Final check in from Europe!

June 27, 2024

Day 21

A Parisian homecoming! We suit up and ship off to Paris this morning, after one last delicious breakfast at Hotel de Cimes in Luz, France. We first stop in Lourdes, another beautiful little French mountain town. We shopped around the town, then got on our main train to Paris. Once in Paris, we dropped our bags off at the hostel and immediately started exploring. We did some great shopping and sightseeing and ended up at a fantastic Italian restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we headed to Luxembourg Gardens for a sunset Moonup in the park. It was a beautiful and scenic park to start the second-to-last Moonup and reminisce even more about how great this trip together has been.

Day 22

Good morning from Paris! Today we began our full city day with breakfast at the hostel, and everyone wrote letters to themselves reflecting on the past three weeks. After breakfast, our first stop was the Louvre! After taking several pictures, we headed towards our lunch spot – a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant. By this point, we’ve had authentic meals from every country we’ve visited! On the way, everyone stopped in several stores. Upon arrival at the restaurant, everyone combined forces to order a variety of tapas for people to try – empanadas, potatoes, calamari, tomato toast, and more! Then, we began our true excursions around Paris. The girls split up with me to head to their #1 destination priority: a European Zara. Caroline, Anna, Lydia, and I all got matching shirts 🙂 We then headed towards a thrift store (with an ice cream stop and more along the way, of course). The goal for the day: obtain a nice outfit for Banquet dinner! Our final shopping stop was the main mall in Paris. Lydia, Caroline, Anna, and Carly got matching green pajamas, and we finessed our way into doing makeup in Sephora 🙂 Meanwhile, the boys were with JP doing some major side-questing. They just bopped around a variety of French stores, restaurants, and even a museum. They just went wherever the wind took them! Minott and Robert got some amazing coffee and waffles, toured a French art museum; Turner got Chinese noodles; Eddie got some Lebanese ice cream, some crepes, and even made a stop at the Lego store. Such a great time adventuring. We met up with the boys afterward and together went to our dinner spot – a local cafe. JP and I made several folks try escargot with mixed reviews. We reflected on funny memories from our time together, then headed to the Eiffel Tower! We found an excellent picnic spot and plopped down. I led an activity allowing everyone to say individual goodbyes to one another, starting the conversation with “Before we leave, I want you to know…”. Anna and Turner led Moonup, where we told each other our favorite memories and biggest takeaways from the trip. Tears were shed – we love each other so deeply!!

Day 23

Airport day :,( Today we said goodbye and bon voyage to everyone as we headed to the Paris airport. After such a great final day of adventures yesterday, we were all sad to say goodbye but excited for our paths to cross again. Thank you, Kade, Minott, Turner, Eddie, Robert, Caroline, Carly, Lydia, and Anna, for such an amazing summer. Sandy and I are going to miss y’all so much. Stay safe and keep in touch!!!

Sincerely, JP and Sandy

Pyrenean Escapades!

June 25, 2024

Day 15

We woke up this morning in Gavarnie to blue skies and smiles all around – a perfect turnaround from yesterday’s weather! After enjoying a lovely breakfast, we began our trek towards the Spanish border. The pass itself was magical – our highest peak yet at 2200 meters! Everyone was stunned by the views and the strength of the wind at the top. We felt incredibly accomplished. Minott led a few of the boys in a climb towards an even higher viewpoint. On our way down, we stopped to create a “pyramid” photo with Lydia at the top! Finally, after a long day of trekking, we arrived at our beautiful hostel in Bujaruelo, right by a river. Naturally, after settling in and enjoying some hostel snacks, we changed into our dry-fit outfits and took a polar plunge in the blue water. Caroline, Anna, and Lydia jumped in together, capturing the moment on the Go-Pro. Robert stayed in extra long, taking more dips in the water than anyone else! Afterwards, we had a delicious dinner of carbonara pasta and chicken and concluded the day with Moonup by the water. JP led the group in a few reflective activities as well. Caroline stayed around after Moonup to listen to music and hang out. What an amazing day!

Day 16

Good morning Cham families!! On our third day in the Pyrenees, we had an especially cloudy and rainy morning hike. Leaving our hostel, we hiked into the valley and experienced a uniquely beautiful hailstorm. The sound of hail hitting our jackets, cowbells ringing, and wind blowing created a magnificent orchestra of the elements that we all thoroughly enjoyed before arriving promptly at our next stop. We all loved this hostel because after drying off and donning warm clothing, we created a joint playlist, ate our lunches, and relaxed on the couches while listening to music and watching the rain. The views from here were also incredible. We had an amazing dinner of cooked fish from the family that ran the hostel and enjoyed a lovely Moonup outside since the rain cleared up, allowing us to watch the sunset on the mountains. Of course, we topped it off with nutella crepes for dessert at a local restaurant next door 🙂

Day 17

Good morning from Torla!! We absolutely love it here. Today marks our official second day of hiking in the Pyrenees! We started the day with a hearty breakfast across the street from our refuge and hurried to catch our first bus to the trailhead. Upon arrival, we began the ascent upwards. This would prove to be one of our toughest ascents yet. Caroline and Anna led the group, singing “99 bottles of milk on the wall” all the way to the top, a much-needed distraction to keep morale high! Finally, we made it to the summit – a perfect moment with incredible views. The descent was filled with excellent trail conversations. During our lunch break, I hid a pack of peanut M&Ms which Anna discovered after a few clues :). We passed several incredible blue waterfalls on the descent as well, each leaving the group in awe. Though the day was long, Eddie kept spirits high with his constant excitement, even encouraging everyone to hike a few extra miles. Everyone supported each other during the final couple of hours. Finally, we arrived back home to a wonderful dinner of traditional Spanish lamb. We hosted Moonup under the stars and recapped our funniest moments of the session so far, as well as what we’re most grateful for. A few tears were shed and even more hugs were shared. This is truly a spectacular group. We feel so lucky!!

Day 18

Another great day in Les Pyrenees! Today, we hiked through the canyons, and it couldn’t have been more beautiful. We saw some incredible alpine lakes, with Turner, Minott, and Robert helping spot fish in them. Carly and Lydia led us through the footpaths of the mountain canyons. We arrived in our next mountain town a bit earlier, and Torla is amazing!!! By far, it’s our favorite town we’ve visited. Torla is a quaint mountain town that blends Spanish culture and food with the outdoor spirit of the Pyrenees and a warm hometown vibe that made us all feel welcome. Just before an amazing Moonup, we had a blast going to the local ice cream spot. The handmade ice cream, rolled in a garden in Torla, was unanimously some of the best we’ve ever had.

Day 20

Last day in the Pyrenees :(. It’s a bittersweet goodbye as we hike out of Spain and back to Luz, France. The Pyrenees have been so special to us this past week that it’s hard to leave, but the stunning views from today’s hike made it worthwhile. We followed the Camino de Santiago path out of Spain and were rewarded with an alpine lake where we dipped our feet afterward. It was another perfect bluebird day without a cloud in the sky. Such a special hike to cap off this section. As we returned to Luz, we showered up and headed to dinner, where we had chocolate crepes of victory. We had another meaningful Moonup in Luz town square at the castle, sending good vibes to Kade, who we felt was with us throughout this trekking section. We headed to bed, preparing for our journey back to Paris tomorrow!

-Sandy and JP

Sun and Sea: Adventures in Costa Brava and the Pyrenees

June 20, 2024

Day 10

It’s beach day!!! Once we arrived in Costa Brava, we bee-lined it to one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve all ever been to. We all took some well deserved naps on the sand underneath the sunshine, as well as went for a swim and floated about in the beautiful clear blue Mediterranean Sea. Turner, Minott, and Robert went to go get the group a volleyball, and we then got into a fun match of volleyball against some local Spanish kids. Carly, Caroline, and Eddie all had stellar performances. We all gathered back together for story time as we watch the sunset on the beach. So stunning. Then, all nice and sun-kissed, we headed back to our camp to make some dinner. We made an interesting and delicious mixture of pasta with meat sauce and pancakes with Nutella for dessert! We had a lovely Moonup under the stars before we headed to our tents to get ready for our first day of kayaking tomorrow.

Day 11

First day of kayaking! To fuel ourselves for the day, we made some breakfast burritos and of course, more pancakes. Special shoutout to Kade, Anna, and Lydia for helping the team get fed this morning. We the left with Kayak Costa Brava, where we found the most peaceful river on then northeastern corner of Spain. The day consisted of some hardcore relaxation. We paddled down the river with fun currents underneath a cloudless sky. It felt great to have another day of relaxation post TMB. Near the end of the kayaking, there was a lazy-river style portion where we able to just float down the stream. We all laid back and sunbathed, catching some excellent sunshine. We then went straight to the beach, where we enjoyed a lovely picnic for lunch. We watched the sunset on the beach again and then headed back to our campsite to collect our laundry and start dinner after some card games. We held an iron chef competition for dinner! Sandy and I challenged the students to a cooking competition to see which of two teams could make the meaner dish of tacos. While Lydia, Robert, Kade, Minott and Caroline’s plate had better presentation, overall taste and winners of the challenge goes to Eddie, Carly, Anna, and Turner!

Day 12

Time for sea kayaking!!! After another morning consisting of stuffed breakfast burritos, we set off for Costa Brava to kayak on the Mediterranean Sea! We met up with our guides and embarked on our travels on the ocean. It was a perfectly sunny day again without a single cloud in the sky. We explored some caves, saw a sunfish floating at the surface catching some rays, and eventually stopped on a beach for some lunch. We had a nice picnic with some amazing lemonade, tanned, and went snorkeling. The weather and vibes couldn’t have been any better this day. We paddled back to the beach, and dipped our toes in the Mediterranean one last time. We then got ready for our cooking class! We all went to a nice restaurant on the beach where we got a world-class cooking class, preparing a variety of dishes. We made seared seafood paella, salmon ceviche, bruschetta, pesto roasted lettuce, and guacamole! It was, for many of us, the best meal we’ve ever had in our lives. We strolled the beach for sunset again and listen to music all the way back on our walk to the campsite. One last Moonup here, and many students decided to sleep outside underneath the stars.

Day 13

This morning we sadly said goodbye to our amazing student and great friend Kade. Kade was leaving the group a little early, so we all gave him the warmest hugs goodbye and wish him a bon voyage! We then traveled to Luz, France. Luz is a small mountain town in the south of France, and after checking into our hostel, we did a bit of exploring. The first stop, of course, was the cheese shop. Many of the students decided to buy various cheeses of their liking. Robert, Turner, and Minott decided to also give everyone a try of theirs, making sure everyone got to taste “the best cheese in the world” as per their opinion. We followed that up with a beautiful and equally delicious dinner out on a courtyard underneath the Pyrenees mountains on yet another clear, cloudless, perfectly sunny day. We finished dinner with magnificent ice cream sundaes, which gave us the sugar rush to do some last minute running around the town of Luz, before calming down and doing a beautiful Moonup in the courtyard in the town’s castle. To finish it off, we all howled at the moon 🙂

Day 14

FIRST DAY OF THE PPPPPPPYRENEES!! Les Pyrenees. We’re here! After fueling up with breakfast at the hostel, we set off into the Pyrenees mountains for the last section of our trip. We have a wonderful and absolutely stunning hike today, as we followed a waterfall up, looped around a field of sheep and bulls, and pranced down through the meadows. It was ANOTHER day of SUNSHINE and ZERO CLOUDS. Seriously what are the odds of that. The Pyrenees are truly breathtaking, and what really made us love the hike was all of the livestock! We saw so many cute animals throughout the day we forgot to even think about the miles. When we got back to our refuge, we were fed an amazing meal of veal stew and pasta, with chocolate mousse for dessert. Another great Moonup brought us even closer together, and we sent some love out to Kade, who we definitely missed today.

Day 15

Day two of the Pyrenees!! Our day began with a steep uphill climb towards a valley filled with hundreds of cows and sheep. Trail convos were spectacular. Sandy partnered everyone up and guided questions to allow everyone to grow even closer together. After lunchtime, we summited our first peak – a truly unforgettable moment. On the other side of the mountains lay a blanket of clouds far below us. We took plenty of photos then made our way down into the fog. It was a wild day going from constant sun into low visibility! Finally, we arrived at our hostel where Turner led a few card games before a delicious pasta dinner. We hosted moonup in the cloud and Robert stayed afterwards to enjoy the beauty of the weather with some music. A perfect end to a perfect day!!

Best JP and Sandy

Onto the Costa Brava!

June 14, 2024

Day 3 (1st full day of trip)

Gooood morning Chamonix families!! After a long travel day from Paris to Chamonix, we were rewarded with the most stunning views as we woke up at the base of the French Alps. Walking outside and seeing Mount Blanc and its surrounding mountains by fields of wildflowers was a surreal experience. After fueling up at the hostel, we set off on a town day exploring the quaint community of Chamonix. Sandy, the students and I got some gear, groceries, souvenirs, and had ourselves a picnic in Chamonix’s town square park. Of course, we had to wash that down with some local ice cream from Chamon’Ice! After that, we took the town train to do a day hike at the Bérard Waterfall. We walked right up on the platform next to the waterfall and ensured everyone got a “natural shower”. Then we headed back to the hostel in preparation for the TMB!

Day 4

Time to start the Tour du Mont Blanc!! We woke up bright and early to eat breakfast, double check our packs, and get on the road with our outfitters for the beginning of the TMB. This was a special day because we actually had breakfast in France, lunch in Italy, and then dinner in Switzerland! We took a train and began our hiking in Arnuva, Italy, and ended our trek in La Fouly, Switzerland. This hike was definitely challenging, with intense snowy conditions that was a surprise for all of us. Kade roughed out the first portion with a hurt knee – a huge accomplishment we were all so proud of – then turned around and made his way to our original van on a “sled” (his own backpack!) with Sandy. Meanwhile, the rest of the group was excited to use the crampons provided to us, so we could hike across the snow with ease. Caroline set a great pace for us throughout the hiking, making sure everyone was alright. On top of the mountain going into Switzerland, Carly chose a unique method for going down the snow, by sliding down rather than hiking, which we all got a great laugh from. On our final leg of the hike, we were stunned by the beauty of La Fouly, as none of us have seen such a quaint mountain town that had our chalet. Once at our stay, we were rewarded with an amazing home cooked meal that was much needed and well deserved.

Day 5

Waking up in a chalet in the Swiss Alps was just about as amazing as it sounds. Seeing the snow-capped mountains and fields of wildflowers from our windowsills was incredible. We ate an amazing breakfast, packed our bags, and set off hiking again! Before the hike, Turner shared an amazing quote with the group in our morning huddle by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The views from this trek were breathtaking. Kade and I were taking heaps of pictures of the wildflowers, they looked almost as though there was a blanket of flowers covering the valley. We made it to Champex, another adorable mountain town in the Swiss Alps. In the middle of town, there was an Alpine lake! Lots of us hopped in for a much needed swim and lake day. Minott braved the frigid water temperatures for the longest, swimming around in laps, and even convincing others to jump in with him. Eddie jumped in and swam right by two cute ducks that were hanging out with us too. We made it to our hostel, and had a warming and delicious dinner to get us ready for the next day. We finished our day with our nighty ritual of Moonup, where Lydia gave the group a great question to answer, which had us all learn a bit more about each other and our lives. Such a great day overall!

Day 6

A very misty day of hiking ahead of us today, as we were fully in the clouds of the Swiss Alps! After a lovely breakfast with lots of hot chocolate, we got back on the road again, this time headed towards Trient, Switzerland. We’ve already covered some great distance on our trek, and today was another great day up in the alpine. The pictures from today were especially awesome because as we were walking, the clouds were surrounding us and passing below our feet! It was quite surreal. Robert, Sandy and I shared a great trail conversation about the unique feeling of being inside of a cloud. We stopped at an awesome mountain top shelter, which Anna was super stoked on, because they had homemade cakes up there. After we had our lunch, we tried all of the delicious cakes and then headed back outside for a quick leadership exercise, called the NOLS ‘No-Doze’ leadership style. After that, we continued trekking on and eventually made it to Trient. Our hostel in Trient was one of the coolest yet. We were stationed at the base of a meadow of wildflowers, overlooking the town and its distinct bright pink church! It was just so beautiful. And the dinner! Definitely the student’s favorite, as we finally had our well-deserved fondue! It was just incredible, and was followed by an ice cream colored and shaped just like the Swiss flag. We had Moonup outside in the wildflowers, which was yet anther great close to our day of adventure. It’s been so amazing seeing this group come to close together in such a short week! And only more great things to come!

Day 7

Our fourth day on the TMB began with a warm breakfast and excellent morale. Difficult elevation gain and tough technical routes were rewarded by breathtaking views and another border crossing from Switzerland into France at the first peak! Many trail songs led by Minott and Turner also helped morale stay high. After a warm indoor brunch at the peak, we began our ascent to the second peak of the day – one that, according to group consensus, was a top highlight from the whole Tour. Robert and our wonderful guide Xavier shared several minutes of silence taking in the views and the rest of the group followed. It was such a special moment. During the descent down, Xavier pointed out our entire route in the mountains – we could see exactly how much progress we really had made by foot! What a memorable image. Meanwhile, JP and Kade were participating in several UNO tournaments and resting up in the warmth of the hostel. When the group reconvened, we devoured a warm dinner and cozied up for a Moonup led by Robert and Eddie.

Day 8

Our last day of the TMB was one to remember. Though we were sad to say goodbye, the accomplishment everyone felt was unmatched. We trekked back into Chamonix and arrived at the same hostel we had been just a week prior. Warm burgers from a local favorite – Poco Loco – were the perfect reward for all our hard work. Carly led the girls in getting fresh ice cream too! Finally, we ended the day with a wonderful mix of pizza and pasta from a local Italian restaurant and headed back to a beautiful moonup under the stars. It was so special recapping the past week and reflecting on how close the group has gotten.

Day 9 (today)

Good morning everyone!! Today is our post-TMB and pre-Costa Brava travel day. The feeling of waking up in Chamonix as the sun is rising over the French Alps is something I can confidently say we’d never get used to. After taking our last deep breathes of fresh alpine air with wildflowers all around us, we ate an amazing breakfast and had our favorite hot chocolate and packed our bags. We hopped in the car, threw on some country music, and started our voyage. We got to Geneva, Switzerland, and gave the students some time to explore around the city. Then, we got on a train headed to Paris where we are awaiting our journey to Spain! Sea kayaking and lounging on the beach in Spain doesn’t sound that tough after completing the Tour du Mont Blanc, and they are all very excited for this nice reset. The weather looks promising and we packed our sunscreen, so excited to update yall further after this! Sending best wishes and a double thumbs up from España!

⁃ JP :))

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles to Chamonix - Day 1!

June 6, 2024

Hello Chamonix Families!

We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely in Paris and begun their transfer day to Chamonix! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they prepare to begin trekking on the Tour du Mont Blanc!

Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!

-Moondance HQ