Pupils Planning Expedition to Northern Patagonia
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
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Ellesmere College, in conjunction with the Mountain Training School, is planning a two week expedition to the ice caps of Northern Patagonia, Chile. The challenge is to cope with a four day trek across remote mountain terrain after camping out to receive three days of instruction in ice climbing and survival in an environment surrounded by snow and ice. The students will be involved in all aspects of the expedition, including the planning both at home and in Patagonia. They will team up with a local school, where they will have the opportunity to take part in rock climbing activities and experience the thrill of white water rafting in a mountain river. They will also be given time to socialise with the Chilean students, learning about differences in culture. This project will enable students to compare data about; temperature, humidity and rainfall from Patagonia with our own data gathered by the Ellesmere College weather station. We would also like to raise enough money to provide the local school in Patagonia with their very own digital weather station. Tom Gareh, Head of Chemistry said, "Together with measurements of how quickly the ice caps are receding in Patagonia, the Science and Geography departments will have a resource that will bring the real changes in environment to our students, while at the same time enhancing our position as an institution that has an international outlook". If you feel you could contribute in any way to this or future expeditions, either by donating money towards the purchase of a digital weather station, sponsoring a particular item of kit, or offering other opportunities to enhance the experience, please contact us.