Year 10 Wilderness Alpine Expedition – Chevalier College
10th May 2021

Year 10 Wilderness Alpine Expedition

The 43 Year 10 wilderness students shared their first 5-day long expedition to the Snowy Mountains. The trip started with a 5-hour long bus ride straight into a 2km almost vertical hike into the Dead Horse Gap campsite for night one. From here over the next three days, the students summited Mt Kosciusko, Mt Twynam and Etheridge Ridge.

A truly testing few days saw many of the students show strength and resilience they did not know they had. The trip came to an end on night 4 with many of the students coming together in Whites River Hut where they got to enjoy a much needed wood fire and some hot chocolate. All students who took part on this expedition should hold their heads high knowing they have accomplished something truly remarkable.

Joshua Higson
Wilderness Studies Teacher

A truly freezing time… I can’t feel my toes.
Seeing the sunsets every evening was the highlight.

Alex H.

Five days stuck in the wilderness — a nightmare for most, but a dream for others. Specifically, 2021’s Year 10 wilderness class who had a ripper time up at Mount Kosciuszko. After a thrilling 5-hour bus trip they arrived, stranded in the national park on their own. Five gruelling days later, they were back on the bus for another 5 hours and a well-deserved rest.

Larry D.

It was fun but hard 👍  #strawhat

Dario B.

Five days turned out to be one of the most cracker experiences; never again will I take what we have as our backyard for granted, or the opportunity to endure an unforgettable five days that was a dream come true, to say the least. Mother nature – the most fascinating gift of all – left us all speechless and breathless. 360° views taken in, the best memories taken out and returned home. The ear-to-ear grins stuck through our burning legs and tender hips. This meant the Year 10 wilderness cohort has created some of the most memorable moments together that are still being talked about today. An elevation of 2,228 metres took us to the top of Australia – admiring the picturesque sunset that refilled our batteries and minds with confidence, grit and the spirit to not give up.

 

On behalf of myself and my fellow explorers, I’d like to thank Mr Higson, Mr Small and Mr Heard in allowing us to be a part of such a ripper expedition and subject. I’m still in awe of how the Land’s Edge staff managed to tolerate our wild personalities that were backbones for each other.

 

I will forever hold this experience close to my heart, although I will never be able to express how incredible it really was, or the gratitude for what is just beyond our doors.

Mackenzie S.

From a sunset on Kosciuszko to lunch on Blue Lake – this 4-night Wilderness trip will forever be one of the best experiences of my life. Dedication, diligence and persistence were some of the many attributes shown by all throughout this incredible trip. We had our ups and downs, but we overcame these challenges with strong minds. It’s crazy to think that the feeling of travelling to New Zealand, Japan and Africa was all achieved in our Aussie backyard.

 

As a cohort, we hiked 55km and 2,200 metres in elevation over the five days, as well we experienced bush bashing, snowball fights and even watched three brumbies gallop down the saddle. Words don’t do the trip any justice and we are so fortunate to be given this opportunity to explore our home.

 Annie W.

Through all the struggle, the long walks, freezing nights, horrible food and weight on our backs – it was all worth it for the indescribable views, the feeling of achievement and the knowing that we pushed ourselves to the limit.

Oliver K.

Wilderness ’21 Mt Kosciusko Expedition, 50k’s in 5 days. Climbing 3 of the tallest mountains in Australia, over 1km in elevation. Bush-bashing, frosty mornings, and a whole lot of dehydrated food. Overall a sensational experience packed with epic views.

George M.

On the 26th of April, 43 students started an adventure that they would never forget. We started our journey at Dead Horse Gap and we instantly started to bond, creating new friendships. Along the hikes the groups found new ways to keep the morale up that persevered up until the end. By the end of the trip, we were exhausted, hungry and tired but, most importantly, it made us appreciate the luxuries of fresh food, running water and a toilet.

Cyprian S.

Through all the challenges. Through the blood, sweat, tears and horrible food, we were able to complete our freezing cold hike to the top of Australia. It was an experience that challenged and changed every single one of us to the limit. The physical and mental challenge was extreme, with the cold nights and the heavy packs, combined with the extreme amounts of difficult walking every day. However, these challenges did not stop us – the Chevalier Year 10 wilderness group was not only able to keep striving for the duration of the hike, but we achieved it!

 

The feeling of accomplishment after getting on the bus for home was an indescribable emotion that many of us had not yet felt before. This is an experience that we will all remember forever. Thank you, Chevalier.

Tate G.