Camp Journal
Red and blue go to the labyrinth!
14th July 2013
The Swiss sun soared high in the sky to welcome the campers of Camp Suisse on their first day at Camp. Routines, procedures and rules had to be laid down so after campers awoke at 7:15 for breakfast, it was time for French and Spanish language students to take their assessment tests to determine their levels of mastery in their respective languages. English and German students went off to their selected sports before everyone swapped over.
Everyone chose their favourite from the five options on offer for lunch after which Group Leaders assembled everyone for the afternoon trip to the Labryinth Adventure maze. The mad dash of each group trying to find as many targets as possible before their competitors echoed around the maze. The fun and laughter continued with the groups enjoying the slides, bouncy castles and various other attractions on offer at the Labyrinth.
An unusually late afternoon then ensued with the Reds and Blues. Gifts and sweets were bought at the stalls of Montreux Jazz Festival with the peaceful lakeside setting, sunshine and background music providing the perfect ending to a first day.
SESSION TWO ARRIVALS DAY
13th July 2013
SESSION TWO ARE YOU READY?!?
We are all looking forward to welcoming you to Camp Suisse 2013!
Let the good times begin!
First Day of Session Two
As the campers all rolled in over a number of hours, many were getting to know their new group members or reuniting with returners.
For those who arrived before dinner, the activies that were offered were the climbing wall, tennis, sports at the football pitch and in the patinoire, as well as some good old table tennis!!
Many were anxious at the thought of not knowing anyone, but we can now say – noone seems to have inhibitions!
All in all a positive start to our new journey.
Watch this space!
Departures day!
12th July 2013
It is a sad time for all of us here at Camp Suisse!
To all the session one campers, the memories created here will stick with us for the rest of our lives.
It has been a pleasure meeting all of you and we hope you have enjoyed yourselves as much as we did!
From all the staff here at Camp Suisse, we wish you a safe journey home and hope to see you again next Summer!
MISSION DAY
11th July 2013
As the sun continued to shine at Camp Suisse, all colour groups gathered for Mission Day before lunch. Mission Day is known to cause excitement around camp for both staff and campers alike as the day involves carrying out a series of different tasks or “missions”. These missions were part of a military affair as campers were split into five squadrons that competed against each other – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo. With two squadron leaders commanding each group, points were awarded to squadrons depending upon how well they performed in each mission. In preparation of the afternoon activities, each squadron created and rehearsed chants and marches which were demonstrated in between missions to put fear into the eyes of enemy squadrons. Groups also applied camouflage to complete the army look. After lunch, the missions got underway. Vehicle mobility training included a timed relay around a course that tested everyones mountain biking skills. Target practice involved the use of bow and arrows as accuracy was needed to aim for the selected targets. The third mission, navigation skills, was based around orienteering as squadrons had to navigate to certain check points to collect letters. Groups then had to spell as many words as possible out of the letters they’d received. Vertical infiltration training took place on the climbing wall which contained challenging tasks such as climbing in the dark with the use of head torches. Finally, survival training demanded the use of adventurous bush craft methods. This entailed the art of building and camouflaging shelters as well as making a fire. It was a close battle between all five squadrons but team Bravo, headed by squadron leaders Matt and Jess, came out on top after winning the most amount of points in total. Overall, all campers enjoyed the thrill of Mission Day which strengthened the positive vibe around Camp Suisse as the end of session one approaches!
Green and yellow go bananas!
10th July 2013
Today the Green and Yellow group went down to Lake Geneva where they were able to be driven from side to side on a banana boat at top speeds. As well as the sun, the camper’s excitement and enthusiasm was shining for all to see. It was a great day for everybody involved, and it was even better to see people like Kasvi who had pre banana nerves to get on and have a great time going bananas with fellow campers whilst being thrown off into the sea. To top the day off the campers were allowed to visit the Montreaux Jazz Festival which enabled the campers to enjoy strolling by the lake side, browsing at various different stalls which sold different varieties of products for the campers to get their hands on. All in all a great day with fantastic positive attitudes and impeccable manners from our campers, very pleased! GO TEAM!
Blues test their skills
Blue group awoke at the camping cabin to another glorious day of sunshine which was perfect for the peaceful hike back to Camp Suisse HQ. The group made great time on their way back to camp leaving themselves an hour to freshen up before an extra special afternoon of activities. First up was a trip to Collombey and the chance to test the skills learned on the Camp Suisse indoor wall on a real rock face. Blue group were very enthusiastic to get involved with everybody attempting several of the 5 routes available. JP and Saakhi even managed to persuade Group Leaders Tina and Matt to join them in the notoriously difficult climbs – a test of teamwork as much as climbing prowess. A great day’s climbing ended just in time to avoid a mini storm before blues headed to the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival. The festival’s myriad attractions – from the ‘big – bungee’ trampolines to the many stalls and opportunities to stock up on souvenirs and gifts – kept the campers well entertained. By far the favourite attraction for the blue group boys was the mystical street performer whose tricks with the diablo, swords and juggling were matched only by his superb purple trousers on braces combination!
red and blues camping!
After their normal sport/language morning routine the red and blue group assembled in the patinoire sports hall for a quick kit check before setting off on the hike to… CAMPING! Or, as Seif pointed out, more glamping as the groups would be sleeping over in the Torgon Ski Club chalet just above Plan de Croix. Although hiking wasn’t everyone’s favourite activity, Tatjana and Ella improvised, making the most of their group leaders by getting piggy backs over the flat parts of the walk!! However the activity leaders also had to improvise when the road was blocked by some unimpressed looking cows with their young calves! Then, as if the walk hadn’t been exciting enough as the campers approached the chalet they were met by loud thunder and some distant flashes of thunder which the campers found amusing but a noticeable increase in walking pace was noted! Thankfully the weather improved in time for the bbq dinner and the ground was dry enough to be able to collect some wood for a cosy campfire constructed by Liam and Fearghal for roasting some marshmallows. The campers also learnt some entertaining new songs, the favourite definitely being Emma’s fruit salad song!!
After the fire the sleepy campers climbed into their sleeping bags in bunks for a good sleep before the hike back down to Camp Suisse the next morning.
Green and Yellow camping update!
9th July 2013
There aint no mountain high enough for our Greens and Yellows after mastering the 3 hour hike to our ‘glamping’ hut last night. The groups took to the hills like a duck to water reaching the hut in record time. With a handful of our more dedicated mountaineers pushing their limits and continuing their hike to reach France. Upon their return, the explorers were greeted by a sizzling BBQ. As the sun began to set over the horizon, the campers took to the campfire for cholocate bananas, toasted marshamallows and a good Swiss sing song, not forgetting the all important Camp Suisse traditional Sing-off. Today our campers have stayed on camp groups and taken to the ancient art of archery, practising their bowman skills. The second part of the afternoon saw some of our campers tackle their fears on the indoor climbing wall. Group leaders were particulary impressed by the bravery of Elissa and Caridad, who conquered their fears. Today also involved a very early breakfast for some of our campers as we welcomed the first day of Ramadan. We like to wish all our campers goodluck in their fasting!
Red and Blue have gone camping!
Red and Blue have taken to the mountain to enjoy a night out camping.
Watch this space!
