See Ya Later Spain
July 4, 2025
Greetings one more time from Spain and Morocco!!!! We started the next phase of our adventure by departing Spain and crossing the famous Strait of Gibraltar by air to Morocco, our second country and continent of the trip. Morocco, while being a relatively short distance away, has a very different climate from the temperate, wet north of Spain. The realization that we were now in a bona fide desert hit us as soon as we stepped off the plane to 100 plus degree heat. Luckily, we escaped the Marrakech heat by fleeing to our second mountain range of the trip, the beautiful Atlas Mountains. Upon our arrival to a lovely Riad (the Arabic word for guesthouse) in a cute village, our task for the next three days rose sprawling before us: Mount Toubkal, an enormous massif whose peak stands 13,671 feet tall. The trek would take three days, and our Spanish hiking looked like only a warmup to the rigor of this challenge.
However, tonight we rested, as we had gotten up extremely early to catch the flight to Marrakech. We tucked into a traditional Moroccan dinner of tajine while we admired the Mountain Views of the dining room. Byers and Zoe led us in a touching Moonup on the patio roof of the Riad, capping off our first cycle of LODs. We then headed to bed early to prepare for one of our hardest hiking days. Everyone slept well but morning came fast. Before we left, us leaders had a surprise for everyone: our prize “Dino egg,” an unknown reward for the top of Toubkal, wrapped in duct tape. We handed the Dino egg off to LOD Bailes to carry up the mountain. The first day of the Toubkal trek involves some big numbers: we tackled 7.5 miles and 5000 feet of elevation, and everyone did great!!! We’d like to mention Zoe as a standout for never complaining and always having a topic of conversation to share with someone. Another shoutout goes to MK, whose great attitude is contagious and makes us all feel better about the difficult things we do together!
At the end of this long day we arrived to the stark outpost that is Toubkal Base Camp, a collection of buildings sitting at just above 10,000ft entirely supplied by mule! Despite this logistical challenge, the food is excellent, and we ate well that evening. We also got a healthy serving of the famous Moroccan mint tea, the standard drink of the country. Shoutout to Bailes and Anna for leading an awesome moonup that did a great job at setting to tone for summit day tomorrow. We slept well in our group room in rows of connected bunk beds, one of our most fun sleeping arrangements this trip.
Finally, after days of hearing about it, summit day was upon us, and we rose before the sun for a quick breakfast before getting started on the literal and figurative zenith of our efforts. The ascent to the summit of Toubkal is relatively short but very steep, and going was a lot slower than yesterday. Houston and Byers lead the way, always down for a chat to make the miles go faster. Bruton boosted morale by carrying out our speaker, making everyone’s feet feel a little lighter. Catherine and Maddie, sometimes actually arm in arm, locked in and trucked up the mountain. After several hours of slow, determined climbing we arrived at our final destination: the summit of Mount Toubkal, marked by a pyramidal monolith, which features 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. At long last, LOD Sutton pulled out the Dino egg, and was cracked open to reveal a special reward of Snickers brought all the way from Madrid! Scarlet read a moving Spoken Word piece to commemorate the occasion and we took lots of pictures. With satisfaction we began our descent, which was a little harder on the knees but a lot easier on everything else. We celebrated with a much needed nap and chill time at the refuge. We played group games and Judah faced off with Catherine and Maddie in a roast battle to settle a friendly dispute (the jury’s still out on who won, in our opinion).
The next day we descended from base camp by the same route we took up, which- shocking, I know- was much easier and more pleasant on the way down. When we made it to the bottom we had a lovely picnic by the river prepared by our guides, and then got in our van to the ultimate reward: our outfitter Mohamed’s house, which has a pool!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We relaxed by the pool all afternoon and enjoyed some time off our feet. At one point, Glynn Rachel treated us to some impressive water acrobatics, showing off her gymnastics skills once again. Speaking of Glynn Rachel, thanks to her and Bruton for a lovely moonup on the balcony that night against a sky full of stars. We’d also like to take this opportunity to recognize Anna for her consistently thoughtful Moonup answers that add so much to the Moondance culture we try so hard to nurture.
On our final day in Morocco, we embarked on one of our most-anticipated activities: the markets (souks, in Arabic) of Marrakesh. These markets inhabit twisting, turning, narrow corridors where you can buy almost anything imaginable: pottery, clothing, art, and of course knockoff designer accessories. With no fixed prices, how much you pay is dependent on your skill as a negotiator. (Students here) we returned from the markets with shopping bags full and wallets of Moroccan Dirham significantly less so, and spent the afternoon at the pool. In the evening we had a cooking class, where we learned how to make a few traditional Moroccan dishes, including chicken tajine, meatballs, breakfast pancakes, all washed down with some mint tea. Everyone went for a little night swim before going to bed.
The morning came and we headed to the airport to fly back to Madrid. In the afternoon we landed in the Spanish capital, did some sightseeing, and tried some traditional Spanish tapas for our banquet dinner. For our final moonup, always a sentimental event, we were led by an unusual tetrarchy of four LODs, so everyone got a second go at leadership. Huge nugs to Byers, Judah, MK, and Maddie for their guidance through one of our favorite Moondance traditions, especially due to a forced location change due to getting caught in a thunderstorm!!!!!
With heavy hearts we said goodbye to 2A at the airport the next morning. Even though this trip might be over, us leaders are sure that the bonds formed during this trip will last a long time!! Thank you all for sharing your daughters and sons with us for a few weeks- we enjoyed getting to know them 🙂
Signing off,
Spain and Morocco A
Adios, España!
June 28, 2025
We officially wrapped up the Spain portion of our trip!!! We have said goodbye to the incredible Picos, spectacular surfing, jaw-dropping views, and of course, our beloved Spanish guides, Mai and Irene! Off to Morocco we gooooooo!
The last couple of days have truly been a treat. We put our boots aside and grabbed our swimsuits to take on surfing, canyoneering, and Via Ferrata.
We kicked this off bright and early, excited for a day full of canyoneering and surfing, but most importantly, Houston’s birthday!!! Sweet sixteen!!!! Canyoneering was a hit! Anna and Maddie did not miss a beat and dove right in. Safely and swiftly, we scrambled our way down the river, enjoying the natural waterslides. We all had a blast, by the end we were a bit chilly and excited for the afternoon full of surfing! We had everyone’s favorite lunch yet! It has been awesome to see everyone try all the local foods! Bruton could not get enough of the delectable arrangement of seafood. The food of the day would have to be the octopus! We ended the day with surfing! After a 15-minute walk, we entered what felt like heaven on earth. It was a magical beach secluded from the rest of the world, the water was clear, rock cliffs were on either side of us. And we had it all to ourselves with the exception of a few people. Our surf spot was unmatched!!! Judah took charge and dominated the waves, being the experienced surfer that he is; he made sure to share his tips and tricks with everyone. Everyone put their best effort; everywhere you looked, there was a smile from ear to ear.
After surfing, we couldn’t give up the opportunity to spend more time in this transcendent place. While the rest of the squad played beach games, MK, Judah, and Scarlet continued to get their ocean fix by flipping in waves, bodysurfing, and engaging in lighthearted and at times tapped into deep topics. Everyone was doing exactly what they wanted! Us leaders have been scheming all trip on our way to make Houston’s sixteenth birthday special! We got Irene and Mai to help out as well. With all hands on deck and a collection of silly birthday hats, we pulled off a once-in-a-lifetime birthday! Bailes took charge of cooking the burgers with the help of Byers, Britton, and Houston. Glynn Rachel and Judah did not hesitate to chef up some refreshing guac!! The weather was fabulous, with a stunning backdrop of mountains, and laughter and good music filled the air. Feeling lucky, we shared a monumental birthday dinner, all sitting together tall and happy with a combination of frozen, LILO & Stitch, and Paw Patrol birthday hats. And of course, we made Houston wear gold sparkly glasses and a sash! I mean… You only turn 16 once!!! Last but not least, we sang Feliz Cumpleaños and indulged in CAKE! As always, we ended the night with Moonup. Headed to bed to catch some ZZZs and prepare for another day of activities!
VIA FERRATA! The mystery activity! Or at least the kids felt that way. Our many explanations of a Via Ferrata could not encompass what it really was, and the kids were siked to try something that they’ve never done before! We got on our harnesses and headed up what was a series of chutes and ladders! Zoe did a great job encouraging her friends. She exhibited a lot of patience and kindness for those who needed a little extra help overcoming their fear of heights! It was awesome to see everyone support each other. It makes us excited to see the group bond and further help each other conquer getting out of their comfort zone, especially for our big summit day in Morocco. After the series of chutes and ladders, zip lines were up next! A super big hit! With wind in our hair and laughter echoing among the mountains around us, we ended our morning grateful and hungry!! Of course, we had to get lunch, but more importantly, ICECREAM!! Tummies full, and we were off to our second day of surfing. We went to a different beach! Had a blast on both surf days. Bruton shredded the waves; it was awesome to see how passionate he was to improve, but also to enjoy the time with his peers! We were blessed with sun and blue skies! Couldn’t ask for it better.
The Moondance magic is circulating! Each and every one of the kids has put themselves out there and tried something new, whether it’s Maddie trying new foods, Sutton using his Spanish abilities to help others, or Catherine being an incredible leader and always looking out for everyone. We have loved seeing their growth, and it’s only been 1 WEEK! We are sad to leave Spain, however so pumped to start our journey in Morocco. Mount Toubkal, Marrakech Markets, and delicious tagine await us.
Lastly, we want to emphasize how thankful we are for sharing your daughters and sons with us! We have throughly enjoy getting to know each of them. The group is growing closer everyday, and the energy, laughter, and love are contagious. This group of kids is incredible and we can’t wait to make more memories with them!
Sending our love from Spain & Morocco,
Scarlet & Matthew
Update from Spain + Morocco!
June 26, 2025
Group 2A touched down in a very hot Madrid but were immediately whisked to north of Spain, which due to its awesome mountains is thankfully much cooler. Our first night, we arrived to a lovely little Spanish pueblo tucked into the jagged limestone cliffs of the Picos de Europa. The Picos are a unique region of the country known for the Swiss Alps-quality views, deciduous trees, and excellent (stinky!) cheese. After getting to know each other a little better everyone went to bed to be ready for our first real day of activities.
The next morning we woke up and got ready for our first activity, one of Spain’s most famous hikes, the Ruta de Cares. Our guides took us through miles of a steep, vertical canyon, as everyone chatted with each other and enjoyed the spectacular views. Anna helped everyone stay motivated with her positive attitude and outgoing persona, which we love especially early on in trips! Following the hike we returned to our village lodging to have lunch by the same river that cut the Cares Gorge over millions of years. In the afternoon we hopped in our two vans, as trusty as Don Quixote’s steed Rocinante, and we headed towards our second location. Unfortunately, due to its remoteness the our trusty vans could not do all of the work so we had to go the rest of the way on foot, walking up a lovely but difficult path. Bruton shared his Eagle Scout knowledge and experience with everyone else by absolutely crushing this hike.
Finally, after what felt like so long, we reached our goal: a postcard-worthy mountain refuge featuring roosters, kittens, and a herd of wild-roaming sheep with bells around their necks to really drive home the ambience. We passed the time in the evening playing some group games, spent quality time together, and ate an excellent communal meal at the refuge. A special mention to the greatest outdoor show we’ve ever used, with Mountain views! We played Moondance’s favorite activity, Hacky sack, where Houston and Byers showed off their ability. As the hacky-circle sacked, Maddie and Glynn Rachel impressively backflipped across the field. We’d like to give a special shoutout to our first LODs (Leaders of the Day), Bailes and MK, who we appreciate very much for setting the tone at moonup, Moondance’s most honored nightly tradition. We went to bed on triple-decker bunk beds to be ready for the next day.
We woke the next morning to roosters and shared a traditional Spanish breakfast. Today’s goal: tackle our first peak of the trip. Over the course of the morning we hiked upward towards beautiful beech forests and cow pastures to a cumbre (Spanish for peak!) with 360 degree views. LODs Anna and Sutton did a great job of motivating everyone to the top, and us leaders had a surprise for the peak that everyone enjoyed: twizzlers!! We made some memories, but took pictures just in case, and descended back down for lunch. After another sack session- big hit with this group- we returned to our trusty vans to our next location: a town visited last year by the King of Spain for being an ideally cute Spanish Pueblo. Upon arrival, kutos to LOD Sutton for spearheading a super fun and very unique activity- Jeopardy!!! As two teams we competed in 5 categories (Spain, facts about our leaders, pop culture, US history, and Moondance trivia), and Maddie led team 2 to victory. Anna and Sutton did a great job of leading Moonup too to cap off an exemplary day of LOD behavior.
The next morning we rose for our final day of trekking. Luckily, we saved the best for last with this final hike, because the views were unbeatable!!!!!! As we appreciated today’s views we practiced one of the cardinal rules of Moondance: the miles go faster when you’re having a good conversation! Catherine stunned us with her impressive Spanish skills chatting with our Spanish guides, and let us know that she’s been listening to everything us leaders have been saying in Spanish to our guides the whole trip (jajajaja). On our way down, with our knees aching, Judah entertained with some incredibly difficult and conceptual rounds of “20” questions (read: many, many questions) which made the ground beneath our feet go a lot faster. Everyone spent the evening relaxing and doing some more laid back activities than our last three days of hiking: Zoe and Maddie intently learned some card tricks, more 20 questions, and of course… hacky sack. At an appropriately late hour, because of the local norms, we tucked into dinner to try some traditional Spanish dishes (the croquetas were a hit, the local stinky blue cheese was controversial, and everyone loved the morcilla, but don’t let them Google how it’s made)
To end an incredible trekking section in Spain, we’d like to say thank you to Houston and Catherine, our LODs, for making us reflect about ourselves and the trip so far. Sending love from Spain and on we go to the northern coast to try some new things!! We think this group is amazing and we’re so excited they are all here together.
With love,
Your leaders!
Shoutouts:
Hi mom & dad,
I am having so much fun!!! Thank you for sending me!!!
-Maddie
Hello family! I miss y’all so so much. This trip is one of the incredible things I have ever done. Love y’all!
-Anna 🙂
Hi Mom, Dad, Nina, Henry, and Elan. I am having a lot of fun and we are doing so many cool things! Love and miss you all!
-Zoe
Hey guys! I miss you all so much but I am having the best time here in Spain so far. I love the 5 other girls in my group a lot and I can’t wait to tell yall all about the food and activities. I love yall tons!
– Catherine
Hello! I miss y’all so so much! Not sure how much I miss being in Memphis compared to here. I am having g so much fun and can’t wait to tell you all about this!
– Glynn Rachel
Hello mom and dad! Been learning lots of Spanish and having a lot of fun! Love you guys!
– Bruton M
Hey mom and Dad trips been good so far. Talking Spanish with the guides and locals it has come at an ease and has been helpful. Good yard.
– Sutton
Hey mom and Dad, the trip so far has been great. We are doing a lot of cool things and the activities are a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see y’all again
– Bailes
Hey mom, dad, and Law!! I am having so much fun! We just finished the trekking in Spain and I’m about to go canyoneering and surfing and I’m so so excited!!! The trekking had so many pretty views and all of the Spanish towns are so cute. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip!! I am so excited for the rest! I miss pucket and tell Thomas I said “hi”. Thank you and love you all!!
Love, MK
Hello mom and dad the trip has been pretty amazing. The views are mind blowing and my disposable camera is not big enough, tell family and friends I say hello!!
Love,
Judah
Hey mom and dad, the trip has been amazing. Getting a bunch of exercise, and cool memories. Thank you so much
– Houston
Hi mom and dad it’s really fun here and I’m having a lot of cool experiences. Can’t wait to see you guys!
Love, Byers
Greetings from Spain!
June 22, 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, with the exception of two students who will be arriving late due to flight delays. They will join the group tomorrow, and everyone is excited to welcome them!
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
