Eleven and 12 year old students from P.S. 86 in the Bronx braved freezing temperatures and narrow, steep trails hiking 17.5 miles down and up the Grand Canyon.
The 13 students, along with 14 staff members, visited the national landmark in December.
"We climbed the biggest canyon in the world,” said one of the students, Roselvis Marte. “At first I didn't think that we were going to make it, but with the support of my friends and teachers we did! I learned to trust others."
The school organized the trip so that students could visit a new—and very different—part of the country. They also spent time with their pen pals, who attend a school for children whose families are park rangers.
After preparing for the first day’s hike with park rangers, the group embarked on a seven-hour descent into the canyon.
At the bottom, students were “saluted and cheered by other hikers who could not believe that 11 year-old city children had accomplished this arduous trek,” principal Sheldon Benardo said. “Not once did any child complain or falter.”
The group spent the night at the Phantom Ranch—the only hotel at the bottom of the Canyon—where students and staff bought t-shirts that are only sold in that location.
Early the next morning, the group hiked back up the Bright Angel trail, completing the ten-mile hike in nine hours despite snow and cold.
The students said the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"I had never been on a plane, to a national park or climbed anything,” student Samantha Holmes said. “This trip showed me things I never thought I would see."
If you have a school story you'd like to share, e-mail us at MyStory@schools.nyc.gov.
Please include a photo with your story. Photos of students require a signed media consent form, which you can email to the above address or fax to (212) 374-5584.