
DVDs of photos of all our memories from summer 2010 went out in the post to all you 2010 campers today, so listen out for the postman and you will soon be able to share all those magic moments with your friends and families! Don't forget to send us your own favourite snaps for our Camp Suisse postcard competition - your image could be the official Camp Suisse postcard for 2011. Send any super snaps to info@campsuisse.com.
You may notice that due to a technical hitch, our journal entires from prior to 'Camping Crazy Monday 9th August' are not available. We will have this recitified and the full history of days at Camp will be back with us very shortly!! The computer system couldn't handle how much explosive fun we had!!!!
It's the final departure day of the summer and there's not a dry eye in the house as campers slowly disperse. Up with the larks at 4am were those with the earliest of deaprtures and there were regular buses to the airport from then on. One by one campers were checked in for their flights going far and wide back to their families, old friends and new school terms (boo). Many youngsters were collected by their parents and relatives in person who were delighted to see them grinning form ear to ear, if a little fatigued after their roller coaster summer at Camp Suisse! With all campers safely returned to their families we commence the mammoth task of closing down and cleaning up. Roll on next summer!! Bye for now!
An integral part of the Camp Suisse experience, the mission day got off to a buzzing start as the campers were split into teams and charged with the task of creating a reproduction of their favourite film in a maximum of 5 shots. Teams went all out creating costumes and props and even painting their faces to get into character. By lunch time the films were finished and went off to be editing for the evening screening. During lunch agent P briefed each team individually handing over to them their mission for the afternoon, on which the fate of the world relied. A series of challenges, both mental and physical, saw teams battle it out over the course of the afternoon. Teams navigated the night-line course, rode over the bicycle obstacle course and built spaghetti towers in order to diffuse the bomb that threatened the future of the world… well Torgon at least.
Thankfully, teams were successful and we’re still here to write this journal!
The camp celebrated their success with the end of session discotheque. Campers danced the evening away whilst popping into the TV room to catch a glimpse of themselves on the big screen. Everyone’s hard work (thanks big Phil for the editing) paid off as the films were the true success of the day; favourite moments include Menno’s stellar performance as the Dutch Peter Parker, Kamana as the terrifying Basilisk (complete with green quilt cover) in the chamber of secrets, and not forgetting the extra special effort made by the staff team in (re)creating, rather accurately I must add, Star Wars Episode VII.
A great way to finish an amazing session 2 2010! Goodbye to Campers and Staff alike… hope to see you again next year!
A good rest was exactly what the Red and Blue group needed for an action packed day on the river. Rafting was of course the order of the day. After some time spent getting suited and booted into the not so air-conditioned wet suits the groups sweated it out until the boats went crashing into the water and the adventure began. Questions of ‘is it white water yet?’ were soon answered when, after a short and pleasant ride getting to grips with the paddles, the rapids began and all hands were needed on deck to navigate the many twists, turns, whirlpools and overhanging trees. Time flew and before they knew it the groups had reached the end of the course and campers peeled themselves out of their suits to head back to camp.
All the while the Green and Yellow group, having dismantled their tents and cooked their baked beans on a camping stove, relaxed on the shores of Lake Geneva, enjoying their day of banana boating as the others had done the day before.
Later that evening the camp was bustling again as all groups were reunited again for the language Talent Show! Several songs, dances and poems later campers were contemplating their last day at camp and asking themselves ‘what is Mission Day’???
As the sun shone down on another glorious day at Camp Suisse, the Red and Blue groups descended gently from Lake Taney while the Green and Yellow groups set out on the long and rather gruelling hike from the drop off point near Camp Suisse. Three hours and several sore feet later they arrived at the camp site. Too late to catch previous groups who were now miles away soaking up the sun by Lake Geneva, whilst finding time to do some banana boating. A relaxing and occasionally thrilling day ensued.
Back at the lake, after a well needed ice-cream break and with the tents already pitched the Green and Yellow groups enjoyed a late afternoon swim before they tucked into their BBQ. To sum up the rest of the night in 5 words; roaring fire, ghost stories… SMORES! Another successful camping trip.
Now back to an eerily quiet Camp Suisse, a very tired Red and Blue group settled into the bean bags to watch ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. The overriding comfort of the bags was too much for many and we struggled to hear the film over the chorus of snorers! Bonne nuit et dormez bien les enfants!
As the sun shone on Torgon for another day, we couldn’t have wished for a better day as the Red and Blue groups set off on their much anticipated trip to Lake Tanay for an overnight camping session complete with BBQ, games and the all important camp songs and campfire. The walk from Le Flon may have been tough at times but the views which greeted them upon their arrival at camp, followed by an invigorating dip in the lake were enough to banish any feelings of tiredness.
Back at Camp Suisse it was time for the Green group to test their orienteering skills before experiencing the energising waters of our local river-based assault course as they encountered ghyll scrambling for the first time.
Having learnt their trade on the indoor climbing wall it was time for the Yellow group to transfer their skills to the rock face as they travelled to Crag X where multiple climbs and abseils were the order of the day. Upon their return, the adrenalin rush experienced down on the rocks gave way to a more relaxing chill-out session at the Torgon pool; providing a much needed rest for the hike and camping trip which lies in store for the Green and Yellow groups tomorrow. Let’s hope this run of good weather continues in order to make this as memorable an experience as it has been for the Red and Blue groups.
Today was a wet day for all - though not due to the glorious weather carrying over from Saturday. Under the baking sun, the Yellow and Green groups cooled off by rafting their way along the river in Saanen. With their matching wetsuit and helmet combinations, the groups looked like pros as they set off in 6 boats to navigate the swirling torrents and rapids of the Sarine River.
The Blue group had a more relaxing afternoon spent at the lakeside pool in Villeneuve. The 4 and 7 metre diving boards into Lake Geneva provided a challenging and entertaining afternoon for the adrenalin-seeking campers amongst us as they dared each other to jump from the dizzying heights. For the less fearless, a more tranquil time was spent lazily sunbathing onboard the pontoon or eating ice cream by the pool. Regardless of their levels of thrill-seeking, it’s safe to say a good time was had by all!
Following a challenging session scaling the Camp Suisse climbing wall, the Red group took a short walk to the Torgon swimming pool for a chilled out afternoon soaking up the sun and cooling off in the refreshing water. Naturally, a full scale water fight broke out amongst the little rascals and there was not a dry group leader in sight-we’ll bide our time until we get our own back, maybe tomorrow's camping trip will provide us with the perfect opportunity?!
Having made it half way through Session 2 was reason enough for a sleep-in this morning. Following a late breakfast the campers that have been with us for a week already had an hour to tidy their rooms for a fresh start into the next week. Our new arrivals were introduced to the workings of the camp and then had some time to explore Camp Suisse’s facilities. The language lessons were shortened a bit so that we could get off to the afternoon’s activities on this long awaited perfect summer day.
The new campers went to Parc Aventure for some treetop excitement. Having just arrived and not knowing what to expect the group was initially a bit quiet but that soon changed as we put on the harnesses. Once in the trees it seemed like they had been friends for life who also happened to regularly spend time in the top of trees. On the way back to camp Luke, Max and Toby led the bus in a series of songs that scattered any doubts as to the success of the day.
The campers that had been with us for the previous week had a more relaxing mid-session day. They went up the La Jorette ski slope in the chair lift to watch the downhill races of the Torgon Bike competition. Along with an amazing view of the valley and surrounding mountains they were able to watch some of the best mountain bikers in the world zoom past them down the hill. Our two brave activity leaders Morgan and Dave among the competition. We all hope they bring home the trophy tomorrow.
After a day of rain we all rejoiced as the morning brought blue skies and the warming sunrays came in through the windows. A day with such a promising beginning was sure to be a good one.
Throughout the day our new campers for the last week of Session 2 arrived. They joined their groups in the activities that were going on around the camp and were swept up by the excitement and pace of Camp Suisse life.
The Red Group were practising their biking skills up at Plan du Croix in preparation for Mission Day later this week. Those who were unsure atop a bicycle made giant leaps and shone with confidence at the end of the afternoon.
The Green Group’s team-work skills were put to the test with a range of activities that are impossible without good communication skills and the combined brain power of all members. There was some crate stacking but also the more complicated task of creating a device that would remotely trigger a camera without human intervention.
The Yellow Group went off to Parc Aventure where they swung from tree to tree in true Tarzan style. These kids never fail to amaze with their variety of skills, which they often try hard to hide. But once in a tree even the most hardened teenagers turn into children at play.
The Blue Group finally got their chance to feel like inhabitants of Sherwood Forest. Zahid’s group went the extra mile and wore hoodies to lunch in anticipation of the upcoming Archery session. Once everyone completed a few practice rounds to aquire the necessary skills they could have taken it up with any Robin.
Back at Camp Suisse the evening was rounded off with a Charity Casino Night featuring Black Jack, Poker and Roulette. There were cheers of victory as the players nearly bankrupted the bank. These did not however last very long as the bank regained its footing and won in the end.
Well I think someone (possibly the Blue and Green groups!) must have been doing some serious raindancing as we have been treated to an all day downpour here at Camp Suisse! Such horrific weather did little to dampen the spirits of the Blue and Green groups, however, as a trip to the Aquaparc was on the cards and an afternoon was spent slipping and sliding their way through this watery indoor adventure land!
Meanwhile, the Red and Yellow groups sheltered from the rain back at camp. The Red group tested their climbing skills yet again, with an action packed session on the indoor climbing wall. Later, the budding Van Goghs demonstrated their flair during an art session creating an extravagant art piece which will no doubt adorn the walls of Camp Suisse for years to come!
The Yellow group on the other hand began the afternoon by creating a mural of their favourite activities and moments from the session so far – leaving us with a colourful memento of their time spent at Camp. The afternoon was rounded off with a series of team building games; the creative genius flowed as they put their minds together to create a remote device which would take a group photo without human intervention. The final contraption was a mechanical masterpiece involving a myriad of ingenious techniques – water balancing, string burning and weight shifting. Looks like we have some promising inventors on our hands!
Another day at Camp Suisse was rounded off in spectacular style with the second talent show of the season. A special mention must go to Avery Smith who yet again provided us with a thoroughly entertaining routine involving edited renditions of some well known songs! Other talented performers included Lucia Menendez with her superb flamenco dancing and Ananya Mirchandi with a spirited vocal performance.
Despite another fantastic day lets hope the sundancers get their groove on and maybe the weather will improve for tomorrow!
As the day progressed, the sense of anticipation heightened as the Green group travelled to the hugely popular Parc Aventure – any up and coming Tarzan and Jane’s idea of heaven! After the usual morning of languages and sports what better way to spend an afternoon than swinging from tree to tree on this high wire ropes course?!
The Blue group had an equally entertaining afternoon, with orienteering and ghyll scrambling on the cards. The explorers amongst them had a whale of a time as they used their new found map reading skills to full advantage on our orienteering course. Ghyll scrambling provided a wetter form of entertainment as the group scrambled their way along the local river, overcoming obstacles and splashing around in the refreshing mountain waters.
Having honed their skills on the indoor climbing wall, it was time for the Red group to encounter a real rock face as they scaled the dizzy heights of Crag X. For the mountain goats amongst them this was a mountain breeze, the abseil back down however, was a different story. Yet as feet touched the ground it was smiles all round as any fear was but a distance memory.
With their feet (and tyres) firmly on the ground, the Yellow group spent the afternoon racing down the muddy trails of Torgon. Do we have some future Torgona bike contenders on our hands?
Evening entertainment kicked off with preparation for the up and coming talent show. We wait in eager anticipation to see what tomorrow evening’s extravaganza has in store for us!
With Torgona Bike fast approaching the Blue group caught the mountain biking fever as they had their first biking session up at Plan de Croix. Under the watchful eye of the Camp Suisse instructors, lessons were learnt and skills developed before the hair raising downhill descent through the forest back to camp began. No need to worry though as everyone arrived back at camp unscathed and with smiles from ear to ear!
The archery range was alive with the loosening of arrows from the Yellow groups’ bows and bulls-eyes were aplenty as the group spent the afternoon developing skills which would give William Tell a run for his money!
Crate climbing tested the Red group’s steely nerve, the spiders web their unwavering precision and plank walking their overall ability to work as a team as the group undertook a series of team building games, which were met with unprecedented success! This really is a well bonded bunch!
The activity instructors were greatly impressed with the Green group’s burgeoning talent on the climbing wall, as the cow bells at the top of the wall were regularly chiming with the sound of success.
In the evening the name of the game was Torgona Hunt, the aim to match photos with some well known local landmarks, only those home first were able to bask in their prize winning success.
The glorious meteorological start to session two wasn't to last as the sun made way for the rain- swiss style. All was not lost however, in fact cheers could be heard down in the valley upon the announcement of a last minute trip to the cheese and chocolate factory for the Green and Yellow groups. While they feasted the afternoon away on gruyere and made to order chocolate, the Reds and Blues had a rather more action packed afternoon, working a little more than their facial muscles (although secretly praying for another wet day i'm sure!) as they scaled the heights of the climbing wall. The Red group later tested their skills on the indoor mountain bike obstacle course, gliding over the see-saw, ducking under the limbo whilst avoiding the landmines! The Blues on the other hand put their minds together to collectively solve the many challenges and puzzles of the team building games.
With the new and improved quiz extravaganza finished off just minutes before, the day was rounded off by a 6 round quiz including general knowledge, sport, entertainment, music, flag matching and the ever popular Camp Suisse round.
The weather forecast for tomorrow looks promising... sorry Reds and Blues the chocolate factory may have to wait!
What better day to begin the Camp Suisse experience than on the Swiss National Day!
After a well earned rest our session 2 campers threw themselves into the Camp Suisse spirit as they embarked on their first full day here in Torgon. After a morning of sports and languages the Red and Blue groups headed off on a mazy adventure into the Labyrinth where hours spent conquering the huge slides, bouncy castles and adventure playground was rounded off with a huge water fight in the 'wet zone'- the only suitable way to cool off on such a warm day!
The Green Group, on the other hand, tried their hand at archery... could there be some potential Robin Hoods in the making? Only mission day will tell! Later on, both their nerve and skill were put to the test on the climbing wall... learning new skills that will prove useful when they attack the real rock face down on Crag X later in the week.
Meanwhile, the Yellow group learnt the art of navigation, testing their new found skills on our orienteering circuit. This was followed by a bracing dip in the local river as they scrambled their way along a watery assault course- officially known as Ghyll Scrambling.
BINGO!- after such an active day, what better way to keep spirits high than with a high emotion, high risk, high drama game of Camp Suisse Bingo! Let's hope the winners will be kind enough to share with us their chocolatey success!
The tears of an emotional friday of goodbyes were soon dried with the arrival of a fresh bunch of smiley yet nervous faces, hailing from lands near and far! As the new arrivals trickled into camp, those continuing on from session one were whisked off on a hike to the chair lifts at Plan de Croix which took them on a breath taking trip close to the French border where they enjoyed a picnic at the summit, taking in the sites of nearby France, Lake Geneva and the surrounding scenery.
After a rather less hectic arrivals day, campers were introduced to their group members at the dinner table as they feasted on Pasta Bolognese. After a few post-dinner get-to-know-you games campers got an early night to prepare them for the busy two weeks ahead!
Bonne nuit et a demain!
After an active and fun filled two weeks we say goodbye to the majority (apart from those staying on for the second session) of our session 1 Campers. We hope you had as much fun as we did, and hope to see you again next year!
Despite some showers Mission Day went ahead as planned. All the campers were split into teams that competed against each other. Once everyone had put on camouflage the morning began with a military style drill and parade led by George. He made sure that everyone was in shape to complete that various tasks planned for the day. The staff team showed a shocking lack of marching discipline, which was reflected in their final result. They came last. During the morning session the teams were able to gain points through tennis and basketball target practice.
Along with the tennis and basketball the teams made short films. They were asked to choose a well-known film and make a two-minute version of it. There was an outstanding performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller featuring Uriel, and Catalina’s performance of Hermione from Harry Potter was eerily close to the original.
Strengthened by pizza the teams returned to their Mission Day challenges in the afternoon. They now faced a mountain bike obstacle course, the climbing wall, an abseiling/zip line course and orienteering to find their way back to the Camp Suisse centre.
As the evening approached Camp Suisse began to buzz with anticipation of the final evening’s Disco. Everyone was dressed in the latest fashion to ensure that this would be a memorable evening. And it was. The dance floor was never empty, and only Justin Bieber managed to thin out the crowd at one point. The Disco proved to be a worthy end to an amazing Session One.
See you next year!
A varied day at Camp Suisse today with Campers up trees, in the river, on the mountain, in the woods and up the wall! But don't worry these are all part of today's organised activities!
The Red Group had a challenging afternoon putting the skills they learned on the Camp Suisse climbing wall to good use on our climbing site at Crag X. Their confidence has clearly grown as they all managed to get to the top and abseil their way back down. Extra special congratulations to Sophia who managed to overcome her initial fears! In the late afternoon the Reds became intrepid explorers as they went off into the woods on a mission to find materials for Nature Art, as they searched for interesting leaves and rocks they did tree rubbings and added things to their nature bracelets! Back at camp the rocks they collected were transformed into rock creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours.
The Blue Group, on the other hand, faced a rather different challenge as they fought their way through cold water, low branches, plunge pools and myriad other obstacles as they ghyll scrambled up and down the river. A swift jog back to the centre was a sure way to get the blood pumping back through the veins!
The Greens had a somewhat less wet afternoon, Mountain Biking down numerous tracks of varied difficulty from Plan de Croix back to Camp Suisse. Great practice for the Mission Day Challenge on Thursday!
Down in the valley the Yellows could be found swinging away through the trees, ropes swings and other obstacles at Parc Aventure- the much sought after high ropes course.
After such an active day we were surprised that campers managed to muster up the energy to put on such a fantastic Language Talent Show. For two hours we were privy to what campers had been working on for the last couple of weeks. Among the many acts were featured a modern take on Romeo and Julliet, the macarena and the French Penguin song!
BRAVO!
Another busy day at Camp Suisse. With the promise of good weather throughout the day the campers set of on their activities. The Red Group went Ghyll Scrambling. They braved the chilly mountain stream and were thrilled to use the climbing skills they have been practising. Once back at Camp Suisse they had a chance to warm up in the afternoon sun and paint some murals to decorate the restaurant. Now their names are up on the wall to remind us and future campers of their adventures and deeds. We could never forget such an amazing group of kids anyway.
The Blue Group went a bit further up the mountain to Plan de Croix where they learned to control their mountain bikes before setting off on the downhill ride. They are now prepared to compete in the upcoming Mission Day. The second half of the afternoon was spent with a variety of Team Building Games. These ranged from a Spider's Web to building a bridge. The tasks could only be completed as a team and all the Blue Groups were able to complete every task (with an occasional hint from the activity leaders).
The Green Group had a day out at the Parc Aventure. They spent the afternoon in the trees; climbing, swinging, jumping and shouting with joy as they sped past on the zip lines. The kids and staff had an awesome time and the three hours went by in a flash.
After a couple of days stuck in a cloud Camp Suisse was blessed once more with glorious sunshine... Just in time for the opening of the 2010 Camp Suisse Olympics. After lunch the camp was divided into 12 teams (incluing a staff team who subsequently finished in last place!) each representing a different country.
The first task: to create a banner or flag to represent their respective countries. After an hour of painting, colouring, ripping, cutting, splattering, scribbling, hand printing, face painting and various other artistic ventures the restaurant resembled a battle ground... but at least the banners were ready and the teams raring to go!
Teams had the chance to parade their banners to the tunes of their national anthems at the opening ceremony, complete with Olympic flame and torch.
A quick march up to the football field and the games began! Teams fought it out over 6 events; including the 3 Legged Race, the Shoe Relay, the Water Carry game, the Human String Relay, the Obstacle Course and of course the Egg and Spoon Race. After a couple of hours of fierce competition all 12 teams competed simultaneously in Hunt the String- the aim? To collect as many pieces of sting as possible that had been scattered around the field and tie them together to create the longest piece of string. Perhaps the only event in which the Staff Team excelled.
To round up the proceedings, teams participated in a game of Giant Scrabble in the gym. After a few precarious words (sorry Staff Team, it's juicier, not jucier!) and several disallowed entries, it was Spain who emerged victorious sporting their shiny gold medals!
After a well needed extra hour in bed, Campers spent the hour after breakfast changing their bedding and tidying their rooms ready for the equally as jam-packed week to come (with a little help and guidance from their Group Leaders many of the campers were able to change their own bedding!... no more excuses for messy beds at home!).
After languages, sport and a buffet-style lunch, Campers enjoyed a relaxing few hours of free time- although many chose to take us up on the extra sessions of climbing and sports. Where do you find all your energy???!!!
An early BBQ gave us plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the many marvellous, wacky, weird, unexpected and just darn right astonishing performances at the Camp Suisse Talent Show; acts included the Super-Sumos, the Banana Song (go Red Group!), a rap/beat-boxing outfit, the human pyramid with musical accompaniment and many, many more... not to mention the Backstreet Boys a la Camp Suisse Staff and a spontaneous solo rendition of 'I scared you BOO!' (thanks Avery, you never fail to please a crowd!).
Well done Campers, we feel like proud parents!
Although Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas may have been on holiday this week, we still managed to get the Red and Blue groups on a guided tour of the chocolate factory. It wasn't difficult to work out which part of the tour the kids enjoyed the most... with 20 different types of free tasters to try at the end the smiles on their faces spoke for themselves - I don't think colour goup leaders Katie and Phil were too popular as they slapped a 5 piece limit on the tasting session!!
The Green group enjoyed an [almost as] chocolately time as they fought off stiff competition to reach the top of the Camp Suisse climbing wall, egged on by the piece of chocolate strategically placed at the top! Having battled against one another they turned their attention towards team work, as they put their minds together to solve the team building challenges.
Meanwhile, the Yellows were like veritable ducks in water as they splashed the rainy afternoon away in the Aqua Parc.
Buncey's Burgers were one of the culinary highlights of the week- the countless empty plates and happy faces bore witness to this. A varied evening of DVD, climbing wall and Talent show prep followed the winning evening meal.
Enjoy your extra hour in bed tomorrow campers!
After a glorious few days our luck has finally come to a thunderous end as the arrival of stormy weather proves all the forecasters correct! Nothing can put the dampeners on Camp Suisse however! And although the Yellow Group's camping trip may have to wait for another, less rainy, night they remained defiant heading out on a hike to explore the local terrain. Meanwhile, the Red Group conquered the soaring heights of the climbing wall, making sure to stay clear of Ian's blue mat!
As the clouds descended on Camp Suisse the dizzying heights of Glacier 3000 remained precipitation-free allowing a defiant Blue group and an even more exhausted and defiant pack of huskies to enjoy a morning of sledding- they mustn't have taken well to Blue Group Leader Auntie Katie, throwing her off into the cold slushy snow! The Blue group laughed in the face of the approaching grey clouds as they swam the afternoon away in Villeneuve pool on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The Green group were similarly well-spirited as they staved off the rain, sheltering in the equally wet wonders of the Aqua Parc!
I'm sure tonight's hearty dinner of chicken wings, pasta carbonara and bread and butter pudding will warm the cockles enough to forget about this minor meteorological glitch. And as they all go to sleep tonight I'll ask them to pray for the sun to show its face once more tomorrow.
Wow, Switzerland is sizzling!! It is a good thing we have the Yellow Group at Lake Geneva today and the Green Group at Lake Tanay for some much needed cooling off.
Special mention must go to the Red Group today who mountain biked like they had been doing it all of their lives. Awesome stuff. They have attacked all the activities with a great attitude and done themselves very proud. Phil the fearless leader can't stop raving about his troops!!
The Green Group are all camping at Lake Tanay tonight in the great outdoors before heading to Lake Geneva tomorrow for more adrenalin-packed adventure - being dragged across the water on the banana boat.
It is finally the Blue Group's turn to head to the glacier tomorrow and fingers crossed they will be treated to the same weather as everyone else. Let's take a moment to think about the husky dogs....they must be exhausted after the last few days!!
It is a quiet evening at camp tonight with the Green Group out camping, the Blue Group getting up early for the glacier and the Yellow group getting ready for their big adventure tomorrow.
To infinity and beyond.......
Bonjour from Torgon!!
To quote a camper today....' Can you just take a message for me I am trying to play a game here!'
I think it is safe to say if you haven't heard from your children by now then everything is tikkety-boo here at camp.
The glacier was brilliant as expected and the good news is that the Yellow Group will be treated to the same spectacular weather tomorrow when they venture across the Valais to Les Diablerets. There was some head-scratching going on today from various people about how they were standing in snow in 25 degree heat however soon as Jim told everyone that they bought the snow up each day from Mont Blanc everyone seemed to understand......
The Green Group are off camping tomorrow with a challenging hike to the picturesque Lake Tanay; a truly a spectacular place nestled at 1,400m in altitude.
The Red Group are back in camp for some mountain biking and team building games and an early night for some much needed battery-recharging.
The Blue Group are off to Cragg X for the 'real deal' rock climbing after showing some impressive skills on the climbing wall.
Tomorrow is Glacier Day for the Red and Green Groups which involves an alarm-setting, eye-opening 6.15am breakfast. The forecast is for perfect blue sky and beautiful weather which means in the morning when being dragged across the snow by husky dogs at 3,300m we should be able to see all of the Alps including the Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, the Eiger and the mighty Mont Blanc. After the husky dogs it is a ride on the Alpine Coaster, a luge-type rollercoaster that has all the thrills and twice the views of any theme park in the world. The day is finished at the swimming pool in Villeneuve on the shores of Lake Geneva. If you think it sounds like a great fun day then you would be close... it is actually amazing!!
The Blue and Yellow Groups will head to the glacier over the next few days however they are staying in Torgon tomorrow for their turn at archery, mountain biking and climbing.
Also a very BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Emma Bradie who turns 13 today. Many happy returns Emma from all the staff at Camp Suisse!!!
The first day at Camp Suisse definitely lived up to expectations. We are pleased to report that the Red Group found the hidden treasure at the Labyrinth and the Group Leaders didn't even lose any campers amongst the maze, returning with all the crew on board!
Tomorrow (Monday) it is the Red Group's turn to try their hand at map reading (maybe that would have been handy today at the Labyrinth..?) and then brave the chilly waters of the Torgon river for Ghyll Scrambling. The Blue Group has a double mountain biking session through the forest and paths of the local areas. The Green Group are trying their hand at rock climbing on Cragg X after learning the essential skills of the sport today on the climbing wall and the Yellow Group are arching and then climbing on the climbing wall.
The sun continues to beat down here in the Alps and the forecast is for it to get even hotter over the next few days. We won't mention any names but Phil's Group did turn their Team Building Games into a water fight. Good times.
Until tomorrow....ciao for now!
Session 1 2010 is underway. After all the planning and build up, Camp Suisse 2010 is finally here! As campers arrive from all corners of the globe, familiar faces are reuniting with tales of the past year and new faces are becoming acquainted for good times ahead.
Tomorrow is sunny Sunday and like any day here at camp it is going to be busy and exciting. After a morning of language assessments and sports coaching we are steaming ahead with some great fun, energy-sapping activities in the afternoon.
The Red Group are going to Europe's largest fixed maze, 'the Adevnture Labyrinth', to search for hidden treasure, the Blue Group will be swinging through the trees with rope swings, ladders and zip wires at 'Parc Aventure', the Green Group will be ‘loosing’ on the archery range and climbing on our climbing wall. The Yellow Group will be testing their map reading and compass work in orienteering before heading into the wilderness of the Torgon river for some Ghyll Scrambling.
The evening activity tomorrow night will be bingo for everyone with prizes to be won. Who will be so lucky?
Until tomorrow..... au revoir!!
Two more school groups join us at Camp Suisse today for their annual dose of Alpine Adventures! Once again the youngsters of KEVICs and Ashfold embark on their multi-activity weeks! In store for the adrenaline-hungry youngsters are hiking and camping, cheese and chocolate factories, the sights and sounds of the Montreux Jazz Festival on the shores of Lake Geneva, mountain biking, rock climbing, archery and all the old favourites! The weather is beautiful and summer 2010 is well underway!!!
We have been truly blessed with amazing weather in the Alps this week. Today sees another cloudless sky and we intend to take full advantage of it. The kids and staff from St Ivo have benefited greatly from the sunshine and have experienced some great activities including husky dog sledding on the glacier, camping, rock climbing, archery, mountain biking, banana boating and swimming in Lake Geneva as well as the world famous Aquaparc.
As the week draws to a close the fun doesn't stop at Camp Suisse. We have two more schools arriving Saturday for more action, more adventure and more fun and fingers crossed the soleil continues to shine.
No we are not talking about the French, English or Italian football teams that have been dumped so unceremoniously out of the World Cup; we are talking about our fabulous team of staff at Camp Suisse! The second round of resort staff for summer 2010 arrived today.
Our in-house training programme continues today in preparation for our next round of kids arriving on Saturday.
The start of the summer season is always an exciting time, bringing enthusiastic people from around the globe together to learn and bond in a truly amazing environment.
We are all looking forward to another exciting season in the Alps.
A HUGE Camp Suisse welcome to our first youngsters of 2010! Today marks the arrival of Geneva English School, The International School of Schaffhausen and Strothoff International School, all here for a week-long prgramme of fun, fun, fun! On the cards for the week are the Aquaparc, Husky Dog Sledding, Banana Boating, The famous Camp Suisse Olympics, River rafting, Rock Climbing and much much more!!! It is great to see the smiling faces of our first 2010 campers after months of preparation!!
Click here to view the summer 2009 video to give you a taste of things to come this summer at Camp Suisse!
The sun is shining, the builders are working frantically and the staff are chomping at the bit...Yes ladies and gentleman summer 2010 is just around the corner.
Camp Suisse HQ is having its final renovations done before the summer starts in earnest in the middle of June and what a great summer it is shaping up to be. Once again we have many familiar faces, from both campers and staff, returning from previous years with many new additions to the team as well.
There are not many places left for this summer, especially session 1, so if you are still thinking about being part of summer 2010 you may need to get your skates on as there is not much time left!!
Camp Suisse is pleased to announce the launch of the 'Senior Camp Mentor Programme' for summer 2010. After feedback from parents and the overwhelming demand for ex-campers to return to Camp Suisse in a staff capacity, the month long programme has been designed to give selected campers the opportunity to undertake a more active and responsible role within the camp. Please contact Julie or Richard for further information.
Whether you are on the beaches of Australia, the deserts of Africa, or the peaks of the Alps and the Rockies we would like to wish everyone a safe and happy festive season!! May all your dreams come true in 2010.
We look forward to seeing you again next year.
Team Camp Suisse
Well it's all quiet here at Camp Suisse!. It seems like a good time to say a really big thank you to everyone that made Camp 2009 possible. We are today collating photos from the last 4 years' camps; all of which will appear in the photo gallery section soon!! Watch this space....well, that space!!..
With summer 2009 now firmly etched in our memories, we are already planning and looking forward to next summer at Camp Suisse!!
We are pleased to announce that we will once again be running two camp sessions in summer 2010; session 1 (17 July - 30 July) and session 2 (31 July - 13 August).
All of our happy campers from summer '09 should by now have received their DVD full of colourful pictures from camp; a reminder of their time here with us in the Alps as well as the friends they made along the way.
Thanks once again to our wonderful campers and staff who helped to make summer 2009 our biggest and best yet. Stay tuned for developments and updates at camp and we hope to see you in Torgon again next year.
It is scorching weather in the Alps this week and we plan on taking full advantage of this glorious sunshine. Yesterday Ashfold went to Lausanne to visit the International Olympic Museum to see first hand just how preparations for the 2012 games in London are coming along. Everyone also undertook our Olympic quiz to see just how much they had learnt form the visit.
In the afternoon it was time for the much anticipated visit to the Aqua Parc and from the smiles on everyone's faces upon their return to camp it did not disappoint.
Today we are off to Le Bouveret Beach on the shores of Lake Geneva. A stunning location overlooking the lake with water slides, swimming pool, plenty of room to sun bath and play games and of course the lake to splash around in. Our cravings for adrenalin will yet again be satisfied by banana boating on Lake Geneva.
The forecast is for continuing hot weather until the end of the week. Bring it on!!
Ashfold arrived in resort yesterday ready and raring to go for their week of activities in the Swiss Alps.
Today sees the start of the adventure with a whole host of activities including mountain biking, climbing wall lessons, outdoor rock climbing and the Torgona Hunt, our very own orienteering course.
If the weather forecast is correct, we are in for another week of glorious sunshine! Is anybody jealous yet?
Session 2 has drawn to a close and we now say farewell to our campers who have travelled from far and wide to be here with us for summer 2009. It has been a great two weeks in the sun-drenched Swiss Alps. We know that our campers are leaving us with many great memories and new experiences under their belt as well as new friends from all over the world.
Congratulations to Katerina who won Queen of Camp for the way she approcahed each and every activity with a zest for life and a positive attitude throughout her time here with us. The prize for winning Queen (or King) of Camp is a free place at Camp Suisse next year.
It is at this point of the season that many of our staff leave us and we would like to say a big thank you to all of them for helping to provide our campers with the most memorable of summers.
We hope that everyone has arrived home safely to their families with many tales of adventure. Thank you once again and we look forward to seeing everyone at Camp Suisse again next year.
Well we had to get at least one day of bad weather and that day was Monday. After the perfect weather all of last week we made the most of the overcast and rainy conditions yesterday and headed straight to the Aqua Parc. The Aqua Parc is always great fun with lots of slides and rides of all shapes and sizes and yesterday was no exception.
Normal activities (and weather) resumes today with the red, blue and green groups finally getting their hands on the bows and arrows and heading straight for the archery range. The yellow group is doing climbing and then ghyll scrambling up the Torgon river and the white group are rock climbing on an outdoor rock face.
Tonight sees the talent show contest take place with langauge classes and groups all coming up with an act, play, musical rendition or anything else that may qualify as talent. It should be a good laugh for everyone involved.
Wow what a week it has been at Camp Suisse!
Everyone is now back from their camping expeditions and it is time to take a break and regather some much needed energy before embarking on week 2 of activities. We are having a bit of a sleep in tomorrow, some language tuition and then taking advantage of the annual mountain bike extravaganza Torgona Bike. For those of you who don't know, Torgona Bike is a mountain bike race that takes place all around the local area. It provides us with the ideal opportunity to take a chair lift ride up the mountain and watch how the real pro's attack this terrain on two wheels.
Tomorrow evening is BBQ and games night which will be the perfect way to end a relaxing day at camp.
This week mother nature has been very kind to us, however at the moment there are a few nasty clouds on the horizon and I feel we are in for one of those spectacular summer alpine storms....not so fun if your are a pet but great to watch otherwise!
Have a great Friday night wherever you may be!
It was a site to behold this morning watching the red, blue and green groups board the bus packed and ready for the overnight adventure to Lake Tanay. The bus will take the campers as far as the small mountain village of Le Flon and from there they will hike up the paths to Lake Tanay and take over the camping expedition where the yellow and white groups left off. It is another magic day in the Alps and I am sure they will have great time around the Lake Tanay area playing games and cooling off in the slightly frosty alpine water.
The yellow and white groups are already at Lake Geneva flying across the water at a rate of knotts on the back of the big inflatable banana. Banana boating is always one fo the favourite activities for campers.......a combination of speed, water and sunshine. AWESOME!
The yellow and white groups return to camp tonight for some much needed rest and will be in resort tomorrow doing some archery, mountain biking and trying their new found climbing skills learnt on the climbing wall on an outdoor rock 'crag' in the area. The red, blue and green groups.....well its their turn to tear across Lake Geneva on the back of the big inflatable banana.
Say hi to Grandma for us!
Yesterday afternoon the yellow and white groups succesfully negotiated the challenging hike to Lake Tanay, set up camp, cooked dinner and told stories into the night around the warm and toasty bonfire. Today they have all sorts of team building games and great fun activities planned around the lake area and will spend a second night in the great outdoors.
This afternoon the green group will be swinging through the forest on high ropes, ladders and zip wires at Parc Aventure and the red and blue group will be 'loosing' on the archery range and swimming in the Torgon pool.
Tonight the red, blue and green groups are having a quiet night and going to bed nice and early in preparation for their camping expedition which starts tomorrow.
The sun continues to shine on Camp Suisse.......
After an a true alpine day yesterday with low cloud, mist and fog, we have woken up this morning to glorious sunshine. The yellow and white groups are going camping to Lake Tanay today; a picturesque hike through the Alps to a beautiful lake at 1400m in altitude. They will stay at Lake Tanay for two nights and undertake all sorts of team building games and lessons in camp craft, build bon fires, sing songs and swim in the lake to cool off.
The red, blue and green groups are staying at camp today with the red and blue's trying their hand at mountain biking and the green group doing some archery in true Robin Hood-like fashion.
Last night saw the Torgon quiz take place which invlolved groups running all over the village to solve all sorts of cryptic clues. The eventual winners were Lucinda, Aabha, Lara, Courtney and Smriti's team so a big congratulations to them.
The forecast for the next few days is more sunshine.........bring it on!
Is this Camp Suisse or High School Musical?
After lunch in the restaurant today turning into an impromptu disco straight from the aforementioned movie the activity programme for session 2 is underway.
Sunday morning commenced with language assesments and various sports before climbing and orienteering for the red, blue and green groups and mountain biking for the green and white groups.
After yesterdays picture postcard 33 degree day it is over cast today with a few showers about. The good news is the forecast is for the weather to improve before the yellow and white groups go camping on Tuesday.
Stay tuned folks for tomorrow's update.
It is time to say good bye to all of our wonderful session 1 campers. With happy memories etched in our minds and life long friendships formed we look back at session 1 of Camp Suisse in 2009 with a great big smile.
Matthieu (the baby rhino) won the 'King of Camp' - a free place on camp 2010 - for his fantastic contribution to camp life.
Thank you very much to all of our campers and the wonderful the team of staff for such a great summer.
Not a cloud in the sky and 33 degrees! What better way to spend a perfect summers day than banana boating, swimming and playing games on the beach at Lake Geneva?
The blue and green groups have been camping over night at Lake Tanay and will make there way to Lake Geneva this morning. The red, yellow and white groups will be leaving for the beach shortly after their language classes.
Harry's group cleaned up in the Camp Suisse challenge day with a fine all-round performance across the disciplines.
Tonight allows us to see what budding performers we have amongst us with the Camp Suisse talent show. Each langugae class and colour group will perform any number of skits, plays, songs, poems, jokes and hopefully even musical renditions in front of the whole camp.
What a day! Mother Nature turned on a spectacular, picture perfect day in the Alps for the Camp Suisse Challenge Day.
We had 11 teams (12 if you count the staff) competing across mountain biking, orienteering, archery, abseiling and various games in an attempt to save the world. In fact the challenge continues tonight with a game of giant scrabble in the restaurant; a desperate last gasp bid fpr precious points before we can announce a definitive winning team.
Special mention must be made of Angus' team who took nearly two and a half hours to complete the orienteering course in todays challenge.......some two and a quarter hours behind the winner!!!! Now that's impressive!!
Tomorrow the yellow and white group are off to swing through the trees on high ropes, zip wires and ladders whilst the red, green and blue groups involve themselves in whole host of great fun team games, climbing and mountain biking throughout Torgon. More sunshine is forecast with a shower or two tomorrow night.
Ciao for now.
There is no rest for the wicked at Camp Suisse...not even on the weekend. Today we have had the red and blue group doing a variety of great fun team building games, the green group rock climbing on a rock face down in the valley, the yellow group ghyll scrambling through the chilly Torgon river and the white group mountain biking through the forest.
The weather held out for us quite nicely today; a beautiful sunny morning, overcast in the afternnon and a thunder storm just as the activities finished.
The weekend forecast is for lots of sunshine and tomorrow (after cleaning our rooms and getting the domestics out of the way) we are are taking the chairlift to the top of Torgon to over look the Alps and Mont Blanc. This will be followed by a leisurely stroll back down to the village.
Sunday is a big event, the Camp Suisse Challenge Day. Campers will be divided up into teams of mixed ages and will take part in various missions to save the world.....
Have a great weekend wherever you may be. I know we will!
The yellow and white groups have completed their camping mission to Lake Tanay and are now relaxing (sort of) at the Aqua Parc. The Aqua Parc has water slides of all shapes, sizes and speeds and is far too much fun for anyone to worry about how many dirty clothes they have after two days of hiking and camping!
After a fantastic day on top of the world yesterday at the glacier the red, blue and green groups are in resort undertaking all sorts of activities. The red group are mountain biking, well taking their first steps toward mountain biking, the blue group are trying their hand at archery and the green group are attempting the Torgona Hunt orienteering course before their climbing lesson on the climbing wall.
Tonight we have the Torgon quiz night which sees teams running all over the village in an attempt to answer questions, crack the code and win prizes.
After some scary clouds crossing over camp earlier today, the afternoon has turned out to be sunny and warm. Fingers crossed the great weather continues for next week!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates tomorrow.
Today the yellow and white groups embark on a challenging hike to the picturesque Lake Tanay. Campers will sleep in tents on the shores of the beautiful lake for two nights and learn all about camp craft, team building and the great outdoors.
Yesterday the green group went to Parc Aventure, an amazing array of courses with zip wires, rope swings and ladders high in the canopy of the forest (awesome). The red and blue group went to one of the largest mazes in Europe, the Labrynth. We are pleased to report that nobody got too lost in the maze except for one or two staff!.
Tomorrow is glacier day for the red, blue and green groups which involves husky dog sledding and riding on the fast and fun Alpine Coaster ride. The weather forecast is for lots of sunshine; which means lots of smiling faces!!
Until next time.........
Session 1 of 2009 has commenced in glorious sunshine! This morning started with some langauge assesments, tennis, basketball and general team bonding before undertaking a range of different activities in the afternoon.
The red, blue and green groups are doing the Torgona Hunt orienteering course, climbing on the climgbing wall and swimming in the pool. The green group is off mounatin biking through the woods of Torgon, whilst the yellow group tries their hand at archery and the white group ghyll scrambles up the Torgon river.
Straight after dinner tonight we are having a bingo extravaganza (in many different lanaguages) with lots of prizes to be won.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's update when we reveal who won the major prize at bingo. The weather forecast is for another sunny day in the Alps pushing toward 30 degrees.
In the past two days we have had two very successful camping trips, camp fires, sing songs, lake swimming galore. One group are currently enjoying the world famous Montreux Jazz Festival whilst the second group of campers are gearing up for husky dog sledging at the glacier tomorrow!
As you will have guessed Camp is celebrating Mr Crisp's 51st birthday! Today we had another group set off for the delights of the Glacier and the last group for camping also departed this morning. The third group are currently at Parc Labyrinthe Adventure and will try their hand at mountain biking later on this afternoon!
No no no... not in Torgon! But some of the campers spent the day at Les Diablerets glacier husky dog sledging and having a go at the biggest alpine rollercoaster before warming up and relaxing at the thermal spas!!! Others spent their day leaving Tanay for their turn on the Banana Boats or heading off for their night in Tanay. All finished off with a 5-a-side football match and climbing in the evening!
Today, camp split for 2 different days of activities. One group headed off for the hills for a nights camping at Lake Tanay... a little chilly but that didn't stop them cooling off in the lake after their hike;and the spectacular backdrop definitely made it worthwhile! The other group started off at the Camp Suisse Archery range before heading off to Lake Geneva for a hot day at the beach and even a spot of Banana Boating, bringing the day to a close they visited the street stalls and open air gigs that the Montreux Jazz Festival has to offer.
The first day of an action packed week kicked off with some kids in resort mountain biking and climbing, while others;started off in the International Olympic Museum before splashing around in the largest water theme park in Europe, AquaParc! There was even time for an epic game of Bingo in the evening!
After a very quiet week in camp, everyone is very pleased to welcome the St Ivo School back to Torgon... all 133 of them! We cannot wait for this weeks fab activities to start, but first DINNER! :-)
The mountain bike track has now been completed and tested by staff, it is a brilliant track that can be enjoyed by children of all abilities. The kitchen staff have completed their food hygiene certificates, while group leaders have been exploring some of the activities that will be experienced by campers!! The camp is very quiet without the campers so we are all eagerly awaiting their arrivals!
The staff have been working tirelessly for the past week building a new mountain bike path in the forest area and the circuit is nearly complete! Fun for all levels will be assured in the mountain bike sessions at Camp Suisse this summer.
As our first week of summer draws to a close we would like to say a big thank you to our wonderful guests from GES and ISSH. We have had amazing weather which has allowed the kids to husky dog sledding on the glacier, river rafting on the Rhone, banana boating on Lake Geneva, mountain biking, rock climbing, orienteering, the tree top adventure course and much more. Tonight we have our farewell BBQ and disco. Who will be cutting shapes on the dance floor?
ISSH and GES have arrived safely to Camp Suisse. Despite mother natures best efforts to hinder the afternoons activities we managed to get in lots of archery and climbing lessons on the climbing wall! The weather for the rest of the week is looking spectacular.Tomorrow GES are undertaking our orienteering course and a range of great fun team building games. ISSH are off to sample the delights of the cheese and chocolate factories of Gruyeres (Mmmmm) before returning to camp to expel their energy on the climbing wall.
Tomorrow we welcome our first guests for summer 2009. All our fabulous staff are ready to go. The sun is shining and birds are whistling!
Today marks the launch of the first ever 'families' alpine adventure program at Camp Suisse.For one week only this summer (15 - 22 August) we are inviting the whole family to camp so parents can see what all the fuss is about.Call or email for more information.
It is one month today until our doors are open to the first guests for summer '09! We will be delighted to welcome GES and ISSH to Torgon for their multi-activity, alpine adventure weeks.