Brentwoodian 2019

13 new one - and of course they did! We would just walk a little closer to the summit the next day and have our short day one day later. Day five, whilst it may have been an easier way to the summit and a shorter day for us all, it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park. With incline after incline, we were relieved to make it to camp six and have the afternoon devoted to chilling, eating and playing cards with one another. With the group atmosphere full of nerves and excitement, we all settled down for an early night before a 3am wake up call. Finally, it was the day we had all been waiting for - summit day. With a hearty and filling breakfast in the dark, we set off. After a change in visibility, the day started off promising with us making great progress so early on. We took our first long break and watched the sunrise over the (Ava) ridgeline. However, when the going gets tough, the tough get going and we carried on up steep inclines and rocky terrain. With another few hours of walking the summit of M’Goun was now in sight and we were at the ridgeline. The temperature was beginning to drop and the winds began to pick up. With us now walking along the ridge of the mountains being hit by 70mph winds, perseverance and determination were desperately needed. Every step brought us closer to what we had all come here to do - and we did! All of our hard work and pain and aching had paid of and every single one of us summited 4,071m Mount M’Goun! With hugs and tears of relief and pride, we celebrated with pictures and lunch at the summit. With a storm brewing we now had to get down, but of course we did and we all made it back to camp safely. With everyone still on cloud nine from our achievements the day before, as a group we needed to make it back down. The next two days through the Happy Valley completed what had been such an adventure for us all. With the terrain and incline beginning to become much greener and downhill, we knew we weren't far from the bottom. With the surprise of a flowing waterfall to shower and wash in, a visit to an authentic Morrocan and North African market and the invitation from Abdel’s grandmother to have us at her house for bread and tea, the expedition ended on such a high for us all completing 170km of trekking across eight intense days. However, the trip wasn’t quite over yet, as we travelled back to Marrakech for one final evening. With our return to civilisation, the team couldn’t wait to get clean and refreshed and visit the mall for the classic cuisine of Burger King for lunch! The trip was concluded with a wonderful meal back at the terrace restaurant where it all began, embracing the culture one last time. All packed and ready to depart from Marrakech, we bid an emotional farewell to our amazing guides, who had become family over the last week and a bit. After a quick three-hour flight and short coach journey, we were back at Brentwood School for a reunion with our families. What an amazing and life-changing trip! With most of us coming back amazed at what we had done, it really proved to us what we were all capable of with perseverance and determination. Morocco you were a blast! By Ava Green