Despite challenges and getting stuck in heavy snow, Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School’s annual trip to the ATKV Drakensville was again a success story this year.
Heavy snowfall left the school’s principal, Dr Johlet Krause, and staff and learners stranded about 19km from ATKV Drakensville.
Unable to travel further, they had to spend the night on the busses, waiting for conditions to improve. Because of the poor weather, arrangements were made for the group to walk to The Border Post Backpacker Lodge.
ATKV Drakensville played a crucial role by co-ordinating the sheltering of learners and staff at the lodge and ensuring food and blankets were provided to everyone while stranded.
The Okhahlamba Local Municipality, Snow Report SA, the local community and farmers all lent a helping hand. A farmer even sent a helicopter to air-drop blankets, ensuring the group stayed warm in the freezing weather.
The snow stopped at about 14:00, and the roads were starting to get cleared, allowing the learners and teachers to resume their trip to the ATKV Drakensville.
Their bus arrived at 16:30. Soon, they ran hot showers, ate hot meals and later took to the provided warm beds. The group gathered the following Sunday morning for a service in the ATKV chapel.
The learners and staff unwound in the snow, some taking pictures and others building snowmen.
The trip showed how strong and resilient the learners and staff are. It also forged a lasting bond between everyone, a trip complete with great ideas and remarkable endurance, proving everyone’s strength in the face of adversity.
The annual trip grooms future leaders with collaborative skills and strategies for the academic year ahead.
