The group of 10 Level 3 Outdoor Education students, from
Northumberland College's Kirkley Hall Campus near Ponteland, have
organised the trip themselves as part of their course where they
have to plan, prepare and carry out an expedition as independently
as possible.
The expedition team, which also includes two Outdoor Education
tutors from the college, will climb the 4167 metres to the summit
of Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco over a five day
period.
They will fly to Marrakech on Saturday 7 June and then on to
Imlil in the Atlas Mountains, where they will base themselves and
start the acclimatisation process through a range of day
treks. These will involve trekking through remote valleys and over
high altitude passes.
The team will then set out on their ascent of Mount Toubkal,
which will be completed over 2 to 3 days. The planned summit day is
14June when the team will strike out from their 3000 metre camp at
5am.
Carl Halliday, one of the tutors accompanying the students on
the trip has overseen the students 'preparations, planning and
overall logistics and will take the role of observer, assessor and
safety officer on the expedition itself.
Carl, from Alnwick, said: "The main aim of this expedition is to
reach the summit of Mount Toubkal, but the students will also gain
valuable experience and develop a range of skills through the
process of planning, preparation and then carrying out the
expedition, which they will be able to take with them into their
future careers in the outdoor industry.
"It is going to be a real adventure for the students and an
experience that will open their eyes and minds to different
cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. It is an amazing region and the
people who live there are some of the friendliest and most
welcoming that I have met on my travels, even though it is a tough
and challenging life for many families in the region.
"I am therefore immensely pleased that the students made the
decision to donate some of their sponsor money to charity Education
for All."
The charity the students have chosen, Education for All,
provides the opportunity of a college education for girls from
rural Moroccan communities, who otherwise would not continue their
education beyond primary school due to the cost of education and
their remote location.
Students on the expedition team have organised various events to
help raise funds for the charity and the trip, including sponsored
walks and runs. They will also be maximising their fitness levels
in preparation including completing a number of big mountain
climbs.
Meredith Ashford, NCFE Business Development Officer for the
North East said: "We are incredibly impressed by the challenge that
the group has set themselves and are delighted to be supporting
such a worthwhile project, undertaken by these NCFE learners. We
can't wait to hear how they got on and hope they have the
opportunity to put into practice the skills they've gained from the
qualification."
Northumberland College run a number of outdoor education and
training courses at the Kirkley Hall Campus leading to careers in
outdoor activity leadership, in activities such as; rock climbing,
canoeing, kayaking, hill-walking, mountain biking, high ropes and
mountaineering.
On site at the campus is a 120m long zipwire and high ropes
course and students take part in various outdoor adventurous
activities around Northumberland on a weekly basis and have
residential trips outside of the county throughout the year.
For more information on Outdoor Education courses visit www.northumberland.ac.uk
Members of the public can donate to the charity Education for
All at http://www.justgiving.com/Northumberland-College
