Camp Blog
The Wonderful Village of Torgon!
15th April 2014
I know we’re biased, but we really think Torgon is the greatest place on earth! Torgon has got everything you need if you want to enjoy the great outdoors and be overwhelmed by beautiful views everywhere you turn.
The mountains
The beautiful village of Torgon sits 1,100 metres above sea level giving it amazing views over the Rhône valley and Lake Geneva and you can even see as far as Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain. This great location goes hand in hand with a wide variety of outdoor activities, including skiing, paragliding, cycling, hiking and climbing. Unsurprisingly, they all take advantage of the mountainous terrain, which is in abundance with three surrounding mountains: Tour de Don, Haut Sex, and Le Linleu.
Portes Du Soleil
Torgon forms part of Portes du Soleil, which is the largest interlinked ski area in the world! The pistes extend to over 650 km covering 14 valleys, giving skiers the perfect conditions to just ski and ski without constantly having to take lifts. There are some circuits that take the best part of a day to complete, barely needing to unclip! The area’s highest point takes you right into the clouds at 2,400 metres, with the lowest at 900m.
It is a very popular destination for skiers of all standard with plenty of beginners’ slopes. Although if you feel up to the challenge you can attempt the famous La Chavanette, affectionately referred to as the ‘Suisse Wall’, due to its steepness and difficulty to ski.
Canton of Valais
Torgon belongs to the wider region of Valais, known as a canton. Cantons are the equivalent of counties, but with a very interesting history. Until 1848 when the Swiss federal state was established, each canton was actually a fully sovereign state, with its own laws, currency, army and border controls. They still to this day maintain their own governments, laws, courts and constitution and the citizens of a canton can demand a popular vote to amend laws, or veto a decision taken by parliament.
As well as the skiing, the canton of Valais is known for its agriculture. Cattle breeding and dairy farming take place in the mountains, giving rise to the famous Swiss cow bells to be heard throughout the mountains so the shepherd can keep track of his cows. Valais is also home to the largest wine industry of Switzerland, providing more than half of the country’s wine production. The grapes are grown by over 20,000 independent vignerons and much of the wine production is done by co-operatives.
If that wasn’t enough, Valais also boasts Europe’s tallest gravity dam, supplying about one quarter of Switzerland’s energy via hydroelectric power.
The People
There isn’t a major city in Valais, so the canton retains is rural charm. The people of Torgon speak French but interestingly the language within Valais depends where you are in the region, with the west part speaking French and the East German. The languages vary further due to the fact that nearly 1/5th of the population of Valais are foreign. And who can blame them? Whoever visits this amazing place is clearly going to want to stay!
If you’re looking for summer camps in Europe to give your child the opportunity to experience a different culture, learn a language, get active and have some fun, then Camp Suisse in the beautiful village of Torgon could well be the answer! Take a look at our website for more details or give us a call to see what’s on offer. Our number is +44 845 5191 031
