// Trip Reports  

Report name	St Annes School - Pyrenees 2004
Date submitted	Jul-04

This was a good trip for a a group of pupils who many had not camped before, and all had not really any experience of mountain walking or long term camping. The trip was based at Camping Aneto, 4km from Benasque and this proved to be an excellent base, with supermarket, café and bar on site with a superb, swimming pool.

The trip was tailored to their needs, both in the planning stages; a multi day mountain expedition was tentatively planned, but hut to hut rather than backpacking. Also on going when some of the group struggled to acclimatise, the trip was modified there and then, which enabled them to build the Alderney Snowman which they rarely have chance to build in winter, never mind in mid July!We made several ascents of both high cols and peaks during the two week trip, though not all the group managed all of these, and spent a night in the Estos Hut which though a 5* mountain hut caused some consternation about the toilets.

We also had several rock climbing sessions on the excellent valley crags in near to the superb centre of Benasque. The trip was finished with a day and night in Barcelona which provided the highlight of the trip for only two of the group, so even though they all come from a small island, the mountains were the real attraction.

The flights into and out of Gerona proved simple and quick, but added an hour on to the transfer time.

A successful trip for a group to experience new horizons in the Pyrenees. How the trip ran was down to the teacher who organised it, Jim. Also a thanks to the support teacher Joy and Adventureworks Instructor Bev.

Ian Fenton, Expedition Leader