This summer fourteen Chelmer Valley High School students and two of their teachers took the trip of a lifetime. They travelled to India on a journey which was only made possible by two years of hard work and preparation on the part of the students. Their World Challenge trip to the Himalayan and Rajasthan regions of India had been meticulously planned and every penny funding the trip had been worked for by the students through weekend jobs and hosting fundraising events.

The first part of the trip was a twelve day trek from Kaza to Kafnu. With only two rest days throughout this period, the party endured incredible highs and lows. Daily treks of up to nine hours, living out of a tent and having no access to toilet facilities, mobile phones or internet took some getting used to, but there were few complaints from the group. The incredible mountain ranges which constantly framed their surroundings meant that all hardships were more than worth enduring. The majority of the trek was done under intense sunshine, but the highest point the team reached was at an altitude of 4890 metres and involved crossing a dangerously snowy pass.

Upon completion of the trek, the team headed down to Rajasthan for their project phase. The team were to work at a school in a village outside Jaipur. Initially mistrusted by some, they were soon welcomed into the community by one and all when the locals saw how hard the Chelmer Valley students were working. In the space of four days they dug a huge trench and laid foundations for a wall at the front of the school. Given the very basic tools available, they made a remarkable amount of progress in the time available. The local press even became aware of their presence and the team was visited by the local member of parliament, who was keen to find out their views on the standard of facilities at the Indian school and to hear how different life is for English school children.

Having been thrown a leaving party in their honour by the school students and the village community, the team then headed off for the final part of their expedition – the rest and relaxation, during which they visited Jaipur, saw Delhi, then travelled to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, which provided a suitably stunning conclusion to the trip.

It was a month that will live on in the memories of all of those who took part, as challenger Alex Wharfe said “It was the most incredible experience of my life so far, but I never want to see another curry for as long as I live!” The teaching staff, Mrs Ellen Endicott and Mr Michael Smart and World Challenge leader, Matt Reid, were left extremely proud of their team; as Mr Smart said “The students did the school proud – everywhere they went they earned people’s respect through their work ethic, cultural awareness and sense of fun.”