Geographers Hit the Heights in the Alps

Our GCSE Geographers “had the most fantastic time and enjoyed every minute” of their trip to the French Alps this summer holiday. 

Led by four staff from the Geography Department, 39 pupils arrived in resort mid-morning on July 17th, after a remarkably smooth journey overnight. A splendid lunch courtesy of our hosts, Lisa and Thierry, set us up for an exciting afternoon exploring the formation of the Alps.  

The next day was based in Chamonix. Lessons on glaciation at 2,525m, with Mt Blanc as a backdrop, were followed by an incredible walk inside the Mer de Glace, France’s longest glacier. The impacts of climate change were clear to see and were also felt when we had to descend the 600+ steps to reach the ice caves: a further 110 since 2018!

After a brief mountain thunderstorm, which proved to be an effective alarm clock the next morning, the clouds parted, and we were once again treated to a beautiful day with clear skies. On our way to visit the Bionnassay Glacier via the Mont Blanc Tramway, it was exciting to see the media circus, team ’buses and large crowds gathering for Stage 17 of the Tour de France. A lesson on physical processes and a short mountain walk in high temperatures were followed by a welcome swim in Lake Passy in the afternoon, providing a perfect way to cool off before another fabulous dinner.

A return visit to Chamonix the next morning gave us the opportunity to find another stunning outdoor classroom at 2,400m, with a spectacular backdrop of Mont Blanc and the Mer de Glace. An exciting chairlift ride took us to the snow line, where we had lunch before descending back to Chamonix for an exploration of this vibrant town. We concluded the day’s fieldwork with another swim in Lake Passy before returning to base for a final game of “car–park-cricket”. 

An energetic walk through a gorge in St Gervais on the final morning gave everyone some welcome exercise before the journey home. Our thanks go to our Astons drivers for some outstanding driving and excellent company throughout. This was certainly a trip to remember, not just for the amazing geography, but also for the good fun that was clearly enjoyed by all.

Simon Cuthbertson – Head of Geography