ENCINITAS — Grauer School students recently returned from walking the holy Camino de Santiago, hiking lush mountains in North Vietnam, and watching snowfall in Yosemite National Park.
These awe-inspiring trips were part of the school’s Spring Expeditions under the Expeditionary Learning program, which takes students across the world for a hands-on lesson about other countries and cultures.
“This cycle of expeditions offered many opportunities for our students to ‘Learn by Discovery,’” said Dana Abplanalp-Diggs, M.Ed., Head of School for The Grauer School. “With each trip cycle, students continue to stretch themselves and learn how to step outside of their comfort zones. They learn how to navigate the open spaces, how to support each other and how the decisions they make impact the whole community. They grow in their understanding of themselves, our planet, its many people and the interconnectedness we all share.”
Camino de Santiago
During the “De Porte a Puerta: Where France Meets Spain” expedition, students joined pilgrims from around the world to walk part of the Camino de Santiago from Southern France to Northern Spain.
The expedition began in the Basque Country with visits to cathedrals, museums and historic landmarks. Students took in eye-catching architecture, climbed the tallest dune in Europe with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, and even participated in a hands-on Basque cooking class.
Their walk began at Porte Saint-Jacques, one of the iconic starting points of Camino de Santiago. Students were fully geared and ready to begin the 7.5-mile hike with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain that finished with crossing into Spain.
“When students were asked what they enjoyed and remembered most, their answer was immediate and unanimous: ‘The Camino,’” said Frida LeBreton-Greiner, an expedition lead and a French language and economics teacher at The Grauer School. “For more than 11 centuries, the Camino de Santiago route has drawn pilgrims across mountains and valleys, creating a timeless meeting place of cultures, ideas, faith and human connection. It’s a path where strangers become companions, where nature invites contemplation and where effort becomes reflection. In other words, a perfect classroom.”
Vietnam
On the “Vietnam: Echoes of the Past, Voices of the Present” expedition, students hiked through the breathtaking mountains of Northern Vietnam in the Sapa region. The trek took students up and around the mountains, across rivers and cascading waterfalls, along lush, overflowing rice terraces and through dense bamboo forests.
The group ended the hike at a traditional Hmong family homestay, where the hosts prepared a home-cooked meal for the students.
“Our students noted that this is truly one of the most stunning places they had ever been. One of the most memorable moments came while climbing the steep rice terraces, looking back to see the group pushing their limits as mist clung to the mountainsides. It was a powerful, transformational experience,” said Alicia Tembi, expedition leader and school principal. “Even on the toughest sections, the warmth and compassion of their companions, combined with the expert, caring leadership of their guides, turned every challenge for our students and chaperones into a lasting memory.”
Yosemite
The weather was expected to be cold and rainy during the Yosemite National Park expedition, but students were greeted with a fresh layer of snow over Yosemite Valley.
During the trip, students enjoyed nature and spectacular scenery on several hikes, like the trek up the Mist trail to Vernal Falls, which is the largest waterfall by volume in the park. The hardest hike of the week was nine miles long with 3,500 feet of elevation gain to Yosemite Point and the top of Yosemite Falls – the tallest waterfall in North America.
“The weather was perfect with ideal hiking temperatures around 50 to 55 degrees,” said Clayton Payne, expedition leader and mathematics and world religions teacher. “The students all supported each other both up and down the hike. They truly embodied positivity and perseverance while they completed these awesome hikes.”
To learn more about Expeditionary Learning at The Grauer School, visit www.grauerschool.com.
