An adventure in the Alps

The hills were alive ... with the sound of water. This was actually experienced by the 8th Swieqi Guides, when they were on their Adventure Camp in the village of Villeneuve, in Northern Italy.

The campsite is situated in the heart of the Aosta Valley, surrounded by the splendour of the Gran Paradiso National Park and dominated by the Mont Blanc range. Wherever we travelled for our activities there was always the sound of water cascading from the mountains and forming waterfalls which ended in the Dora Baltea river.

For this adventure we were joined by a group of Scouts from St Aloysius College, Birkirkara, and together we experienced challenging activities, such as canoeing, climbing and absailing, hill walking and trekking, high ropes - where high among the trees, but safe in a harness we had the chance to test our skills by completing a challenging course.

The Gorge Scramble was another favourite activity, where, kitted out in wet suits, helmets and buoyancy aids, we trekked up the river and experienced waterfalls and freezing plunge pools. But the highlight of our activities was the exhilarating white water rafting on the Dora Baltea. The raft holds 10 people plus an instructor and the thrills of tackling the rapids is unforgettable.

We went by coach through the Mont Blanc tunnel along the chain of the French Alps. Chamonix lies in the shadow of the majestic Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. The scenery is spectacular. At Chamonix we took the train up the mountain, then got a cable car which took us doun to the ice caves, a truly memorable experience.

This adventure trip gave us the opportunity to find ourselves in a wonderful environment. The combination of living together and taking part in testing activities gave us a sense of achievement and culminated in an experience for life.