This is such an amazing school trip the secondary school I went to, Peter-Wust-Gymnasium Merzig, runs every year. It’s a whole week paddling and climbing in the south of France, and it’s one of my favourite things to guide. The teachers who lead it treat the students like mature people, so they behave like that most of the time, and the whole trip ends up being super relaxed and fun and everybody ends up learning loads. I love having the time to not only guide people down a river, but actually do a couple of technique/ skills sessions on the river Baume right next to the campsite and teach some paddling basics. The amount of development I see with a lot of the students is truly impressive, and overall, this is a very rewarding trip.
I’ve paddled with Steffen since I was fourteen.
We focus on chosing and/or creating a learning environment where it’s safe to fail rather than trying to prevent failure, and it works wonders!
How awesome is ths water?!
Students after their first proper river trip. Smiles all around.
The playground!
Our accommodation
The students’ accommodation
Getting work done in Steffen’s and Petra’s mobile home on the way home
unloading stuff
dirty socks compulsory
boat inspection