Hello Again!
June 15, 2025
We cruised into the next section of our trip, which included canyoneering, surfing, and Via Ferrata! App and Molly were our LODs and kicked things off with some new adventures. We started the morning with canyoneering-slipping into our matching green and pink wetsuits and diving right in. We scrambled through the river, dodging rocks and jumping into clear pools, all with huge smiles on our faces. In the afternoon, we traded spring water for salty air. With surfboards in hand, we headed to the ocean to catch some tasty waves! 🤙 We had a few veteran surfers in the mix, but Addie, Fritz, Rhys, and William especially got the hang of it quickly. We all had a blast and couldn’t wait to get back out there the next day. That evening, we explored a picturesque coastal town in Asturias before having dinner at a local restaurant. Everyone picked up a fun souvenir to remember our time in Spain.
The next morning, Chase and Caroline took over as LODs and helped coordinate a delicious breakfast of eggs and bacon before we returned to the mountains for a Via Ferrata-an activity invented by the Italian army that combines climbing and ziplining. We stayed on theme with a stop at an Italian restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, it was back to the waves, which were even better than the day before. A definite trip highlight for everyone. But the real highlight came that evening. Chase and Caroline really stepped up their game and led us in cooking dinner at our hotel. Chase and Caroline made guacamole, Henry and Mclean were on burger duty, Molly, App, Claire, and Laura set the table. Everyone contributed, and the result was a beautiful meal shared under a setting sun, with the mountains standing tall behind us. It was our last night in Spain before heading to Morocco, and it was filled with good food, good views, and great people.
After cleanup, we transitioned into Moonup. Our wonderful Spanish guides, who had been with us since day one, were leaving the next morning, so our LODs invited them to join. Sitting in a circle together made for a heartfelt and wholesome final Moonup. And of course, we had to end the night with a dance party to everyone’s favorite song, Unwritten! Starting tomorrow, we begin our hike up Mount Toubkal! We’ve got a few big days ahead, but we’re confident this group is absolutely ready to conquer the tallest mountain in North Africa.
Keep calm and climb on 🙂
Matthew + Scarlet
Shout outs!
William: Hey Mom, Dad, Charlie, and Howard, the trip has been really cool so far and I’m excited to share what we’ve seen. Love, William
Rhys: Hey mom and dad. Spain was really cool; we went hiking, surfing, zip lining, canyoneering. In Morocco now, say hi to the dogs for me and maybe Alice. Love you, Rhys
Caroline: Hi mom and dad!! I am having a great trip so far, Spain was really cool with surfing, hiking, zip lining and canyoneering. We are in Morocco now, I miss you guys so much! Say hi to Molly, Olivia, Tiger, and Quint for me!! I love you guys, Caroline.
Laura:hi mom and dad!! I am having so much fun! Spain is so pretty. We just got done surfing and hiking there and just got to Morocco!! I love and miss yall so much!!
Claire: Hey mom and dad miss you guys sooo much but I am having the best time exploring and learning about Spain and now Morocco. Thank you so much for this amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity. Love yall <3
Molly: Hey mom and dad!!! I am having so much fun and can’t wait to tell yall all about it. Thank you for this amazing opportunity! Love yall!!!
Fritz: Hello parents, I have just arrived in Morocco which is super cool and in about two days we’re hiking the tallest mountain in Northern Africa. Spain was awesome, thank you so much for this opportunity love and miss yall!
McLean: Hey mom and dad! We just left Spain and it was just as cool as I imagined! Morocco seems to be pretty cool also! Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity of a lifetime! Love and miss yall so much!
Henry: Hi guys, doing great. Thanks for everything love yall lots! See you soon!
App: Hey Yall, we just got to Morocco and I’ve been using my chapstick. It’s real hot here. Surfing was cool and I really haven’t taken many pictures but there are lots of pictures of me and my friends. Say Hi to everyone for me and I can’t wait to see you when I get back.
-Your hopefully favorite son, App
Addie: Hey mom and dad! I miss you and love y’all so much. We just got to Morocco and I am having the best time! I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Tell lily and the boys I said hi and take care of each other. I can’t wait to see you!
Chase: Holla madre y padre, everything has been lots of fun so far 🙂 The hikes have been really hard, but have had really crazy views, above the clouds and everything. We just landed in Marrakech and are on the way to climb mount Toubkal, we have to do 5000ft in a day to get to base camp, gonna be rough – wish me luck. Love yall, Chase
Greetings from across the Atlantic!!
June 10, 2025
We have all arrived in Spain and after overcoming some jetlag we are having a great time! After landing in Madrid we headed straight for the mountainous north of the country to the Picos de Europa, a small but spectacular mountain range that straddles three Spanish provinces. Our first full day we spent some time exploring the limestone cliffs of the Picos walking through the Cares Gorge, one of the most famous hikes in Spain. Making 11 new friends is a big task but everyone is doing great! Even though everyone was adjusting to a new continent, new time zone, and new food everyone jumped right in and we can tell this is going to be an awesome group.
We woke up ready for our first day of Trekking! A Big shoutout goes to Laura and Fritz, our first LODS (Leader of the day). They did an incredible job working together to come up with ideas to bring the group together. A highlight of the day was our lodging which was a mountain refuge with a great view where we got the chance to hang out all afternoon. Activities included lounging, a group game of Mafia captivatingly led by App, and a communal family style meal where we got to try some traditional Asturian dishes. New cuisines can be hard but Molly had a positive attitude about trying new foods! Laura and Fritz led us through our first student led Moonup which was fun, light hearted, and set the tone for future moonups ahead of us. We ended our moon-up with a wolf howl and just before we let out our howls the clouds parted so we could see the full moon.
On day 2 of trekking we tackled a peak with a great view. Leaving from our idyllic mountain refuge where we slept in triple-decker bunk beds, the group hiked thousands of feet up to a summit where we had 360 degree views of mountains around us. We passed through dense beech forests, open fields with the sound of cowbells all around, and even saw a sea of clouds beneath us off the the north and the Cantabrian Sea. Mac did a great job of motivating everyone to the top on an extremely hard hike for just our second day. Good practice for Mt. Toubkal! We returned to our refuge for a picnic lunch and some hackeysack where William got our group to practice their Spanish skills with each other and our guides! (Hopefully this helps them pass AP Spanish this upcoming school year!!)
After our hike we drove on some beautiful mountain roads to our hostel for the evening in the town visited by the King of Spain this past year for being an exemplary Spanish Pueblo. We played some group spikeball before going to a restaurant to try some local foods. Cachopo- cheese sandwiched between two meats, Fried- and potatoes with local blue cheese sauce. Shoutout to Addie for trying it and loving it! A nod to our LODs today, Henry and McLean, who kicked moonup up a notch tonight by having the group ponder some hard hitting questions. As we talked the sun set over the main massif of the Picos and we went to bed, ready for our final day of trekking in Spain!
Last day of trekking! We woke up well rested and ready to conquer the day. Claire and Rhys were our LODS for the day and did a great job managing the hottest day we have had yet. With only a little longer to the top of the pass but straight up hill, Rhys took charge and gave an impromptu motivational speech. After that everyone was pumped up and ready to rumble. Once again, we ate our lunch looking over a spectacular view. Laura and Caroline made some beautiful rock towers. Everyone took magical photos and admired the view. After our long hike, we had a relaxing afternoon. Slowly but Shirley we’re improving our hacky skills and this afternoon Fritz and App led the charge. The kids made their hype playlist and chill playlist to play on our drives. Chase has some good additions which included the one and only Bob Marley. Overall our trekking sections has been filled with bonding conversations, exciting foods, and breathtaking views!
Tomorrow we’re headed into our next activities which include surfing and canyoneering! We’re excited to continue to know these awesome kids!
Peace and love! And as the man likes to say, “Don’t worry about a thing”
– Scarlet & Matthew
The Journey Begins!
June 7, 2025
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
We received word from our trip leaders that the group landed safely in Spain and made their way up north. They are excited to begin trekking tomorrow!
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
