Final Update from Spain + Morocco!
July 24, 2024
With tears in our eyes, we had to say our final goodbyes! To start where we left off, after hitting the skies and heading to Morocco, we settled in at our oasis outside Marrakesh. We spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool, had a delicious dinner of chicken skewers and other Moroccan sides. Underneath a brilliant full moon, LOD Spencer led us in an amazing moonup in which of course, had to be accompanied by lots of games and splashing. We then headed to bed in preparation for our visit to the Marrakesh markets. Garrett and I gave the kids a lesson on bargaining and we all headed to the markets with our game faces on! From the moment we arrived, Gigi and Andrew were a dynamic duo. Never cutting a deal more than half the original offer, they dominated the market! Everyone in the group walked away satisfied with the negotiations they made and we headed back for a much deserved lunch. After a competitive game of manhunt, we headed to bed in anticipation of our 3-day summit of Mt. Toubkal, the tallest mountain in North Africa!
The next morning, our hike began with clear skies and warm temperatures. After loading up on sunscreen, we hit the trail. The weather report had been 105 degrees and sunny but to our surprise dark storm clouds came in and it quickly started storming as rain quickly turned into hail. We hiked in the hail for 2 hours straight, screaming and hollering the all the way up the mountain, gaining 4,500 ft within a couple hours. Ari, although forgetting a rain coat, was one of the loudest as we trucked up the mountain. The group came together and supported each other up the mountain! After getting warm, we enjoyed Moroccan mint tea while recapping the day. The kids played card games into the night Gin Rummy where Libby dominated. After dinner, we headed to bed with an early wake up…summit day!
The early wakeup blessed us with an incredible sunrise over the mountain range and fueled our positive and competitive belief that our summit would be successful! Sure enough, as we neared the summit, Henry decided he wanted to sprint the last leg of what was a steep and challenging 3.5 mile trail and soon was not only the first to reach the summit but also cheer everyone else on as well. We soon enjoyed s surprise reward of sour candy sweets which was a crowd favorite by everyone! After a quick rest on the summit, the group took a flurry of photos to capture the moment to remember how they lived it. Evelyn especially showed off her photography skills and aimed to document the whole experience, even with it’s goat inhabitants. Once we ate our fill of snacks and taken all the photos, we sped down the mountain, eager to get back down the mountain to celebrate with some mint tea and traditional moroccan Tajine dish. Morocco’s food is absolutely delicious, but still is very different from American food. The next morning, we headed down the trail and Caleb, despite feeling unwell, inspired everyone with his perseverance and maturity even while trekking through another hail storm! Blair motivated the whole group through the trek. Arriving in Imlil to a warm shower and air conditioning, we spent the rest of the afternoon and night hanging out, doing a little shopping, playing card games on the rooftop terrace, we all went to bed excited, albeit a little sad, about our fast approaching final day in Madrid. John was named as one of our two kids to get LOD 3 times, much deserved!
We headed to Madrid the next day and had a nice evening parroozing the city, the group had an Italian feast and an early 16th birthday celebration for Spencer! Happy Birthday Spencer!!! With all the kids safely in the air, Garrett and I are so happy to have ended the summer with this group! Already missing being all together!
Katie and Garrett
Checking in from Spain!
July 17, 2024
Hello again, SPM parents! We have had a great past couple of days in Spain but are looking forward to our next adventure! Our trekking section in Spain was AMAZING. As we woke up in the small mountain town of Sotres, we got ready for our first hike of the trip, a beautiful 6-mile trek through rolling fields, sheer mountains, and great views in every direction. Gigi and Andrew gave the group a briefing on our route for the day and led everyone in a stretching circle, counting in Spanish the entire way! As we hiked through the mountains, crossing over between the province of Asturias and Cantabria, our guides, Midori and Gail, enlightened us on the history of the area. John showed particular curiosity about the route and areas we’ve been traveling in, and the entire group has benefitted from his great questions! We arrived at our hostel tired but filled with excitement from a great first day of hiking. After some nice rest and many card games, we all walked over to the nearby old historic mines to get a good look at a piece of this region’s history. Libby, the most excited of all of us, ran to the mines and was the first of the group to make it to the stunning overlook, picking the best spot to sit and look out on the gigantic mine nestled in the mountainside. After a great dinner and MoonUp, we headed to bed content and excited to summit the Horcados Rojos peak in the morning!
We woke up bright and early as the sun began to peek up behind the mountains of the Picos de Europa Nacional Park. As we began to trek, clouds began to form and a chill fell over the air. As light rain came, Caleb kept the group positive about the change in conditions, his Colorado roots shining through! We continued on, hiking with the winds. However, moments later, the clouds began to shift and blue skies made their appearance. Spirits were lifted as we began the true ascent, sunshine on our side. Henry kept the group laughing as we all worked hard together to make it to the top. As we approached the summit and the views became 360 degrees, Spencer’s always-present enthusiasm was to the stars as he took in the amazing views! After basking in the endless mountains, the crew started our descent towards a cable car that took us back down into Cantabria. We all loaded up in the vans and headed to Caín for one last amazing trek in Spain! We were lucky enough to experience Spain’s impressive win in the 2024 Euro Cup! Blair squealed with excitement all the way to Spain’s victory!
Our last day hiking in Spain was on one of the most scenic and well-known trails in the entire Picos de Europa, the Cares Gorge Trail. We woke up in the beautiful mountain town of Caín to bluebird skies, ready to rock and roll down this amazing trail. The views were absolutely majestic as we walked through the Cares Gorge, surrounded by mountain tops towering hundreds of feet above us and a canyon with a pristine river below. Ari led the pack into the beginning of the trail, serving great trail conversations for everyone around. She stayed up at the front the entire time, determined to experience everything for the first and last time. This hike was definitely one of the prettiest we have ever done collectively and truly lived up to its famous name. On the trail, Evelyn commented multiple times on how her passion for hiking has only increased thanks to the memories made not only on the hike this day but also all of our time in Spain. Finally, we got to the town of Poncebos, where the group grabbed a little snack before we all took off for Madrid! After a long car ride with a much-needed snack and bathroom break to get us all through the 5-hour ride, we arrived at the hotel, got a quick dinner followed by MoonUp, and went to bed dreaming of checking off a new country and continent from the list tomorrow! Morocco, here we come!
Caleb: Hi mom, dad, selah and Marshall! I miss you guys soo much and can’t wait to see you guys when I’m home. We have done so much and it’s been amazing. So far we have hike 3 days including summiting a mountain, surfed, had amazing food and so much more. Love you guys!
Gigi: Hey mom and dad and Macon and Lulu, love u guys! Having so much fun, miss y’all a lot, we’ve hiked a lot and surfing was super cool! We’ve hiked a lot and done many fun things, can’t wait to see y’all! Love you all so much!!
Libby: hey fam! Im having so much fun meeting new people, hiking, and surfing. Spain is the coolest country. My group is so fun and I’ve made such great friends and memories just in the first week and I can’t wait for Morocco. Miss you guys soo much! Give ginger extra love for me
Andrew : Hey Mom and Dad, I miss y’all a ton I can’t wait to see you. Spain was awesome and my group is great I can’t wait to tell you about all I have seen and experienced. We are about to go to Morocco. I love you guys so much, see you soon! #tb
Henry : How’s it going fam, I am missing y’all but also having lots of fun. We just finished the Spain part which was like surfing and hiking which was fun and now we are going to Morocco. Counselors are very chill and my group is sweet. Love y’all and see you guys soon!
Ari – hi mom and dad! I am having the best time ever and can’t wait to tell you all about the trip. We are headed to Morocco now and my group is so fun. Love you guys!
Blair: Hi family! I miss y’all so much. We are in the airport headed to Morocco; Spain was amazing! I can’t wait to tell y’all about my trip. I have a great group and my leaders are very nice. Happy belated birthday, Dad!!! I hope you had a great day (and I left you a card on my desk). Tell Gav, Granddad, and Vovo hi and I miss them! I love y’all!
Spencer: Hey fam, I’m missing y’all a lot but having a blast. Spain has been so awesome. We’ve been hiking, surfing, and canyoneering. My group is great and counselors are awesome too. The views on the hikes we have been doing have been unreal. We are headed to Morocco and I can’t wait. Love y’all and see y’all soon
John: Hey guys! It’s ya boi and I’m having a great time! So far we’ve been canyoneering, surfing and a lot of hiking. My counselors Katie and Garrett are amazing, and I’ve met some great people here in my group too. Spain has been beautiful, and we’re currently in the airport about to head down to Morocco to the second part of our trip. Tell Andrew, Molly and the rest of the fam that I’m doing well, and make sure to ask if Molly can come over. Love u guys so much.
Evelyn: Hi squad!! It’s been so fun so far. Right now I’m waiting in Madrid airport before flying to Morocco. Spain was so fun can’t wait to tell you guys about the fun spanish people i met. We did canyoneering which i can explain and im not a great surfer but it’s been lit
Caleb: Hi mom, dad, selah and Marshall! I miss you guys soo much and can’t wait to see you guys when I’m home. We have done so much and it’s been amazing. So far we have hike 3 days including summiting a mountain, surfed, had amazing food and so much more. Love you guys!
Gigi: Hey mom and dad and Macon and Lulu, love u guys! Having so much fun, miss y’all a lot, we’ve hiked a lot and surfing was super cool! We’ve hiked a lot and done many fun things, can’t wait to see y’all! Love you all so much!!
Libby: hey fam! Im having so much fun meeting new people, hiking, and surfing. Spain is the coolest country. My group is so fun and I’ve made such great friends and memories just in the first week and I can’t wait for Morocco. Miss you guys soo much! Give ginger extra love for me
Andrew : Hey Mom and Dad, I miss y’all a ton I can’t wait to see you. Spain was awesome and my group is great I can’t wait to tell you about all I have seen and experienced. We are about to go to Morocco. I love you guys so much, see you soon! #tb
Henry : How’s it going fam, I am missing y’all but also having lots of fun. We just finished the Spain part which was like surfing and hiking which was fun and now we are going to Morocco. Counselors are very chill and my group is sweet. Love y’all and see you guys soon!
Ari – hi mom and dad! I am having the best time ever and can’t wait to tell you all about the trip. We are headed to Morocco now and my group is so fun. Love you guys!
Blair: Hi family! I miss y’all so much. We are in the airport headed to Morocco; Spain was amazing! I can’t wait to tell y’all about my trip. I have a great group and my leaders are very nice. Happy belated birthday, Dad!!! I hope you had a great day (and I left you a card on my desk). Tell Gav, Granddad, and Vovo hi and I miss them! I love y’all!
Spencer: Hey fam, I’m missing y’all a lot but having a blast. Spain has been so awesome. We’ve been hiking, surfing, and canyoneering. My group is great and counselors are awesome too. The views on the hikes we have been doing have been unreal. We are headed to Morocco and I can’t wait. Love y’all and see y’all soon
John: Hey guys! It’s ya boi and I’m having a great time! So far we’ve been canyoneering, surfing and a lot of hiking. My counselors Katie and Garrett are amazing, and I’ve met some great people here in my group too. Spain has been beautiful, and we’re currently in the airport about to head down to Morocco to the second part of our trip. Tell Andrew, Molly and the rest of the fam that I’m doing well, and make sure to ask if Molly can come over. Love u guys so much.
Evelyn: Hi squad!! It’s been so fun so far. Right now I’m waiting in Madrid airport before flying to Morocco. Spain was so fun can’t wait to tell you guys about the fun spanish people i met. We did canyoneering which i can explain and im not a great surfer but it’s been lit
Greetings from Spain!
July 12, 2024
Greetings from Spain!!
We are a couple days into this amazing trip and we are having an absolute blast! Let’s recap the past couple days before we start our trekking section of the trip tomorrow. A few days ago, we met everyone in the airport after a long, tiring flight, yet the group was excited to start the trip. We soon got into vans and drove to our first destination, a beautiful little fishing town on the northern coast of Spain called Llanes. This place boasts amazing views on the coast in one direction and behind us lie the surreal mountains of Picos de Europa national park. We took a quick siesta then got ready to stop by the beach and explore the town before dinner. John selflessly took it upon himself to carry everybody’s shirts and towels so they didn’t need to bring their backpacks. We are all so grateful for his kindness! After a quick dip in the refreshing water of the Cantabrian Sea, we got a little bit of ice cream where Libby busted out her superb Spanish skills, doing the entire transaction in Spanish and impressing the entire group. We walked up to a viewpoint where we could see the seemingly endless ocean in front of us, knowing that if we continued straight, we would eventually end up in England! After a little sightseeing, the crew headed into town to check out some local souvenir shops before dinner. Henry got some cool, locally made souvenirs that were a big hit with the rest of the group. After doing some shopping, we all got some classic pasta bolognese and breaded chicken with homemade French fries, just what the group needed, a little taste of home before we really dove into our Spanish adventure.
On our first morning all together, we woke up to sunshine and blue skies! We ate a quick breakfast and all piled into the van for our first activity… canyoneering!! Best described as sliding, climbing, and jumping off waterfalls, it’s not for the faint of heart! Andrew led the pack the entire morning, taking the risk of going first down mostly every fall. Even though the water was cold, Gigi squealed with excitement the whole way down. A couple of times we had the opportunity to do some mini cliff jumps! Blair bravely pushed all worries aside and ended up jumping more than most everybody else, completely living in the moment. After ditching the wetsuits and grabbing a warm lunch, we got right back to it and swapped waterfalls for the ocean- time to surf! After we were suited up, we got a quick lesson from our guides and hit the waves to try it for ourselves. Ari was up before the whole group was even in the water, to the amazement of the rest of us! Spencer worked closely with our guide on his surfing and Spanish all afternoon long. After riding the waves all afternoon, we headed to a Llanes restaurant to try local Asturias cuisine, even trying world famous Asturian blue cheese. We finished up our evening with a nice moonup as a storm brewed in the distance!
The next morning we woke up to the calming sound of raindrops echoing off the rooftop. The group was still in high spirits though because today we were going surfing for the second time! After yesterday’s “warm up” day, the group felt dialed and ready to shred the gnar at the famous Torimbia Beach, a beach that is known for its good waves and beautiful views. As we walked down, we were greeted by our favorite surf instructor, Mateo and quickly got suited up and got our boards, ready to hit the beach. After a quick warmup, the group ran down the beach, eager to hone their skills from yesterday and shred the gnar once again. Caleb absolutely grinded both days of surfing, never taking a break and working hard, and today all that hard work paid off when he got on more waves than anybody. Today’s surfing was incredible, everyone stood up many times, the waves were impeccable, and the vibes were immaculate. However, all this activity made us hungry for lunch so we stopped by a local pizza place with the guides for some well earned lunch. Despite all the personal pizzas being delicious, nobody enjoyed their pizza more than Evelyn, who confidently stated she could’ve eaten 2 more pizzas if they were in front of her! Good thing we went to get some ice cream nearby as a good dessert to cap off our time in Llanes. As we depart this little beach town we called home for the last two days, we eagerly await the trekking that is to come next. Our stay tonight in the town of Sotres gives us a glimpse of all there is to see in Picos de Europa National Park. The group arrived and after settling in, immediately began playing some card games to pass the time. Later we explored around the town, got to do a little shopping, before enjoying a nice, well-earned dinner full of authentic Spanish food. Croquetas, salchichas, veal, salad and more in a family-style meal absolutely hit the spot. After our group gets some much needed rest, we begin our trekking section of the trip tomorrow! That’s all for the past couple days, but stay tuned! There’s many more adventures to go on and memories to be made. Well check back in after we arrive in Morocco:)
Adiós,
Katie + Garrett
Safe Arrival in Madrid!
July 10, 2024
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
All students have safely landed and the trip is off to a great start! We can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure! Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! 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
