This September 35 students embarked on what was to be the biggest challenge of many of their lives so far – a six day expedition in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Silver and Practice Gold level Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal at the beginning of September; from there they journeyed to Pokhara where they began their expedition, a shortened version of the Annapurna Circuit summiting Poon Hill at 3,200 metres. Despite monsoon weather, thousands of stone steps and not to mention the students’ favourite wildlife: the local leeches! The groups were more than rewarded with spectacular and breathtaking views of the Himalayas on reaching their highest altitude. After successfully completing the trek, R & R was in order and students white water rafted before rounding off the trip with a cultural pit stop in Durbar Square to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the Nepali capital. Accompanying staff, leaders and students alike are extremely proud of their achievements – congratulations to all who took part!