Camp Journal
Session 1 – Day Two – Green Group
28th June 2016
The Green Group started the day with a delicious breakfast followed by a kit chat where the campers were required to have all their equipment ready. The Activity Leaders (Steve, Emma and Adam) gave us our gloves and helmets and then we went on the minibus to Plan De Croix. Once there, Adam gave the campers their bikes and some safety tips and advice. Then we went through a course of cones. this allowed us to practice breaking and staying balance on the bikes. After a couple of laps of that we started doing a game of ‘Follow the Leader’. After all of the campers were confident we started to go on more challenging terrain.This involved laps of grass with wooden obstacles such as a ‘Tittertotter’ and mini jumps. After two hours playing on the bikes the campers biked back to camp by going through the forest.
After lunch all of the kids got put into their first language classes where they played icebreaker games and got to know their classmates. This was followed by Shower Hour , dinner and then football fans watched the Spain VS Italy game. The campers then went to their evening activities which involved sports games on the football pitch.
What a great day!
Showing off new skills!
Green Group
Flying round those corners!
Session 1 – Day Two – Blue Group
Today the Blue Group had an incredible day under the warm Swiss sun. After a filling breakfast and a meet to give Blue Group the breakdown of the day, they all went to their language classes: English, French or German. As soon as the lessons were over at 12:15 we took the bus to Labyrinth Adventure Park. Once we arrived we devoured our packed lunches and then everyone ran off in groups to discover the park. There was a mini version of ‘The Total Wipe Out’ balls and a huge maze (which we got a little bit lost in) and many more fun games and activities!
After an exhausting day at Labyrinth, we filled ourselves with Burritos and Eton Mess at dinner back at camp. After dinner we played a game of bingo. Overall it has been a fantastic day!
Sumo Wrestling is hard work!
Big smiles at Labyrinth Adventure Park
Gladiator Tournament!
Session 1 – Day One – Yellow Group
27th June 2016
First morning at Camp Suisse began with morning breakfast, before a fun filled day! The campers gathered for a morning meeting to go over the plan and make sure we were ready for the day ahead. The children had a morning language test, which went really well, and then we headed down the mountain to go banana boating.
When we arrived at Lake Geneva, we all sat down and had a picnic on the grassy area and got ready to go on the boat. Everyone had a go on the banana boat and in most cases took a plunge in Lake Geneva. Luckily enough the lake was at 19 degrees (Celsius) so it was pretty warm! After a lot of fun and screaming the children had time to chill. There was a swimming pool and slides on the lake shore – it was awesome. We played games on the grass and had a lot of fun and the weather was lovely. At around 16:30 we packed up and headed back to camp.
In the evening, the campers had a go at giant scrabble and made us use the dictionaries a few times. After such a good day, everyone headed to bed to prepare for Day Two at Camp Suisse.
Cruising along Lake Geneva
SPLAAAAASH!!
Taking a break to appreciate the view
Session 1 – Day One – Blue Group
Day One of Camp Suisse for the Blue Group began with a vibrant sports session; campers played some fun icebreaker games before competing in dodgeball, splat and football matches. This was followed by small language tests in English, German and French where campers had the chance to show off their language skills so they could be placed into language groups.
The afternoon session comprised of an archery session which culminated in a competition. Third place was rewarded to Anastasia K and second place went to Lucia R. In first place, with some very impressive shots, was Peter S.
Session 1 – Day One – Green Group
On the first full day at Camp Suisse the Green Group had a very fun day ahead of them. After breakfast we gathered together and made sure we were all ready for the day as we were going banana boating! However, before going down to the valley the campers had to do a small language skill test to help place them in the best group for their ability.While we waited for everyone to finish their test we played some intense Jenga games and got to know everyone in the group a little better.
The awaited moment came and we finally got on the bus with Andy, the best bus driver ever! He gracefully took us down the mountain road with all those scary mountain corners with ease and soon we were on the shores of Lake Geneva. There we eagerly ate our picnic and got ready to go on the boat. Everyone took part and went on the banana boat. Whenever we fell off there was both little and not-so-little screams from everyone! It was so much fun! There was also a swimming pool and a slide on the lake shore which helped make the afternoon even better. Fortunately the weather was good to us and we got to enjoy playing and relaxing on the shore. At 16:30 we packed our things and headed back up to camp.
In the evening we played a multi-lingual giant scrabble which was great fun and made us all use our brains and we
ven had to refer to the dictionaries a few times.
After such a fun and exciting day, everyone was happily tired and we couldn’t wait to get to bed to get some much needed sleep.
Banana Boating
Taking a dip in Lake Geneva
Taking a minute to appreciate the view
Session 1 – Day One – Red Group
The Red Group enjoyed a morning of sporting activities which included dodge-ball, football, splat and the screaming game (the children definitely enjoyed this game more than the adults did!). After enjoying a range of hot lunch options the group made their way to archery. It is clear that we have some future Olympic archers in this group!
We spent the evening hunting around Torgon on a scavenger hunt which was so much fun. All of the campers have really enjoyed their day and can’t wait for the next fun day at camp.
Session 1 – Arrivals Day
26th June 2016
The first Arrival Day of the summer was a great success. At the airport we had campers arriving from all over the world! We had flights coming in from the UK, USA, Norway, Canada, Spain, Finland, Sweden, France, Egypt and Kenya! We also had lots of campers arriving at camp with their parents.
The weather was a little rainy at camp but that did not dampen anyone’s mood as all the campers seemed very enthusiastic and super excited to be here! Campers had time to get to meet their room mates and unpack into their new camp home. We all sat down to a delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognese, garlic bread and upside down peach cake with ice-cream. It was delicious and much-needed after a long, exciting day of travel!
Campers then spent some time in the evening in their colour groups with their group leaders getting to know each other. We then all had an early night to get us ready for all the fun and activities ahead of us this session!
St Ivo Days One & Two – Group 1
21st June 2016
Sunday
Very early morning for Coach 1 because Sunday was Glacier day!Its officially summer but evidently the Glacier hadn’t got the memo. However, we battled through the cold and snow to the husky dogs and their fantastic owner Rene. Sledging with the huskies and some red-setters was brilliant fun and everyone got to pet the dogs after!After the huskies we retreated to the warmth of the Glacier 3000 building where the campers got an opportunity to shop for some souvenirs.
Back at camp the afternoon activities comprised of archery and climbing with half of Coach 1 doing one activity and the other half doing the other.
Monday
Torgon awoke to a beautiful sunny day and the campers were in high spirits as the groups swapped and took part in either archery or climbing for the morning session. After another two great sessions with positive feedback from staff (and more impressive climbing from Mr Slingsby). Coach 1 had lunch and prepared to hike to the Camp Suisse camp site.
The lovely weather and scenic routes helped the campers to set a record time for the ascent from base camp up to the camp site. The evening saw Coach 1 campers walk up to the Swiss – French border to get a glimpse of the valleys below our 2000m vantage point and Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva in the distance. After a BBQ diner we all settled down for a well deserved rest.
St Ivo Days One & Two – Coach 3
Sunday
The bad weather did not dampen St Ivo’s first activity filled day at Camp Suisse. The kids set off for the Aquaparc with an exciting afternoon in store. The water park is renowned for its exhilarating free falling slides that plunge you into water at high speed. The kids had plenty of time to explore the park and experience the amusements on offer. The ‘Devil Drop’ was without a doubt the favourite of the kids. Afterwards the children enjoyed homemade waffles with fresh Swiss cream. It can easily be said that our water filled adventure went swimmingly! However, the day did not end there. We returned to our beloved Camp Suisse for a tasty meal that quenched the kids hunger. The evening was filled with various activities such as football tournaments, bingo and movies which concluded the first exciting day for our campers.
Monday
The kids woke up to glorious sunshine the next day (which was definitely not brought with them from the UK)! Everyone was extremely excited for the day and for the activities that were in store for them. We set them off on a bicycle ride from Nionnaz, a small town close to camp, to the beautiful Montreux. The bike ride through the valley is extremely scenic and picturesque with the mountains creating an amazing backdrop. After a pleasant 13 km cycle, we arrived at Montreux and made our way to Villeneuve, which is a swimming pool and green area located on the beautiful Lake Geneva. The kids got the chance to bask in the lovely Swiss sun while enjoying a nice swim or a game of water-polo. After reaching an all time high of Vitamin-D, we headed back to Camp to see what the evening had to offer. The football tournament from the previous evening continued due to popular demand while table-tennis, watching DVDs or simply chatting with friends dominated the centre and brought the beautiful day to a close.
St Ivo Days One & Two – Coach 2
Sunday
After a long and tiring bus journey, St Ivo’s students were glad to have a bit of time off on Saturday in order to get ready for Sunday’s excitement: a day at the Aquaparc! They woke up bright and early and jumped on the coach for the beautiful and scenic drive down the mountain. Having arrived at the Aquaparc, the students received a safety briefing and were then sent off to enjoy the slides. Everyone had a fantastic day and a few voices were lost from all the screaming!
After some bingo, 5-a-side footie, or a film, the students all went to bed exhausted but satisfied. What a great first day!
Monday
The sun shined on Monday morning for the 5:30 am wake up call. Despite bleary eyes and lots of yawning, the kids were all up and wrapped up warm for a morning trip to the Glacier, 3000m above sea level! Two cable carts and a chair lift later, the students were running around in knee deep snow and taking in the breath taking views of the Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. After a few snowballs were thrown the students took turns riding the sledge pulled by a team of Huskies and Red Settlers. Rene, their owner, answered all their questions and even let them pet the dogs, which was probably the best part of the day for the children! Lunch was slightly challenging due to the huge layer of snow covering the picnic benches, buts its definitely not something to complain about.
After lunch we went back down the cable carts and onto the bus for an afternoon of new activities at camp. Half the coach learnt to rock climb on the inside wall whilst the other half played at being Robin Hood learning archery. The group was tired but really enthusiastic, giving their best until the end. It should have been an early night for Coach 2, however, the call of England playing football was too strong for many of them who stayed up to watch the (disappointing) match.
Another full and exciting day which hopefully has only whetted their appetite for more!
