On the 11th of August at 3:30am a group of seven HCS pupils set out on a death defying expedition to the previously explored, but not by us, picturesque slopes of the Pyrenees. After a near encounter with airport security due to a large bottle of dry shampoo, we eventually stepped foot on the hot ground of Barcelona. The four hour power nap and pit stops for ice cream was enough to keep us occupied till we reached La Mola campsite. To our delight, we discovered we had 5 star luxuries, as far as campsites go, with tennis courts, a pool, and a small quaint village only 20 minutes away.
The first day was recuperation, involving swimming in storms, playing deadly tennis, and eating very strong, toxic homemade garlic bread. We made preparations for the 2 day trek, sorting out our 35 litre bags and having a brief, but nothing could prepare us for the physical strain we would have to endure. Unfortunately the first day was cut short due to the ominous clouds and thunder quickly approaching over the mountains. The locals were amazed by the rare downpour and came out to watch as we waited for Captain Smith to pick us up in the unpredictable minibus.
The excitement was high as we arrived at our first refuge and discovered the play park, complete with a seesaw and swings. The large portions of food and the option of a shower, even if it was cold, quickly got us looking forward to the next day’s adventures. We weren’t quite expecting one in the middle of the night, however, and the sudden appearance of a Spanish man in the bed next to us ended up being one of the most traumatic experiences of the entire trip. We had another day of walking, where the last 4km of winding road seemed endless and even harmonized renditions of the Lion King couldn’t keep up moral. But finally when we reached the chain that prevented the minibus from picking us up, we celebrated with a slightly squashed fruit cake. The journey back to La Mola was a bumpy one, and with Captain Smith’s second gear driving, and a broken window, it seemed to be endless. When we finally arrived back we dressed up, in trackies and hoodies, to go out for a meal in the local town. We even managed to turn someone vegetarian for the rest of the trip after continuous jokes that the food contained horse meat!
The next day was AS results day so as a distraction from the stress and worry, we went white water rafting. Due to foot injuries of various teachers, we dragged a reluctant Mr Howells with us in an attempt to change his hatred of water sports. This wasn’t helped by our eccentric guide who found amusement in starting a pile on at the front of the raft, as we got close to the rapids. After an hour of crashing into rocks and falling in numerous times, we set off to go shopping and relax.
The next day we started our 3 day hike with the luxury of a wheelchair access platform. This didn’t last long, however,as we quickly found ourselves speed marching past various day walkers due to the fast pace set by some of our more athletic team members. After a scenic walk around a reservoir we reached the refuge five minutes before torrential rain and the third storm of the trip.
The second day of our hike was more difficult as we had to climb over huge precarious rocks and avoid areas of marshland. Then we slowly made our way up the steep winding hill, with various breaks, with Mr Lutley’s cheap Asda dried fruit. The second half of the day was more relaxing as it was mostly downhill, although some of us braved the ice cold depths of a mountain lake. When we arrived at the last refuge it was shrouded with thick fog on top of the mountain. But in the morning we woke up to a glorious summers day, with clear blue skies, and a beautiful clear lake, with a mirror illusion.
On the last day of the walk, moral was high as we set off up the rocks, slowly followed by one of our team who had slightly shorter legs than the rest of us and had difficulty getting over the massive steps. At lunch we reached a reservoir, where we could swim and soak up the sun, but we got attacked by a swarm of ants so quickly went on our way.
The last day of our fun full filled trip we went gorge walking with a local guide, where we abseiled down the treacherous gorge, and went down natural waterslides. We then went back to the campsite and got ready for our evening meal at the tapas bar. Unfortunately we weren’t able to try octopus as they had run out but the large portions and variety of dishes made it one of the best meals of the trip. We finished of the trip with a night under the stars before setting off on our long journey home.
