Cheers to CHA!
July 16, 2026
Chamonix 3A Trip Update 3
And we are back once again with another thrilling trip update and boy oh boy do we have a lot to share. The past week in the Pyrenees has been one of the most incredible weeks filled with lots of laughter and stunning views. It’s a good thing we had our cameras ready because we can’t wait to share it all with our folks back home.
Our first day in the Pyrenees started in Torla with a beautiful day hike through a canyon. We got to hike without our packs today which was a good way to get back into hiking. After some days of rest, our legs were itching to go and we arrived at our lunch spot where we ate next to a snowmelt river. Even though it was chilly, Anne led the way and jumped right in while everyone following closely behind. Hatcher found some flowing water where he could swim to his heart’s content in what he deemed, a water treadmill.
When we strapped our packs on the next day, we were warmed up and ready for everything to come. Everyday was so incredible and there is no way we are going to be able to do it justice here. But I will most certainly do my best. We began our real trekking with a hike up to the most scenic viewpoint in Odessa National Park. Ben Brown has been carrying a pink squeaky chicken with him named Chicken Joe and he got a little photo shoot at the top of the hill. From there we hiked up a remote mountain where our moonup view overlooked a the canyon we just hiked onto of. Opposing today’s hike, the following day had us hike through the canyon, along the cows and river flowing through it. Funny enough, we ended up at the same spot we day hiked to at the start of the Pyrenees. There, we swam once again where Donovan made football catches into the river and Meg and Ben Vickers led those who wanted to in a workout session. As if hiking 10 miles in one day wasn’t enough! That night, Lily led us into a game of fish (salad) bowl and we tucked into the room laughing silly.
Everyday I think the views can’t get better but the following day brought us back from Spain into France and boy was it gorgeous. We trekked up and over the saddle, down into a valley where we had lunch. Ben Vickers, Hatcher and Hannah then had a Moondance sponsored photo shoot while Eli went to say hello to the nearby sheep. The trail led to a small town called Gavarnie. It’s a little town where one of the legs of the Tour du France finishes. There, we dined on ice cream to celebrate being back in France. In the small town, Mary Margaret and Hannah purchased some French Jewelry from a local artisanal shop before we were all treated to a traditional French Meal of Duck. Zoe couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved the Nutella Crepe Dessert that night and it’s safe to say that we have been dining on local cuisine.
The town we were at was overlooked by one of the largest waterfalls in the Pyrenees and the following day, we got to hike up to it. Harrison led the way jumping across the rocks of the river. Underneath the waterfall, we got drenched in the mist of falling water. Back down in the clean and sunny air, we found a perfect place for lunch and some rest. Carrington meditated near the flowing water while others napped, and some hopped in the river flowing from the waterfall. Once we were all rested, we began the trek up to our second mountain refuge of the Pyrenees which put us right next to the summit of Petit Pimine, a 2667 meter mountain that we walked up to the following morning. But before that, Ben Brown and Eli found the most perfect spot to watch the sunset. In that same spot, Carrington led us in a special Moonup. The following morning, we woke up early to start our hike. Donovan led the way and was the first to summit our mountain. We all were absolutely taken aback by how beautiful the landscape was. It was truly spectacular. Hannah and Zoe did hand stands on the summit while Eli took photos of the landscape so he could paint them later. Anne was all smiles at the summit and everyone was in a joyous mood with the wind on our faces. Once we hiked down, we enjoyed a nap on the trail after eating lunch from the hostel. Today’s trek was long but it brought us through cow country. We got to see newborn calves sleeping peacefully next the their mothers and walked along their migration trail. Always excited to jump in the water, Mary Margaret jumped right in and found a short but natural waterslide which was a refreshing break. This night, the stars were breathtaking as the whole group got to see a shooting star during moonup.
For our last day of hiking, we got to do a shorter hike through the cirque of the nearby mountains. Chicken Joe had a quick photo shoot at the top with everyone and the group was so excited to take off their shoes they practically ran down the mountain. That same day, we arrived to Luz hungrier than ever and everyone devoured their own pizza. We got ice cream to celebrate being done with trekking and finished our day with moonup under a castle.
And now we are on the train tracks to Paris. Meg and I have been so incredibly grateful for this group. These fast hikers are ready for some city time and it’s up to them what we get up to in Paris. Two more days to go and they’ll be on the plane back to you! So thankful for our health throughout our trip and thankful for all the laughs. Until our last note in Paris. Chamonix 3A Out!!!
Thank You’s!!
Lily: Omg, thank you guys so much for sending me on a trip of a lifetime! I have learned so much and grown so much and I am so grateful you guys give me opportunities to do stuff like this. Also, cannot wait to debrief with you turner and Lila :))
Ben Vickers: It’s gonna be hard to top this trip. The sites and experiences and everything was amazing, but also it was really fun to hang out with the other people. I am very excited to see you all again and go into great detail on all my many unforgettable adventures. Thanks again for allowing me to do this!
Hannah: this was seriously THE trip of a lifetime. I have learned and grown so so much. I have created the most special relationships and memories and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it!!!!! I’m also very excited to debrief with turner and Lila 😉
Eli: Thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip! I’ve had so much fun so far and met so many great and interesting people. Can’t wait to tell you guys about it.
Harrison: Thanks mom and dad for sending me on Cham! This was a really amazing trip and I really feel like I was able to challenge myself. I have met some really amazing peers and have learned a ton about life. I can’t wait to see you guys in a few days and talk about the trip. This was definitely a great decision to experience this right before college!
Zoe: Thank you mom and dad for sending me on and paying for this amazing trip!! I seriously had the best summer of my life and I only have you guys to thank for that. I know how much work went into planning this summer and making sure it all worked out, and I’m seriously so grateful for it all. I miss you guys so much!!
Anne: thanks dad and mom for sending me to Cham! I’ve had a blast – also ive seen the coolest mountains and ran in the most stunning places. Can’t wait to see yall and give butterball Cheerios for me! Also, if Zoe’s reading this say hi to everyone at homeee
Hatcher: Thank you so much for sending me on this trip Mom and Dad! This trip has been absolutely amazing and every year I am shocked by how amazing this world is. I am so blessed to have you as my parents and I am so blessed that you give me these opportunities. I love you so much and while I’m sad to leave I am so excited to see you at the beach!!
Donovan: Hello mother and father. I will be returning to Chapel Hill soon. Thank you so much for sending me on this trip 🦅, it’s so fun 😉. I’ve learned so many life lessons and will return home a changed man 🧍♂️. Hopefully Mr.Peach is doing good. Love yall … 🖤🖤🖤
Mary Margaret: Thanks mom and dad for sending me on such an incredible trip! Every year I feel like there is no way my trip could be better and every year I have been wrong. I’m so sad that we are about to leave Cham but I’m so so excited to see yall! Love you both 😘
Carrington: Thank you Mom and Dad for this incredible experience! It’s by far the coolest thing I’ve ever done and been such a great reset before I have to start prepping for college. I am so so excited to see yall but I’ve had the most amazing time ever.
Ben Brown: Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip, all three years have been such and adventure and I’m forever grateful that I get to have these experiences. This trip has been amazing and I have so many great memories, pictures, and a rubber chicken that I’m brining back.
Catching Rays in Costa Brava!
July 8, 2026
Buenos Días de España! We safely made it to Spain where we spent the last few incredible days of our trip on the shore of Costa Brava. Here, we are surrounded by the most beautiful rocky coastline and sunny weather the whole time. After a long travel day on the Fourth of July, we arrived at our boujee campsite and we were ready to celebrate in the most American way we know how. Burgers and Hotdogs with Watermelon and French fries. Ben V treated us to some of his hand-crafted burgers while Zoe and Lily cheffed up some of the best guacamole to eat while we were waiting for the rest of dinner. Hatcher brought his own family tradition to our campsite as he read the Declaration of Independence and then prompted us to share our favorite things about America which lead to conversations of football, yummy food back home, and Fourth of July traditions. We definitely miss our loved ones but we are having such a blast with each other across the pond.
For the first time this trip, we were able to have a really nice sleep in and we used it to the fullest. Once we started getting moving, we whipped up pancakes, bacon, sausage, potatoes and cut up as many fruits as we could from mango to pineapple. But the beach was calling, and as soon as our stomachs were full, we lathered up sunscreen and made our way to the beach to lay in the sun and explore the underwater scene. Everyone enjoyed the day, whether you were like Hannah and Lily and found yourself playing volleyball, Ben Brown and Donovan who threw the football, or Harrison and Eli who took a walk on the coastline. The day was hot, so we had no problem spending time in the water and after a picnic on the beach, we were able to head back to camp with salty hair to have a cooking competition.
And these kids know how to chef it up! Everyone was involved but some of the students brought dishes from their own lives to Spain. Zoe made peach iced tea while Hatcher made limeade. Eli whipped up a spicy shrimp appetizer and Harrison incorporated his take on a balsamic dressing for his team’s salad. Mary Margaret treated us to steak salad while Hannah cheffed shrimp scampi. For dessert, Carrington made some delicious peach cobbler while Ben B, the opposition, crafted what he calls ‘crepe cakes’, pancakes smothered in frozen chocolate and raspberries. Safe to say the winners were our taste buds and we were well fueled for sea kayaking the following day.
Sea kayaking was fueled by traditional Spanish Tortilla for breakfast before we walked to the beach to meet our guides. The next two days were spent kayaking in sea caves, and having lunches on remote beaches. It was perfect as everyone got to enjoy lunch the way they wanted it. Some people enjoyed swimming and looking at the corals and rocks, others tanned in the sun, while Hatcher taught Adam how to roll his kayak. Thanks Hatcher! Both days of sea kayaking we had perfect conditions. Hannah and Lily shared a kayak one of the days and they sang as many songs as Anne could queue up which kept us all joyous. The other, Ben V and Donovan got to share and they enjoyed exploring the caves together. Turns out, sea kayaking and our time in Costa Brava became a highlight for some. The food every night was to die for. One night we were taught how to make traditional Spanish paella with salmon tartar and Catalonian tomato bread. The following night, we finished with pizza and veggies on the beach. Then, Zoe and Ben B led us in a beach Moonup, calling off our time in the sand.
And today we are traveling to Torla! With the Tour de France occurring on the other side of the Pyrenees, we are switching up our route a little bit. Our guides have exclaimed how excited they are for these views so we are too! But before we hopped in the car, half of the group wanted to get up for a sunrise swim. So Eli and Harrison led us to the rocky coastline where Anne was the first to boldly jump in, followed closely by Carrington and Mary Margaret. We certainly had a beautiful morning and we are sad to say goodbye to the beach. But in Moondance, the fun never ends and our next section of hiking will be just around the corner. We are very fortunate that everyone is happy and healthy. Besides a blister here and there, no major injuries or illnesses are affecting our group and we are getting warmed up and ready to take on what’s next. We hope that our folks back home are enjoying their summer. We will keep you posted when we hop out of the Pyrenees. Till then, Chamonix 3A OUT!
Creating Memories in CHA!!!
July 4, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
Bonjour! Bonjournio! Hola!
Chamonix 3A here checking in with quite the update! It is now Day 8, and our group could not have meshed better from day one, even with close to no sleep and a long airport day. When the kids arrived with dreary eyes and jet lag, they remained positive and excited to be in Europe as we jumped into our travel day to Chamonix! It didn’t take long on the first train for everyone to doze off to sleep and get a brief nap in before our arrival. Our first night’s dinner was a French chicken dish to fuel our bodies for a nice long rest before our first day in the beautiful mountainous town of Chamonix! An important note: Ben Brown decided he would buy a goofy pink chicken to guide us on our journey and be our group mascot called “Chicken Joe.” It has been a great way to keep the camaraderie going. Thanks, Ben!!
Our first day in Chamonix, we got a nice sleep-in before heading into town to shop around and indulge in the French mountain culture. Indulging in the culture was quite easy because there was a mountain marathon happening that day, and we got to cheer on high-level trail runners as they finished a treacherous race right in the town center! We then had a great game of hacky sack as the beautiful snow-capped mountains surrounded us and ate wonderful sandwiches for lunch. Day one in Chamonix was still very hot, as the European heat wave was still beating down on us. These conditions prompted our decision to find a water source in the afternoon, we headed to the local swimming pools for a cool-down.
We jumped in the indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, and windy slides. With our friendly, outgoing energy, a group of British kids decided to approach us and face off with us. USA won the chicken fight, and we got to share many stories about our home countries!
Waterlogged and cooled off, we headed back to the hostel for dinner.
Our first student-led Moonup resulted in a very important event: the birth of “The Drip Drop Game.” Hatcher and Mary Margaret worked with Adam to create a game based on raindrops that were falling on us. This rapidly grew into an entire group game where certain points are awarded for different activities. For instance, Hatcher decided if he wore a French barrette for the entirety of our first day of trekking, that would earn him a lot of points! It has kept a friendly competition in our group and created lots of laughter.
The next few days consisted of beautiful views and strenuous trails as we trekked in and out of France with our loving and charismatic guide. As Eli put it, “Write about how he is awesome, and then write even more about how our guide is awesome!” Safe to say our guide was an absolute blast and became friends with each of us!
Our trekking days would start early with a French breakfast usually consisting of bread, cereal, coffee, and juice. That would carry us for a few miles until lunch, where we would picnic on the trail and then continue hiking the rest of the day until our chill time at the hostel. One of our most memorable lunches was in a beautiful town, the home of our guide! Zoe and Harrison really tapped into their food expertise and got us gourmet ingredients to make burrata sandwiches. What a treat!
Nights at the hostels were absolutely breathtaking. At one of our favorite hostels, we were completely surrounded by towering mountains and actually got to experience a rainbow peeking over the mountain, thanks to Donovan for spotting it and bringing out his technical camera to capture such a magical moment for us! Lily keeps us so engaged with group games and questions, as well as her talent and materials for friendship bracelet making!
One night in the mountains, we decided to climb a beautiful green hill and Moonup as the sun went down over the horizon. It was truly magical. The next day, we got to wake up our beloved Hannah for her 18th birthday! We snuck out of our hostel and all gathered around with a freshly picked wildflower to gift her when we finally woke her up, followed by a birthday breakfast complete with a birthday crown! Little did Hannah know she was going to have quite an adventurous birthday trek.
Anne and Ben were our fearless leaders this day and wowed us with their leadership. Midday, we found ourselves in a rainstorm atop a mountain saddle with blowing winds and cold weather. It was quite intense; however, Anne stepped right up to lead us through this adversity with a positive attitude. When we passed the storm, our energy was high, and we felt empowered by our group dynamic and love for adventure!
Hannah got a wonderful birthday surprise of adorable donkeys along our winding trail!
The adventure of the day did not end there for our group and LODs. After a birthday cake celebration, At Moonup Ben and Adam had a funny story to laugh about.
We ended our trekking adventure in the beautiful Italian town, where we were surprised with a nice hotel and a full Italian meal. We absolutely indulged in both pizza and pasta.
After our night in Italy, we woke up and walked around the town. Some of us were blown away by the lively, eclectic style in the shops along the small cobblestone streets, others only had gelato on their minds. We then took a bus back to Chamonix and started our Moond-Olympic Games. Basketball was our first section at a local court. It was so much fun with a 7 v. 7 game where we were impressed by everyone’s skills. Carrington’s energy completely wowed us as she put up 3 points on the board in flip-flops for Meg’s team. Go, Carrington!
Overall, we have been having so much fun enjoying talking games, cards, hikes, swimming, and so many belly laughs.
We can’t wait to get to Spain and take our adventures coastal.
Until then,
Chamonix 3A out!
Trip Shoutouts!
Ben Vickers: This trip is awesome! It’s a lot easier to not be in charge of logistics… Mount Blanc was beautiful and I now have 13 new best friends. I can’t wait to see y’all again soon though.
Eli Tatum: I’m having so much fun so far on this trip and met so many cool people. I got a couple things in Chamonix and have loved everything so far.
Harrison Gill: Having a ton of fun – just finished our time in the Alps and going to Spain right now. Bought some cool stuff and met some cool people. Looking forward to seeing y’all in a few weeks. Thanks for sending me on this trip.
Hannah Rosenberg: heyyyy guys! I’m actually having the time of my life I absolutely love all the places here it’s gorgeous! I love my group so much they’re awesome and I promise I’m feeling a million times better. I can’t wait to show u guys all the photos and videos. I love you guys!
Lily Carter: Hi everyone! Having an absolute blast; my group is literally perfect I love everyone and everything about the trip. Thinking about you guys ALWAYS but can’t wait to come home with many many stories to tell. Say hi to ry, Ben, GS, javy, and coco for me please!!
Ben Brown:
Hey mom and dad, I am having such a great time in France, we are currently on a train coming from Chamonix and going to costa brava. I am definitely needing some good salt water. The hiking has been so beautiful and we have been having great weather all week, besides a little rain on top of the Mountain. My group is filled with such amazing people and have made so many new friends. I have also definitely greeting my good share of eating all the food offered here. Btw the water proof gloves and sweatpants were worth brining. Love yall
Donovan Ruef: Yooo, this trip has been so fun so far! We went to Chamonix and I already spent all my money. Chamonix is insane, with beautiful views of the mountains. We completed the south part of the TMB which was challenging at times, but I endured. I’m getting a long very well and have become friends with the other Moondancers. I’m hyped to be in Spain for the next 6 days. I was able to eat some vener schnitzel which was fire. Hope y’all are doing good. Love.
Anne Wyche:
Hey mom dad and baker! I’m having a blast the hiking has been so cool. A lot of the views remind me of Colorado. Mom remind me about linville gorge when I get home it might be a good common ground ;). Also Zoe give Gigi flowers for me. I hope y’all had a fun Fourth of July and give butterball Cheerios for me! Love y’all!
Hatcher Cox:
Happy Fourth of July!!! I hope you are all having a great day and reading the declaration ( I already bored my whole group with it). This place is absolutely amazing and every day in Chamonix I was stunned by the beauty of the mountains. But even better than the place is the people and I absolutely love my group!! I miss you all and am looking forward to sitting down and talking all about it . Love you Mom, Dad, Carr, Spencer, Will, Grammy, and Gramps!!
Zoe Gorman:
Hey mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun! The hiking is so cool (and a bit challenging) and everywhere we go is so insanely beautiful. I love the group and I’m so happy we still have Spain, the Pyrenees, and Paris to look forward to. But I already have so many great stories to share with you guys. I miss you guys so much and I hope y’all are having the best summer! ❤️❤️
Mary Margaret Malatesta:
Hey Fam!! Happy fourth 🦅! This place is absolutely insane and so far I’ve had the best time! Thank Jules for all the tips and let her know that some dragonbus is heading her way! I’m so excited to tell you all about it. Love yall!!
Carrington Benton:
Hey Mom and Dad! I miss you so much but I’m having soooo much fun. I hope you’re enjoying some quiet time at the house and your travels and I CAN’T WAIT to tell you all about it! The first part of trekking went great and we’re on a train to Spain now for a break at the beach before we trek again. So cool and I’m experiencing so many new things, thank you for the opportunity💓
Safe Arrival!
June 27, 2026
Hello Chamonix Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Paris! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they prepare to begin their trekking section!
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
