During July of this year a team of 17 students and four teachers undertook a month’s expedition to the Indian Himalayas. However, the sheer number of places we visited, people we met and new experiences make it hard to believe that it all took place in a month, let alone to convey it in a short article! We spent the first ten days or so travelling through the Himalayas, staying in the towns of Manali, Keylong and finally Leh. Much of this was spent on coaches speeding along winding mountain roads, and short ‘day treks’ to help us acclimatise to the altitude (between 3,500 and 5,000m). We then went on a ten-day trek in the mountains around Leh, with ponies to carry the heavier equipment. We were particularly fortunate to have our own cooks with us, who appeared to perform miracles with the food, somehow baking us pizza, and steaming vegetable dumplings half-way through the trek! In the latter part of the month we helped build a boundary wall at a local school in Jaipur, and then spent a couple of days visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, as well as visiting Delhi. Over the month many of us realised that there are simply some things you can’t learn about in books, but have to experience first-hand. It was this experience I am sure none of us will ever forget.

Tim Smith, Year 13
 

Below is a selection of pictures from the expedition. To see an image at full size please click on it, then follow the instructions to move to another image.