Geographers Scale New Heights in the Alps

Thirty-three Upper Remove Geography pupils travelled to the French Alps for an unforgettable trip designed to bring their GCSE studies to life. With a particular focus on glaciation, natural hazards and climate change, the seven-day tour combined spectacular mountain scenery with hands-on fieldwork and memorable experiences.

The group’s first introduction to the Alpine landscape came at Mont d’Arbois, reached by cable car to 1,833 metres. Excellent weather gave pupils clear views across the mountains and set the scene for a week of geographical discovery.

In Chamonix, pupils travelled by cable car to 2,525 metres, where views towards the summit of Mont Blanc provided a dramatic backdrop for a lesson on glaciation. A journey on the historic Montenvers Railway then took them to the Mer de Glace, where they saw first-hand the visible effects of climate change and explored caves deep within the glacier.

The group enjoyed breath taking views during the ascent of the Aiguille du Midi, 3,842 metres above sea level. With cloudless skies and temperatures around 25 degrees cooler than in the valley, pupils studied the Mont Blanc Massif and the Bossons Glacier. They also completed fieldwork in Chamonix, applying their classroom knowledge in a striking real-world setting.

The learning continued at L’Index, where a chairlift carried the group high above the Chamonix Valley for panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the Mer de Glace. Here, pupils examined the processes that shape Alpine landscapes and considered how mountain communities are adapting to a changing climate.

On the final day, the iconic Tram du Mont Blanc took the group from Saint-Gervais to Nid d’Aigle at 2,362 metres. A mountain walk offered a final opportunity to admire the Bionnassay Glacier before the journey home. Alongside the geography, pupils enjoyed swimming and volleyball at Lac de Passy, a luge ride, exploring Chamonix and lively games of car park cricket.

Throughout the trip, pupils approached every activity with enthusiasm and curiosity, as well as exemplary behaviour. Thank you to all the pupils who took part as well as hosts Lisa and Thierry, the accompanying staff and the Astons Coaches drivers for helping to make the visit such a success.

The pupils returned to Worcester with a deeper understanding of the geography of the Alps and many lasting memories.

Following the trip, parents shared how much their children had enjoyed the experience.

“[Pupil] had a wonderful time, learnt a huge amount but (perhaps more importantly!) made some wonderful memories along the way.”

“[Pupil] has had a wonderful time and has been really inspired; each evening he would send us a little message telling us about the altitude they had been too, what they had done, how brilliant it all had been, accompanied by lots of stunning photos of the mountains, glaciers etc.”

“Thank you for the email update each night; we were really impressed by this, it was really reassuring, and it was great to know what you had done each day.”

“[Pupil] has had the best time and…has talked non-stop about what an amazing experience the whole trip was. He was absolutely wowed by the scenery! In particular he has talked about Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi and the Luge ride! What a wonderful experience to have at 15 years and to be so busy outside, just using your phone for photos, which he took plenty.”