International Award Silver Award Expedition to the Vercors 26th-30th January 2009
Fourteen members of the Anglophone Section, (accompanied by two staff members :Julie Mortimer and Rob Miller) successfully completed their silver award expedition on the High Plateau of the Vercors.
Having travelled by train to Die, the group finished their journey to Archiane by bus and on foot. There, they met their two colourful and experienced mountain guides: Kader and Vincent. The following day the group set off, on snow-shoes, up the Valley of the Combau, battling against hard winds and blizzards to arrive eventually at the Bergerie below the summit of the Grand Vermont. The small, primitive, one-roomed Bergerie provided their base and shelter from the winds and cold for two nights. During the days, the group members developed their navigation skills whilst braving thick fog and freezing weather.
On the final day the weather broke and the skies cleared revealing a beautiful expanse of snow covered landscape. The groups scaled La Croix du Lautaret before returning under a star-lit sky to Archiane.
All the members pitted themselves against the physical challenges of freezing weather, heavy snow cover, steep terrain and no sanitation (toilets or showers) and still remained smiling. They were all a great credit to themselves and were very much appreciated by their guides and teachers.
