The beach day began with a later wake up and homemade eggs, cereals, and a fruit spread made for a king. We then compiled all our beach belongings and headed down to the sand. We arrived early to claim our spot on the hot sand with a prime location to sprint to the water to cool off. Duncan and Will set up spikeball and took down all challengers they faced (including some from another group!) all the while, we had a chance to catch some rays before a beach lunch filled with more burgers, fries, salads, and wraps. But we were all our ordered by Corrine and Lea’s delicious Açaí bowls! We then continued to play in the water taking some good videos of a chicken fight competition between Louise, Lauren, Jack, and Duncan. While the first few rounds ended in stalemate, eventually a Louise and Jack combo came our victorious. We capped off our evening with the biggest competition yet, IRON CHEF. We split up the group and they were to prepare their best meals for the judges. Team Leslie Chow (Duncan, Luke, Lia, Lauren, and Hannah) started us off with a beautiful charcuterie board with all the fixings. Lia and Hannah put their expertise in presentation to boost their teams score for every price of cheese being in perfect place. While team World Wide (Louise, Emmie, Anders, Jack, Corrine, Wilson) started us with a trip back home with some Nachos with a special cheese sauce from Louise. It was still close heading into the entrée round as WW gave us Corrine’s special pesto Gnocchi she served with an endearing backstory and shoutout to her Nana. To counter LC served us the best course of the day in a steak stir fry. Every carrot and onion perfectly chopped by Lia, the rice perfectly seasoned and browned from Luke. Capped off with a perfectly seared steak from a self described grill prodigy in Duncan. Who when asked about his background, wanted to “give a shout-out to his microwave for helping his skill grow”. What really put the meal above the rest was the homemade yum yum sauce from Lauren and there was not a single grain of rice left in the judges bowls. Our Desert round was the deciding factor and Wilson’s crepes, one sugar, one fruit, one Nutella, were perfect on the pallet. The other team counted with an homage to home with Luke’s coke floats served the Duncan way. After much deliberation and tallying the scores, team world wide just edged out team Leslie chow and we decided we couldn’t eat another meal again. After Moonup, we laid down with full bellies to bed in preparation for our first day of kayaking
Day one of kayaking started with a quick transport to the beach and a lesson on kayaking safety before we put on our spray skirts, helmets, and paddles to head out onto the water and explore the beautiful Spanish coast. We got our warmup just going in between the rocks and paddling in the open ocean before we started to see the beautiful landscapers of the rocks along the shore. The geography was enchanting and were able to explore inside the rocks as we explored some wonderful caves along the coast. We finally decided to set up lunch on a private beach where we took down some hard earned Sammie’s, chips, and the most Devine lemonade ever created. Luke was able to play with a dog in the water, while Jack and Anders took up some snorkeling. We then made our way back along the choppy water and decided some Gelato was most definitely in order for our sore arms. We then made it back to our bungalow to shower for one of the best dinners of our trips. an Italian spot just in town that served everything from Poke bowls, spicy potatoes, and Pizza galore. Our stomachs couldn’t believe how much Amazing food we had been enjoying as we walked back home to get ready for our next day.
Day two of kayaking was just as amazing as our first day. We got an early start and headed to the beach where we met our guides and were off exploring the national park along the beach. As we paddled along we admired the crystal clear, blue ocean below us and the stunning cliffs lining the shore. We weaved in and out of caves where our guides were mesmerized by Fran and Louise’s “angelic” voices. We then lunched with lemonade and laid out in the sun before we got back for our real surprise of the day, Our cooking Class! We were above to learn so many new culinary skills and had another fantastic meal. Emmie, Lauren, and Hannah made Bread covered in local tomatoes and olive oil, Luke and Jack served a delicious romaine covered in homemade pesto. Lia and Wilson served us homemade Guacamole topped for some with freshly cut salmon by Anders. Our main dish was a multiple meat Paella made by Duncan, Corrine, and Louise. We had a great meal and finished it off with some ice cream.
We are on the gondola up to the TMB and can’t wait for all of the exciting adventures ahead. We know these last few days are going to be tough but worth the endurance for the experience of a lifetime! We are going to make our last section one for the story books and can’t wait for y’all to read all about it!
Best,
Will And Fran
Polar Plunging in the Pyrenees!
July 19, 2023
Greetings folks!
Wow! What an incredible week we have had together in the Pyrenees. The past week has pushed us out of our comfort zone, shown us some of the most spectacular views all of us have ever seen, and allowed our group to bond together through all of the ups and downs of trekking. Will and I are so proud of everything this group has accomplished over the past week and can’t wait to share more about our adventure!
Our first day on the trail started nice and early as we met our guide, Mathieu, and loaded into the vans to embark on our adventure! I could feel both the nerves and excitement from our group as we ascended into the mountains that we would call home for the next week. On our way up, we stopped in a small town called Luz to gather lunch for the day. Our group fell in love with this quaint French town as we strolled through the local farmers market. Once we collected our groceries we continued on up the mountain to our drop off point. After a quick lesson on backpack adjustments, we were off on the trail! Our whole group was immediately blown away by the gorgeous wild flowers and high peaks surrounding us. Duncan and Lauren kept our group entertained by sharing some riddles as we traversed down the valley filled with flowers and lots of wild animals! For lunch we stopped at a beautiful river where we enjoyed some delicious Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches and took a polar plunge. Luke and Anders showed off their Colorado roots by being the first in our group to fully swim in the freezing river! After lunch we continued down the trail towards our home for the evening, Torla, Spain. Along the way our amazing guide taught us all about the history of the Pyrenees and how he Refugios we were staying in were once occupied by Spanish soldiers! After a long and rewarding day we made it into the quaint town of Torla, Spain. For dinner we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared at a local restaurant. The group enjoyed practicing their Spanish and Jack even got to try rabbit for the first time! We spent our Moonup in a nearby park with a beautiful view of the mountains we just conquered.
Day 2 started bright and early as we prepared for our trek from Torla through the Ordesa Valley. After fueling up on some croissants and delicious jam we were back on the trail! Our hike started with a steep 600 meter ascent which gave us all a run for our money. Wilson and Louise helped keep the group’s energy high by cheering everyone on as we slowly climbed up the valley. We were rewarded with a stunning view of the valley that is currently blooming with gorgeous yellow wildflowers. We stopped for a quick snack break and admired the massive mountains around us. Some of the students said it reminded them a lot of the Grand Canyon! For lunch we enjoyed fresh sandwiches and the group learned about water purification! We spent the afternoon traversing through this magical valley and playing trail games to keep us entertained. Anders, Luke, Jack, and Duncan taught the group our favorite game, Wavelength that kept us all entertained for hours on end. After one final push up hill we arrived at our mountain Refugio for the evening. Once we all saw the 360 view of some of the most stunning mountains we all had ever seen, we knew our long day of hiking was worth it! To finish our day we enjoyed some delicious soup and gathered for a post-Moonup dance party under the Pyrenees sky before getting some much deserved rest.
Our third day started out strong as we started our descent into the Ordesa Valley. Our group was definitely starting to feel the tired muscles and aches that come with trekking, but this did not stop everyone from keeping a positive attitude! On our descent into the valley, we stopped at a stunning waterfall called Cola de Caballo (horse tail) where we admired the dreamy landscape. As we traveled through the valley, we were greeted with our first locals, cows! Hannah especially loved these cows and her and I always made a point to stop and take pictures of them! Today’s hike was mostly flat which was a nice break for our group from the steep ascents and descents we had conquered in the previous days. Once we made it through the valley we arrived at our hostel for the evening. This hostel was situated right next to a river so we all quickly changed into our water shoes and headed into the water! Although it was freezing cold, it was very relaxing for our sore muscles! Lia, Luke and Anders even found a cool rock to jump off of into the river. After a great homemade dinner we spent the evening relaxing and playing games by the river bank. Will and I introduced our group to our personal favorite game, signs, and it sure was a hit!
Our next day was our hardest and longest day of hiking thus far during our adventure. We got an early start to the day as we had many miles to cover today and a technical climb. Our morning was spent walking through meadows in the Ordesa Valley covered with wildflowers and tall grass. Lauren, Lia, and myself kept ourselves entertained by singing Taylor Swift and Harry Styles covers along the trail. Right before lunch we even got to witness a herding dog round up a group of sheep next to us. It was incredible to see how many sheep were a part of this heard, nearly 500! After lunch we began our technical part of the day which consisted of a decent into a rocky valley and an ascent up to the Breche de Roland. Lauren helped keep our group’s energy high with her positive encouragement as we carefully traversed across this rocky pass. It was many of the students first technical climb before and our guide and myself were very impressed with everyone’s bouldering abilities! Once we reached the top of the Breche and Roland we were greeted with the first view of our Refugio and we were definitely not disappointed. This Refugio was nestled in between several soaring peaks, giving us a 360 view of the Circ de Gavarnie. It was truly incredible and definitely gave us all the energy we needed to complete the one last push of this hike! On the way down Anders and our guide Mathieu took the short way and skied down the mountain to the Refugio! For dinner we enjoyed some warm soup and a sunset that was filled with almost every color in the rainbow. It was definitely a rewarding and very challenging day for our group!
The fifth day was one of our group’s favorites as we made the journey from the Breche de Roland to Espiguttes. On our way, we hiked along the Gavarnie Falls which is the second tallest waterfall in Europe! We were all mesmerized by the size of this fall and it kept us entertained as we traversed into the valley. Throughout the day we took many breaks in beautiful fields filled with wildflowers to truly soak in the magical landscape we were in. Before we knew it, we saw our Refugio in the distance up a large hill. Our group’s energy was instantly lifted once we saw our destination and the local inhabitants that occupied the land. This area of the Pyrenees is filled with donkeys, cows, and wild horses! On our hike up to the Refugio we were accompanied by herds of these animals peacefully grassing along the meadows. It was truly magical! Duncan and Louise especially took a liking to really these local animals and spent the first part of our afternoon petting the donkeys! Once we arrived at our Refugio we had a delicious homemade meal filled with warm stew and a berry dessert. What a wonderful day it was!
Our final day on the trail started off similarly to our previous days with a pastry and jam breakfast and a quick morning debrief before heading down the valley. We began this hike with a steep descent but eventually reached green fields where we were blue to spread out and chat as we strolled down the riverbank. It was beautiful to see the cows grassing along the riverbank and Jack even found parts of a cow skeleton! After a brief lunch break, we headed to our next hostel, and all enjoyed our first shower in several days. Half of our group was placed in Mongolian yurts for the evening, so we spent the afternoon exploring the campgrounds and our unique sleeping accommodations! For dinner, we enjoyed our last home cooked meal together in the Pyrenees and reflected on our time the past week. Through all the challenges and successes that we experienced this past week, our group maintained a positive attitude and continued to see the best in every situation. Will and I are so incredibly proud of this group for completing over 70 miles over the last week! What an accomplishment! We are now all safely out of the mountains and making our way to Costa de Brava, Spain to begin our sea kayaking section. We have seen through the last week that this group is very special and Will and myself feel so honored to lead them. We can’t wait to update you all about our adventures in Spain! Cheers!
Love,
Frannie and Will
Shoutouts
What’s up mommy and daddy! We finished the Pyrenees yesterday and you would be very surprised that I have made it this far! Tell Ralph, HPB and James I say hi. I’m having SO MUCH FUN!! I love you all.-Louise
Hey family! We are headed to Costa Brava after trekking through the Pyrenees. I cannot thank you enough for sending me on Cham! Also, happy belated birthday Claire and happy early birthday mom! Love and miss you all! -Corinne
Hey y’all! Tell everyone I said hey. I am having so much fun! We are headed to Costa Brava right now! I miss and love y’all! -Emmie
Lauren- Hey y’all! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip, I’m having the best time! We just finished the Pyrenees section and are about to go to Costa Brava. I’m loving my group! Can’t wait to see y’all! Love y’all so much!
Hey Mom and Dad, I am having a super duper time. We just finished the Pyrenees and they were super hard. I miss you so much and can’t wait to see y’all! Bye bye, love you! -Jack
Hey fam! Hey Noah! We’re on our way to Spain after an incredible week of trekking the Pyrenees! I’m thinking of each and everyone of you and hoping you’re all living it up together in the big M! Love y’all the mostest and give the animals some love for me! See you so soon! – Williegirl
Hey everybody!! (hi ev:)) I’m having so much fun, we just absolutely crushed the Pyrenees and are on our way to Spain. I love and miss you guys so much! Give Bo Bo some extra kisses and love for me<3! – Hannah bear
Hi family!! It’s Lia, I just finished the Pyrenees and it was so hard but really gorgeous and so fun! We are on our way to Costa Brava right now and I’m so excited. Say hi to moose for me! Tell Tilly I hope she’s enjoying Joffrey. I miss you so much and can’t wait for our France trip! I love you!!
Hi Mom Dad and Phebe! I am having so much fun in Chamonix I just finished the first leg of our backpacking trip, it was 7 days and around 72 miles of hiking we are on our way to costa brava Spain for 4 days of rest. I am having such a good time and making lots of new friends! Anyway love you guys! – Anders
What’s up mom and dad! I’m having so much fun in Chamonix and I’m currently on the way to Spain. I had so much fun in the Pyrenees, the hiking was pretty challenging but was very fun. There is no chipotle here unfortunately🥲. Say hi to Wilson and Jack for me and I can’t wait to see you guys in two weeks! – Lukey pooky
Hey mom and dad we are on a bus on the way to the Spanish coast to go sea kayaking after hiking in the Pyrenees. I miss baby bubs lots, also tell Mimi and Chief I miss them lots. love you and miss you – Duncan
Greetings from Lourdes!
July 10, 2023
Howdy folks!
Will and I are so excited to finally have our group all here and kick off our adventure together! After everyone arrived safely in Paris we quickly said our first hellos and started our travel day to Lourdes, France. The first step towards our destination was navigating our first train as a group. Duncan and Lia were a great help during this process and carried lots of the group gear as we located our train! Once we boarded our train all of the students got some much deserved rest after a long travel day! We enjoyed some rest as we traveled through the French countryside towards our mountain town. We all woke up from our naps and were greeted with our first beautiful views of the Pyrenees mountains. It was truly a fantastic preview for what we will be experiencing over the next few days in these beautiful mountains!
Once we arrived in Lourdes we had a very important event on our schedule, HANNAH’S 17th BIRTHDAY!! To celebrate we threw a French birthday party for her filled with local pastries and desserts. Luke and Louise helped Will and I decide which treats would be the best for the celebration and they sure were correct! Once we scarfed down some tasty macaroons and pie, we settled into our hotel where we will be spending the next two nights. For dinner we enjoyed some yummy Italian food and spent the evening getting to know more about each other. Our first Moonup was spent in a beautiful park down the road where we had a great view of the Pyrenees before we got some good sleep after our long travel day.
Day 2 started bright and early as we embarked on our first walk through the town of Lourdes. Will led us to his favorite pastry shop in town where we enjoyed some local croissants as a group. Emmie and Corinne were especially fans of the French style breakfast and are looking forward to trying more yummy pastries across France! After breakfast we spent the rest of the morning exploring the town of Lourdes and wandering through its quaint streets. We walked by rivers with crystal clear water and even had the opportunity to explore a unique church with beautiful architecture. Luke and Anders purchased matching berets and are starting to truly adapt to French culture! Our LODs, Wilson and Jack, helped Will and I decided on a lunch place in town and we chose a delicious pizza restaurant! We spent lunch enjoying some local pizza and continuing to get to know each other. It is amazing how close this group has gotten in just two short days! After lunch we headed back to our hotel to prep for our first trekking section starting tomorrow. But before we packed, we played an intense game of slapjack and spot it. Emmie and Wilson showed off their talents and took home first and second place in the game! Duncan and Anders kept us all entertained by showing us some impressive card magic tricks. Lauren and Jack also taught the group several great riddles that twisted our brains and kept us on our toes! After our game hour, we debriefed our group on our first trekking section and began packing for our first adventure. For dinner, we walked into town to try out a local Vietnamese restaurant. It was Lauren’s first time having Vietnamese food and she absolutely loved it! Our day ended with another great Moonup led by our LODs, Wilson and Jack, before resting up for the start of our trekking section tomorrow. Will and I are so grateful to have this group here and are so impressed with how they have handled the past two travel days.
We can’t wait to update you all in a few days about our adventures in the Pyrenees! Cheers!
Will and Frances
Safe Arrival in Paris!
July 8, 2023
Hello Chamonix Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon and the group all landed safely in Paris and has made their way to Lourdes! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventures.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips but we will be posting up to three trip updates throughout the next couple of weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip and the students will also give a special shout-out mid-way through! You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to this summer!
-Moondance HQ
