Senior > Activities > Poland 2003

This was the school's first experience of a First Challenge expedition. After 9 months of serious fundraising 8 pupils from Years 9 and 10, accompanied by Mrs Rodford and a World Challenge leader departed from Heathrow on 17th july for 2 weeks in Poland.

The first week was spent trekking in the Tatra mountains under the watchful eye of our local guide, "Tad". We travelled by local bus from Krakow to Zakopane on the edge of the Tatra National Park and then embarked on a series of treks. Fortunately we did not have to camp but were able to stay in hostels of varying degrees of discomfort! Each day there was a challenging walk and climb - 1909m to the summit of Mount Giewont in the mist and drizzle on Day 1, an 11 hour trek involving a climb to 2113m in 32 degrees C on Day 3 (with full rucksacks) to mention 2 memorable days. The phase ended with a climb to 2172m where most of the group made an extra effort to reach the summit and stand with feet astride the Polish/Slovakia border. Everywhere we went the views were spectacular and we were very fortunate with the weather.

After returning to Zakopane the group was transported by minibus to The Mountain Haven Centre where our task was to build a garden swing and tidy the grounds. The Centre is owned by the British charity Children in Crisis and provides respite care for children recovering/suffering from cancer. Throughout the year groups of children come to the Centre for a 2 week holiday from the industrial areas of northern Poland.

Our first task was to strip the bark from about a dozen felled tree trunks which would form A frames for the swing and then we began digging the holes to sink the frames into. It sounded straightforward but we soon discovered how rocky the ground was under the top soil. Dynamite would have been useful but we persevered with a couple of small shovels and a pick-axe. Eventually, on day 2 we managed to achieve the required depth - mainly by scooping the soil out by hand!! A second set of holes was then excavated for an extra tyre swing - gluttons for punishment!

Once the A frames were erected the site carpenter bolted everything in place and attached the swing he had made. The tyre swing was completed and the group turned it's attention to replacing some of the wooden toys in the play area and painting the rest. The stream through the site was cleared of rubbish, the sandpit weeded and the adventure playground cleared. Hard work in the heat but after each busy day we enjoyed a dip in the outdoor pool.

In 4 days at the Centre we completed all the jobs on the director's wish list - far more than expected, so everyone was delighted. To round off our visit the Polish teenagers entertained us with their own version of Stars in their Eyes and held a disco. Although there were not many opportunities to interact with the Polish children they were eager to practise their English ( which was much superior to our Polish!) and compare tastes in music and mobile phones!

Our final day in Poland was spent visiting Auschwitz - the famous extermination camp of the 2nd World War. Everyone was rather anxious about this but the imagery was not as shocking as expected. The scale of the Birkenau site is unimaginable, even for those who have seen films and documentaries about the Holocaust. The group travelled back to Krakow for an evening in the city before departing the next morning for the flight back to London.

The expedition was an amazing experience for every participant and well worth all the effort.