A Level Geography Students Conduct Fieldwork In The Ski Capital Of Europe

Staying at La Belle Etoile, a ski chalet in the small village of Le Bettex at 1400m above sea level, students were well looked after with traditional mountain food, a terrace classroom with spectacular panoramic views and the ability to go fell running in the early morning. However, most importantly they were within direct access of some of the most stunning Alpine scenery to conduct fieldwork in, from the summer Alpine trails and meadows to the outwash plain of the majestic Bossons Glacier.

Chamonix town centre provided an insight into mass tourism and a short excursion from here, along the Montenvers rack and pinion railway, students were not only able to view the Mer de Glace, France’s largest glacier, from above, but could walk down into the specially created ice caves and get a feel (or in some cases, a taste!) of glacial ice. The markers on the 30 minute descent showing where the ice came up to in recent years and decades provided a stark reminder of our changing climate.