said science journalist and Italian TV celebrity Piero Angela in an interview a few years ago. “They seek gratification through an activity that is difficult, very tiring, and find no one to applaud them at the end”. Indeed, going to the mountains is an intense learning experience, so it is no wonder that it is one of the outdoor activities that we offer our students at UWC Adriatic. In October a group of students took advantage of this opportunity and signed up for a hike from Pierabech to Lake Bordaglia, reputedly one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in Friuli.
The excursion was about 17 kilometres long, with more than 900 metres of elevation gain: a challenge for some of our students who – as in the case of Arjin, from Turkey – was on her first mountain hike. “It was a beautiful excursion in nature. It put our stamina to the test and was ultimately very rewarding!” Some even dared to take a dip in the lake, like Lena, from the US, who not only enjoyed the “refreshing” experience, but also felt really grateful to be able to visit these beautiful natural Italian landscapes with her friends.
Reaching the top was a rewarding experience for all. An additional bonus consisted in arriving on the Italian-Austrian border and taking pictures with one foot in one state and one in the other, or even just drinking water from an Alpine spring.
