Ardeche - Days 1-4

Day 1 - After the long coach journey we arrived to Segries on Sunday morning full of energy and enthusiasm! We spent the morning training and learning some skills ready for our descent that afternoon. Once we had been fed and watered we were divided into ‘pods’ (groups) and made our way onto the river in our canoes. Our challenge for the afternoon was to complete 4k, for some this was plain sailing but for others it was more of a challenge; Mr McMillan and Mr Gill ended up in the water more often than not! Each pod went down the river 2 by 2 trying to avoid the inevitable capsize on a rapid. Some wonderful sights were seen: The stunning Pont D’Arc, beautiful gorges and some hidden beaches only accessible by canoe. By the time we had all returned to the accommodation everyone was exhausted but powered through the evening entertainment: The 50/50 Challenge, judged by the teachers, and Disco.

Day 2 – An early rise this morning for the group with breakfast at 8am. We set off for the river at 8:30am and started on the Ardeche where we left off. Rapids today included ‘The Black Widow’, ‘The Can Opener’ and the biggest rapid of the lot- ‘Les Mas’. We also had lots of other activities including a 6 meter rock jump and the highlight on the river so far ‘King of the Rock’. The day on the river finished with a 20 minute hike up a picturesque mountain trail where the coach picked us up - we were the fastest group up this season! We enjoyed some touch rugby and some pool time back at the centre and are now just heading off into the local town to watch the football – Come on England!!

Day 3 - Now that we were all professional ‘River Runners’ we started the day feeling confident and relaxed. We had a plethora of rapids to tackle and overcome but none of them proved too challenging to the group. When we stopped for lunch the students had another opportunity to jump off a high rock face and float down a rapid without a canoe - always a great deal of fun! In the evening we went on an excursion to Vallon to eat yet another ice-cream, or for some a cheeky slice of Pizza, and wander the pretty and picturesque streets. The students finished the evening with a dance at the Disco.

Day 4 - The day begun with panic packing and sweeping - this meant one thing - we were off to Mimosa! A quick breakfast was followed by a 3.5 hour coach trip, to break the trip up and to treat for the students we we stopped off at Aqualand; this was very well received! After a quick stop off at the Carrefore (much needed supplies for the return journey were purchased) we soon arrived at Mimosa. The evening once again contained entertainment where the students participated in ‘The Cube’ and the Mimosa Disco.