Volcano Completed!

Message from Dr. Fraser:

Volcano Completed by all. Back at base camp having one hour rest before going to campsite.

Message received at 15:48 BST (About noon in Mexico) on 29th June 2010

Mr. H

Hey Erin and Co,

finally got to see your blog page and see what you have all been up to. I am glad you are all getting on okay and that you all seem to be having fun. I hope that all that climbing Ben Rinnes has helped you all.

I never knew teenagers ate vegetables! I thought that was just a myth! I'm just wondering whose doing the washing up!

So good luck with the rest of the challenge and I look forward to more photos and tales.

 

Take care

 

Karen (erin's aunt)

 

Hola de Cuetzalan

Hi folks,

It´s been a while since the last update - but we´re all here in Cuetzalan - an amazingly picturesque town perched on the edge of a steep mountain. The town is full of very friendly people, good food and has an amazing launderette!!! Which is just as well as we´ve spent the last few days trekking in the jungle and have gotten amazingly sweaty and muddy!!


Our trek took us from the town (imediately after a massive thunderstorm) down a steep track of slippery stones a couple of miles to our "campsite" - a "flat" piece of ground hacked out from the jungle with machetes. We set up camp and Ewan and Tom built a fire then cooked us a tea of rice and stewed vegetables (we have to eat veggie on the treks as meat would go off). We then fought off the mosquitos and went to sleep for the night - a very sticky experience in the humidity.


The next morning we have to climb up the hill we´d climbed/slipped down the night before - a tough challenge but we all made it - although some were more sweaty than others. We then trek to these amazing waterfalls.







At the bottom of the second waterfall we could all swim in the pool and we all a much needed wash!! Thank goodness for biodegradable soap!! Our next campsite was on a football pitch in a village on the banks of river. The thunder storms started again with the most amazing forked lighting and we all got soaked again!! Dinner of pasta and more stewed veg was cooked under a bridge as it was the only dry place.


Yesterday we trekked back to town for much deserved bed in a local hostel and some delicious food. Today we´re off to Puebla and on Saturday we start our biggest challenge of the trek - climbing the 4600 m La Malinche Volcano (we passed it on the bus - it looks big!!!).


All challengers are well (a wee bit of sunburn and a couple of mossie bites, but that´s all) and looking forward to the challenge!!


Hasta luego!

Teotihuacan

We visited Teotihuacan today. This involved tackling the Mexico City Metro during rush hour - interesting as you only get about 10 seconds to get on or off the train. We then caught our first bus to Teotihuacan - an ancient ruined city from 100 AD. The first challenge was to scale the Temple of the Sun - 248 large steps in the roasting sun.


As you can see we all managed and the view was spectacular. We are all standing on the spot where they carried out human sacrifices to the Sun.



We then climbed the Temple of the Moon and then explored to rest of the site before returning to the city for dinner.


After dinner it started raining...and we all got very very very wet getting back to the hostel. When it rains here it really rains!

Tomorrow we are off to Cuetzalan for the first of our treks. We're going to miss the Mexico match tomorrow (which is on at 8.30 am) but we're all hoping Mexico will get to the Quarter finals or better because it would amazing to watch the football here!!!

There will probably not be an update now for a few days.

Hasta luego!

Hola from Mexico

We have all arrived safe and well...if a little exhausted after our 26 hour journey. The hostel is great and the location superb. After a good nights rest we have been exploring Mexico City - and have so far visited the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the Templo Mayor. Tomorrow we go to Teotihuacan.

We've all had our first taste of Mexican food - enchilades verde and enchiladas mole (chicken in a chocolate sauce).

More photos to follow....

Hasta luego!

Photos (top to bottom): Waiting to change money with all the bags in mexico city airport. The gang in the Presidental palace. A carving from the Templo Mayor. The gang on the roof of the cathedral admiring the view.

Before Photo

For anyone who didn’t have a camera this morning, here’s a photo of the kids before they left for Mexico.

Brenda

Saturday 19th June 2010 3.50 am

18 months of planning and here we all are....up at stupid o'clock trying to eat breakfast and nervously packing the last few items into our bags before heading to Edinburgh for the first of two flights today. We arrive at our hostel in Mexico city at 5 AM UK time tomorrow morning!!!

So the next post you get will be from Mexico!! See you on the other side!!

Good luck everyone!!!

Katy

£100 note

Hi everyone

As you all know we have been selling £100 note sheets for months now.  We managed to sell almost all the sheets – only 93 spaces left. 

I opened the envelope at the buffet meeting tonight and the winning number was 174 – Freda Strathdee (one of the Directors of Strathdee Properties).

After the meeting tonight I went up to see Freda to give her the £100 note she had won.  However, she very kindly donated it back to us – isn’t that great.  She told us to get something nice to ourselves with it.

So what do you want me to do with it?  Will I get my mum to pay it into our Clydesdale Bank Account - there is still some money left in there, so we could get it when we come back?  Or will I take it in the morning and it can pay for our breakfast in Edinburgh? 

I will take it along in the morning and you can tell me what you want to do with it then.

Ewan

Our first three nights...

Hola otra vez,

Our first three nights will be in the Mexico City Hostel (www.mexicocityhostel.com). It looks lovely. I think the boys will be in a dorm together, the girls with be in a big dorm together and Tom and I have separate private rooms.

Check it out at the link above!!

See you tomorrow at 1 pm (clutching bags, passport photos and any remaining copies of passports).

24 hours to go!!! EEEkkkkkk!!!

Dr F.

PS. Thanks Mum and Dad for posting that lovely message!!

Good Luck to you all!

Hola Speyside High Aztec Challenge Team

It seemed a long way off when Katy(Dr Fraser) first mentioned wanting to take some pupils on a World Challenge. We cannot believe it has finally arrived. We, her Mum and Dad, would like to wish you all a very happy and memorable experience in Mexico. We will be following your travels every day- wishing we were with you. You will never forget this time together. Please have fun, be safe and look after each other.

Good Luck to you all

from Maggie and Keith Fraser

Build-up day update

Hola,

Tom will arrive at 1 pm on Friday. So could you be at the school with all your kit on Friday at 1 pm - we're meeting in Room 29 (Mrs Barnett's Chemistry room) - but if anyone wants to the store their bags in my room until lunchtime just bring it along at registration.

Hasta viernes!!

Well done challengers and good luck

What a fantastic result by all challengers, it has been a huge effort over the last 18 months or so but I think the biggest challenge to date was fitting everything in to Gillian's bag this evening and no doubt Tom will remove even more before the off….

I hope you all enjoy the experience and have a great time…best of luck from the Lambie family…

In the press again!

One week to go...final preparations

Hola,

Solo, seite dias mas!!

Well...can you believe we are only 7 days away from Mexico? I can't!

Thank you to everyone who helped out with checking all the kit last week. Everything is there and all zips, poles and pegs are intact - so nobody should be getting wet toes in Mexico in their tent.

Hopefully everyone has started their anti-malarials (they taste disgusting don't they?) and I hope no one had any ill effects.

Things to do this week:

1. Hand in any paperwork you still need to give me (or get a younger sister to bring it in - hint!)

2. Make sure you have 4 passport-sized photos (they don't need to be the same as your passport).

3. Pack you bag - as tightly as you can - remembering you need to have extra space to carry team kit - tent, trangias etc. Don't take anything extra that isn't on the kit list!! If you need extra pants, socks or t-shirts when we are there we can buy them in Mexico. Take small bottles of soap, shampoo etc. Again we can buy more in Mexico (they will have many of our brands there). Don't pack your hiking boots - you will wear them on the plane...also you can wear (or carry on) a bulky fleece if you're tight on space. When Tom is here on Friday he will repack you bag and check your kit!!

Just make sure you don't pack your cat!!! This is Leo, one of my cats who crawled into my bag and went to sleep....bless!

4. Get your personal spending dollars. Shop around for the "best rate" - although the dollar exchange rate is pretty poor at the moment. On Friday I will give you three coloured envelopes in zip-lock bags - one envelope for personal money, one for team money, and one for World Challenge money.

5. FRIDAY - BUILD UP DAY: Tom will arrive at lunchtime ( exact time TBC). We will be meeting in Mrs Barnett's room (Rm. 29) for the afternoon. He will go over last minute training, repack your bags etc. Your bags will be stored in the mini-bus overnight (I think).

6. BUFFET: I then have the Community Lounge booked from 4 pm to about 6.30pm (another group need it at 7pm) for our buffet. If its nice weather we can spread out onto the grass. So could everyone have a think about what they would like to bring e.g. nachos, salsa, guacamole, sausage rolls, crisps, juice etc. No alcohol please.

7. SATURDAY MORNING: Tom is going to make his own way to Edinburgh - as Friday night is his only night to visit his family in Stonehaven before heading off on two back-to-back trips. So the rest of us will meet at 5 AM at the school. We'll then load what we can into the bus and the back of Mr Harris's car for the trip to Edinburgh. There will be time to get breakfast at the airport - if you're like me and can't eat breakfast at 4 AM! Take about £5 to £10 with you for buying stuff at the airport.

On Friday night I will change this website for use as a blog - so all the information will come off the site and it will be updated by the challengers when we are in Mexico with photos and stories.

Anyone can post a message to the blog by emailing to the following address: katyfraser40.mexicochallenge@blogger.com . There are only about 12 days out of the whole trip where we won't have access to the internet and phones - the first three nights for example we're staying in a hostel in Mexico city with its own internet access - so Mum's and Dad's should expect updates reasonably regularly - so there is really no need to sneak your phone with you (you're not allowed one anyway).

Hasta Viernes!!

Kit arriving!!

Hi all,

The tents and other kit is arriving tomorrow (Wednesday) lunchtime. Could we get a group together to pitch the tents on Thursday (to check all the stuff is there and intact and working) - either through the day or after school. I have a meeting in Elgin all afternoon, but you could get on with it with out me - until I returned to the school between 4.00 and 4,30.

Let me know what you think.

Dr F.

Ben Rinnes

Hi everyone,

It was great to see Gillian and Stuart at the summit of Ben Rinnes this afternoon!! Well done guys. Sorry we couldn't stay around to see Emma and Bex get to the top.

On a happy note, the tents and other kit arrives on the 9th June - Stu is delivering it. I don't know exactly what time, but I'll let you know if we'll be test pitching on the 9th or the 10th!

Good luck with you climbs. Hopefully see you all on Monday!

Dr F.

PS: Below is a picture of Gillian reaching the top, and Stuart and Gillian waiting for the others!

Lagunas trek cancelled!!!

Hi folks,

Just to confirm that the Lagunas acclimatisation trek has been cancelled due to security concerns. So we are diverting to Cuetzalan instead. The trek information on the World Challenge website is for a 5 day version of the trek - but what we have to do is meet with Augustin the guide when we get there and set up a 3 day version. It looks like a very interesting area. The main difference between this and the last trek is that we will have to carry our full kit, rather than day sacks!! It is still at altitude - so good training for the volcano.

Could the remaining few people - Amy, Bex and James please bring in their Moray Council forms, and let me know their passport details. You can post them to the school if you are not planning to come in.

Many thanks.

Dr F.

Click for TREK DETAILS

Click for NEW ITINERARY

Expedition Preparation Conference

Hi everyone,

I spent yesterday down in Edinburgh at the World Challenge Expedition Preparation conference getting further training for our trip. I got to meet Ali - who planned our itinerary - and talked to other School and Expedition Leaders about being expedition.

Discussions with Ali - our trip planner - showed just how exciting our itinerary is. She had loads of photos and things to tell me. Here they are in no particular order:

• The Lagunas trek: (our acclimisation trek) might not be going ahead due to security concerns in the area - with buses being stopped by bandits in the area and the passengers being robbed. So Ali is looking at the Cuetzalan trip as a back up option. This trek is actually more convenient in terms of travelling time, but possibly a more challenging warm up trek as we would have to carry full kit, rather than day treks from a fixed campsite. Along the way though there are loads of waterfalls and ruins. It is still at altitude, so still a good training hike. Ali will let us know ASAP about which one we are going on.
• Accomodation: We will be staying in loads of hostels along the way and only camping on - Acclimatisation trek, La Malinche, Sierra Norte and Project. She particulary recommended a place in Palenque were you can hire hammocks on verandas to sleep on in the jungle area (mossie nets a must here!).
• R&R: She also suggested places to visit for fun and R&R - e.g. Africam Safari park, Puebla (a full scale african safari in Mexico) www.africamsafari.com.mx/ , Sumidero Canyon - boat trip up a spectacular canyon near Oaxaca where you can see alligators www.mexperience.com/guide/outdoors/canyon_sumidero.htm
• Food: Ali also said that it is cheaper to eat out in Mexico rather than cook. There is a high standard of hygiene in street vendors etc, so it should be relatively safe. So apart from our treks and project phase it will be street food and local restaurants - I don't mean MacDonalds and Pizza Hut, but local taco and tortilla places!!! Apparently the hot chocolate in Oaxaca is to die for!!!
• Our project: It will be the summer holidays at the school we are going on - but they kids will still be around in the village. The confusion about the details of our project are due to the fact that the local authorities were concerned about the approaching rainy season and have started the waterproofing project early. But there will be loads to do - painting, a mural perhaps, starting a vegetable garden, any thing we want really. The best plan is that we arrive on site, check out what needs to be done then send a team back to Oaxaca to buy the necessary supplies. Until we know what we're doing there is no point in buying stuff here!

Other stuff:

Medical kit: There is an awesome medical kit coming with us - with medicine for just about anything, so don't take any over the counter medicines with you. Bring only your own prescription medications.

Girly stuff: Many of the girls are intending taking the Pill to stop their periods on expedition. This is fine, but it only works if you have been on it for months before hand and also be aware if you get traveller's diarrhoea the pill may stop working and you may still get your period. So bring some supplies just in case. If you have any questions, just let me know.

That's all I can think of just now...

Hope the exams are going well.

Dr F.

Survived the training exped - bring on Mexico!!

This weekend has been a fantastic experience - which I think has gone a long way to preparing us for the Mexico expedition. It has certainly been an eye-opener for me, (1) I never knew there was a special way to pack a bag, (2) that hiking with a full pack in the pouring rain could be so much fun, (3) how difficult it is to cook in a gale force wind, (4) how repulsive Quaker Oats are when made with water, (5) how Ashleigh can still keep smiling even when her feet were bleeding with blisters, (6) how you all resisted the temptation to drop me during the "casualty stretchering practice" and (7) how infuriating the "I got on the train at Mornington Crescent" game could be!

But, mostly it confirmed what a wonderful bunch of kids are coming to Mexico and how successful they can be when they work together as a team. I'm now even more excited than ever about the prospect of spending 4 challenging weeks together - and if its as much fun as this weekend has been - we're all going to have an adventure to remember!!!

Photos from top to bottom (1) The group after brunch on the Sunday, (2) Amy cooking tea on Saturday, (3) Our kit out for inspection on our return, (4) Amy putting on a much needed brew on Friday night, (5) The team trudging through the mud and rain to our site, (6) Stopping for rest during the hike, (7) Erin and Ashleigh put a brave face on it, (8) the group in high spirits as we set of on our hike, (9) Our campsite - before things started getting blown away in the gale force winds.

Falkirk Wheel Abseil

Well done to everyone who conquered their fears and did the 112 ft abseil off the Falkirk Wheel. It was a great challenge, which I think everyone enjoyed. Hope you enjoy the video...sorry we didn't get everyone!