Day 1 We began our journey by walking to the pick-up point with all my kit, I was really looking forward to the Pyrenees and the challenges that lay ahead. The aim of our expedition was to experience Adventure Training in a foreign country and walk the famous Hospice De France Route . After a 1 hour flight delay we finally boarded the plane and set off for Toulouse. The plane ride was mostly uneventful, in arrivals we met up with our hosts for the week. Moods were high as we travelled to our mountain lodge, this was mainly due to the jokes and banter we had whilst traveling, one of the jokes being that we were lost as we kept seeing the signs for “Reppel”, which is slow in French. The mountain lodge was really picturesque, set in a small valley, with small two man rooms.
Day 2 We got up and ready for breakfast at 8:30, and were on the road very soon after, after a short ride we were at the rafting place. Once a small briefing had taken place we grab our gear, which included a long wetsuit, wetsuit top, life jacket and helmet. After another short ride we came to the river La Garrett, we unloaded the boats and set off down the river. They taught us how to paddle forwards and backwards, how to move around the boat, and some movements when the commands “Bonsai” and “Basuki” were called, these commands meant we would stay inside the boat in case we crashed into a rock, or going down rapids. After a spot of lunch we went out canoeing, everybody has inflatable canoes called “ducks” except me and James, who had an inflatable two man canoe. This meant we could paddle faster and not fall out so much. Both activities were extremely fun and exciting.
Day 3 Breakfast was at 5:45 so it was a very sleepy start, but once we had eaten we jumped in our mini-bus and drove towards where we would be cannoning. This was about a two hour journey, so most of us caught up on the sleep we missed with the early start. In the car park we kitted up in wetsuits and tops, helmets and giant plastic nappies, this made everyone look very strange, but it was needed to protect the suits. It was a quick 20 minute walk to the canyon, before we could jump in. The cannoning we did in the Pyrenees was really different to the cannoning I did before, this included many more slides, and a lot more swimming. Before lunch we did 2 or 3 big jumps, and after many more. We also got to swim into a cave and go under the boulders to end up in a waterfall, this was quite terrifying as you were completely underwater and couldn’t see where you were going.
Day 4 Woke up at 7:15 for breakfast, annoyingly it was raining which meant we couldn’t go rock climbing. After talking about what we should do, we decided to go on a walk up to a waterfall and go in to the town in the afternoon. The hike took about three hours up the side of a mountain path, there was beautiful sights as we climbed and because the weather was slight off, it meant it wasn’t too hot. We climbing the same height as Ben Nevis, but were all grateful for the easier day. In the afternoon we went into town, had a look around, bought presents and ate some crępes.
Day 5 After an early breakfast we started on a long hike up the mountain. We got dropped off in a small French valley and told we would be hiking up one of the biggest mountains. This included rocky paths, steeps slopes and views to behold, at the very top of the mountain, we stopped for lunch and drinks. Once we had all finished we crossed into Spain and hiked the rest of the way to the refuge. At the refuge we settled in and had dinner.
Day 6 We hiked back our vehicles, via a different route, this included yet more spectacular views, and more mountains. Personally the journey back was more breath-taking then the journey there, as on top of the mountain you could see a huge lake. After returning to the lodge we went swimming in a local pool to cool off.
Day 7 We returned to the UK today and I said good bye to my new closest friends. The overall experience was so worthwhile and I would recommend this to anyone who is up for a challenge in a foreign country. As a team we would like to thank the Ulysses Trust and the Berlin Infantry Brigade Military Trust Fund (BIBMTF) for their support in making this incredible adventure possible.
