Camp Journal
Session Three – Day Twelve – Red Group
5th August 2016
Today was Mission Day for all of our campers, which meant that Red Group were split up and mixed up with campers from other colour groups to form squadrons. In their groups, our campers worked together to complete various missions, such as the vertical agility mission (rock climbing), the advanced mobility mission (mountain biking), team building games and many more missions.
All of the squadrons tried their best but at the end of the day, it Team Bravo who took out the title!
Later that night, after a delicious formal meal, our campers went to the 2016 Camp Suisse Prom. All of our campers got dressed up and danced their way to the end of Session Three.
Mission Day antics!
3, 2, 1… Blast off!
Session 3 – Day Eleven – Yellow Group
4th August 2016
Today was an exciting day for the Camp Suisse campers as it was chocolate factory day! The campers set off for the charming Swiss town of Gruyeres. When we arrived Yellow Group got a fantastic interactive tour of the world famous Callier chocolate factory, where they even got to taste lots of samples! After a trip around the shop, where the campers overloaded on chocolate to take home, we headed into the old town of Gruyeres. We stopped and had our picnic lunch at the foot of the Gruyeres castle. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the town in the sunshine. After a lovely day in Gruyeres we headed back to camp for a delicious dinner.
After dinner, campers headed to the football pitch where they engaged in a match of football and capture the flag against the staff!
Session 3 – Day Eleven – Green Group
Green Group had the last of their excursions for the session today: their trip to the Callier Chocolate Factory!
As soon as breakfast ended, our campers all hopped on the bus to start the journey to the chocolate factory.
Once at the factory, Green Group learned the history of chocolate, and the Callier chocolate factory, and then… It was time for chocolate tasting! Everyone felt satisfied (if a little ill) after tasting all of that chocolate!
Next on the itinerary was Gruyères, a small, Medieval town famous for its cheese! Our Green Group campers had their lunch in the park, and were then able to see the castle, and browse the shops for some souvenirs.
At 4 pm, our campers made their way back to camp for Shower Hour, a tasty meal and… A staff v. camper football match. It was an awesome day for Green Group!
Session 3 – Day Eleven – Blue Group
Today our campers had a brilliant day: they went to the Callier Chocolate Factory! The visit started with an explanation of the history of chocolate, followed by an explanation of how Francois-Louis Callier started his own chocolate empire, and the secrets of chocolate manufacturing. The best part of the visit was at the end when the campers could taste some Callier chocolate… And our campers ate as much as they could!
After the chocolate factory, our campers headed off to the historical Medieval town of Gruyères. Our campers had their lunches in a beautiful park, and afterwards, our campers had some time to shop for souvenirs.
Our campers arrived back at Camp Suisse for Shower Hour, and after some delicious chicken fajitas for dinner, Blue Group then headed up to the football pitch for the staff v. campers football game. What a great day for Blue Group!
Session 3 – Day Eleven – Red Group
Red Group were very lucky today as they visited the Callier Chocolate Factory. They learned the history of the company’s success and were even lucky enough to a try selection of the chocolates!
After Red Group were suitably stuffed with chocolate they took a short bus journey to Gruyères, the town made famous by its cheese! There they enjoyed a picnic lunch, a play in the park, a walk around the castle and they even had time to browse the shops.
The evening was spent playing staff v. camper football. Unsurprisingly, the campers won… And our campers went to bed, feeling victorious!
Session 3 – Day Ten – Green Group
Green Group had a fantastic day today! They started off the day with the usual breakfast at 8 am followed by the morning’s activities: choosing to either go outdoor rock climbing, or stay back at camp to do some ‘art jamming’ (having fun with arts and crafts).
Following lunch, Green Group had their last language lessons of the session! The majority of class time was spent preparing their karaoke songs for that same evening. Dinner was Indian-themed, with homemade naan bread and Chicken Korma for the main.
After dinner, it was… Karaoke time! Songs from around the world were sung and good times were had. It was yet another awesome evening, with everyone leaving for the evening, feeling very excited about tomorrow’s excursion to the chocolate factory!
Putting our rock climbing skills to the test!
Reach for the stars… Or the next hold!
Session 3 – Day Ten – Red Group
3rd August 2016
This morning was very exciting for Red Group as they were preparing for the Camp Suisse Talent Showcase 2016, set to take place that same evening! Language classes were covered in paint, glitter, pom poms and PVA glue as our campers were busy making props and costumes for the show.
After a delicious hot lunch, our campers headed even higher up the mountain so that they could have a go at mountain biking. Everyone gave it their best, and those who didn’t know how to ride a bike were able to learn! After some cycle tests and obstacle training, we cycled all the way back down the mountain, to camp.
Finally, that evening was the Camp Suisse Talent Showcase 2016! The English class performed Alice in Wonderland, the German class performed circus acts, and the French classes performed some comedy sketches and songs. Everyone had a great night showing off their newly-learned language skills!
Enjoying a nice bike ride in the Alpine air!
Session 3 – Day Nine – Green Group
2nd August 2016
Green Group had an active start today with a bike ride to the Villeneuve Swimming Pool. Our campers were driven down to Vionnaz before cycling in the sun along the Rhone River, towards Lake Geneva.
Our campers then spent the afternoon relaxing in the sun and swimming in the pool and lake. Most tried out the diving boards, plunging into the water and swimming out to the floating pontoon.
At dinner, our campers were treated to a delicious meal to celebrate National Swiss Day! The meal consisted of some very Swiss dishes: quiche, Tartiflette, and peaches and ice cream.
The evening was then spent on the climbing wall, playing climbing games and practising key skills. No doubt all of our campers slept well after such a busy day!
En route to the swimming pool!
Session 3 – Day Nine – Blue Group
Yesterday the Blue and Red Groups hiked up to a chalet in the mountains for a night of camping. In the evening our campers had a BBQ and played some team-building games, before settling down to sleep in bunk rooms.
In the morning, Blue Group woke up bright and early at the Alpine Refuge Centre! The walk down the mountain was easy, with all of the campers looking forward to the afternoon ahead: an afternoon spent at the Villeneuve open-air swimming pool.
Our campers ate their picnics and covered themselves in suncream before jumping in the water and having loads of fun.
After a special dinner of Tartiflette for National Swiss Day, our campers then enjoyed putting their card-playing skills to the test with a casino night. What a fun and diverse night!
3, 2, 1… Jump!
Session 3 – Day Nine – Red Group
Red Group started the day with a refreshing hike down the mountain from the Alpine Refuge Centre. After a speedy change of clothes, our campers were ready to head off to the Villeneuve Swimming Pool.
After a picnic lunch, the afternoon was spent swimming, diving and playing in Lake Geneva and the pool.
Red Group then had a much-needed, relaxing Casino night before heading to bed, ready for tomorrow’s activities.
A refreshing dip was just what we needed on such a hot day!
