Camp Journal
Day one – Reds and Blues
29th July 2012
Campers awoke to their first day at CS in the clouds after last night’s thunderstorm. Woken at 7.30am by the morning CS team, campers gorged themselves on a breakfast of cereals, yoghurts, fruit, toast and juices before embarking on a morning tennis followed by language assessments. The language assessment is carried out to ensure that campers are places in to the correct group for their ability amd to ensure that they benefit as much as possible from their time at camp.
Lunch was held in resort before an afternoon of navigating the forest in orienteering session led by activity leaders Calum and Kirsty followed by Ghyll scrambling in the nearby mountain stream. Despite the cold, Blue group thoroughly enjoyed their watery adventure and some campers, such as Avery, Maan, Emerine, Renata and Stefania even embraced the elements by dunking their whole bodies in the refreshing alpine water. After a welcomed hot shower during shower hour, campers enjoyed some free time before the evening meal of soup, a selection of pizzas, wedges and salads followed by pineapple upside down cake. The unique CS treasure hunt ‘Torgona Hunt’ followed dinner and campers answered cryptic clues to win a variety of prizes, with the overall winners being the Dancing Pickles.
By now, fully immersed in to Camp Suisse life, campers headed to bed ready for tomorrow, their first proper day of languages and of course the Labyrinth.
Red group
Day one of camp for the red group consisted of breakfast followed by language testing and sports. Spanish and English were first with the rest playing tennis, which was followed by Italian, German and French. After lunch, the Reds took to the archery arena with Toria and JP through the safety procedure the children broke into teams of 4 and practised. Ramzi and Lusitana stood out, with Lusitana hitting the yellow thing earning the name of Mrs Robin Hood. Her flare for sports was carried on to the climbing wall where she show cased her climbing skills a lot with Ramzi, Martin and Eumin. After a big treat of dinner the Red group were on the Torgona hunt breaking in to teams they went to search around camp to find answers in order to win.
Yellow
Day 3 started with the usual fuel up in the morning with cereal toast and fruit followed by saying hello, hola, bonjour, gutenmorgen or bonjourno to our teachers for language classes. Yellow got their trainers on for some tennis with Oli and after a busy morning a lunch break was in order, so we sat down for a tasty selection of pastas, couscous and salad.
When campers were suitably refuelled we excitedly hopped in to the minibus and were taken to Plan de Croix for mountain biking with Calum, Jim, JP and Toria. Campers then checked their own bikes were fully fit to ride after learning how to ‘m-check’. This is a technique commonly used in mountain biking to check the bike over for working order from seat to tyres. Once campers were happy their bikes were up to scratch we had a go first on the flats getting used to breaking and speed. When they had mastered this, it was time to hit the trails. Yellow group were challenged with a variety of obstacles to overcome our descent back down to camp. The weather was wonderful and yellows thoroughly enjoyed improving their mountain biking skills.
Once back at camp, yellows took a well-deserved shower, followed by supper, which everyone was happy to learn that tonight was fajita night. Once supper was finished we went off exploring Torgon for the Torgona Hunt – where campers rush around the resort in teams in search of information about the area in as short a time as possible. After a tiring day yellows headed to bed looking forward to the next day’s schedule of orienteering and Ghyll scrambling.
Ils arrivent!
28th July 2012
As staff wished session 2 campers bon voyage and farewell as session 3 got under way. Camp Suisse staff were in Torgon and at the airport to welcome our new intake of adventurous youths yesterday.
After discovering who will be their roommates for the next several days, campers received a sterling gastronomic initiation with a quintessential British dinner comprising of cottage pie and bread and butter pudding for desert. Just before bed the campers discovered more about each other, played some games and were briefed on what delights Camp Suisse staff have in store for them in the coming week. Be sure to check back in to the blog as we update you with all of the new occurrences at Camp Suisse on a daily basis.
Goodbye Greens
Green group
It was an early start for the Green group at Camp Suisse along with all the campers to the ends of their fantastic session. The early – birds woke at 4.45 and enjoyed their last yummy breakfast before saying their goodbyes at the airport. All those campers lucky enough to be staying at Camp Suisse were treated to a trip to the Cailler Chocolate factory and the Gruyere cheese factory. They were sure to capitalise on the collection of chocolaty freebies. A day of mixed emotions here at Camp Suisse; sad goodbyes, but with happy memories and the promise of more for all those who are already talking of coming back next year. See you soon folks!
Reds and Blues Camping
25th July 2012
Reds and Blues
An excited aura surrounded camp for the Reds and Blues as they eagerly awaited their camping expedition at the Ski refuge located further in to the mountain. After a thorough kit check by our enthusiastic activity leaders Toria, Kirsty and Tom, who were leading our hike, the Red group set off in the minibus to be dropped at a higher location. Whilst the intrepid Blue group began their hike from Camp Suisse HQ. It was a hot and sunny day, but each camper found their inner Edmund Hilary and walked overcame difficult terrain with little complaint, accompanied by some excellent singing and stories along the way. Particularly enthusiastic hikers Anjola and Demi led the Blue group, while Jackson headed the Red group.
After nearly 4 hours of walking in the baking Swiss sun plentiful with breaks for water from the mountainous water troughs along the way we reached our destination. Any tiredness the campers may have felt was soon forgotten as the groups discovered the chalet. They eagerly found their rooms and enjoyed some free time relaxing, playing table tennis and table football. For those campers still abundant in energy, they headed across the French boarder to appreciate the scenery and collect wood for the fire.
A long day of walking had allowed the campers to work up a fierce appetite and all were appreciative of the evening BBQ prepared by our wonderful kitchen staff with a variety of sausage, burgers, chicken, potatoes and salads served. Evening entertainment was performed around the campfire and songs and stories were shared between all campers. Maan was particularly impressed with Toria’s Torgon song! Meanwhile Piper, Nathan and Lejla provided some scary Camp Suisse stories. Time enough for hot chocolate banana boats before the exhausted campers headed off to bed.
The next morning, campers awoke to a beautiful morning and quickly assembled for a scrumptious breakfast of beans on toast and cereal. After campers had packed up their dorms and had a final refill of water bottles they bid au revoir to their fabulous chefs and headed off down the mountain. Tom kept the group together at a sensible place with plenty of water breaks in the lovely sunshine. The campers had clearly recovered from the previous day’s exertions and raced down the mountain at a record pace of under two hours.
Reds
After such a busy previous 24 hours the Red group enjoyed a slightly more leisurely afternoon of mural painting and a walk into the forest. Each group painted their own poster with some excellent Italian patriotism on display from Eve and Ricardo. With a swift break for afternoon tea and Red group headed into the forest, where the boys and girls built some excellent rival dens. An evening DVD and hot chocolate settled a thoroughly chilled out day for the Red group.
Green
Another glorious day in Torgon made for a nice start to the morning activities and laid the perfect scene for Camp Suisse’s very own Wimbledon. Both halves of the group gave their best performance and a moment in shade for lunch was welcomed by all. For the afternoon the group was divided in half again and the teams alternated between climbing on the indoor wall and trying their hand at the art of archery. With an evening activity of Giant Scrabble all were keen to jump into bed at the nearest opportunity and pick up a good night’s sleep.
Mountain Biking – White Group
24th July 2012
After lunch the group fitted out with gloves and helmets before heading up to Plan de Croix with Calum, Sarah, Rosie and Chris. They instructed the group on the set of skills required to safely bike down the mountain. Mountain biking requires the rider to have good core strength and balance as they negotiate the bike over uneven terrain. The group was split into 3 teams, blue white and green and so they seperately descended the mountain from Plan de croix riding over the various roads and trails that lead them back to Camp Suisse HQ. Particular congratulations to Sabine and Mera who both conquered their fear of cycling and were able to complete the last trail with confidence.
After such an adventurous afternoon mountain biking, the group took part in the 3 minute movie making evening activity. They split in to small groups and acted out a short 3 minute summary of their chosen movie ranging from James Bond to Titanic. After editing, the films will be uploaded to our Youtube channel and Facebook page.
Camp Adventure For The Greens
Green group were sure to stock up on breakfast sustenance before heading off to their languages or sports in their second week of learning. So with the sun still shining many classrooms moved outside on to the decking for a bit of outdoor linguistic learning and the football pitch could be enjoyed at its best. 
Before the much anticipated mountainous hike up to camp, back packs were checked and camping kit was collected. The track is steep, but Marie says determination was high and with a steady pace they arrived at the ski refuge in good time. They established bunks and were allowed a little free time before the mission of wood collecting was declared. They all branched out in various directions and returned with an enormous amount of wood. The hungry campers were rewarded with a tasty bbq dinner when third and even forth portions were happily consumed.
After dinner, eight adventurous hikers set off for a steep trek to the French boarder. The view of Mont Blanc and the French Alps with the sun setting in the back ground was adequate reward for the extra effort made. Meanwhile, the campfire was lit for their return and the group of high spirited campers enjoyed chocolate bananas and toasted marshmallows while singing until tiredness drew the wonderful day to a close.
Day 2
The well slept campers enjoyed waking up to a hearty breakfast of beans on toast and cereal. They were keen to set off back to Camp Suisse HQ to discover what the afternoon would have in store for them. Green group welcomed the downhill hike after the uphill slog yesterday, however, after our path was blocked by some scary looking mountainous Swiss cows, Calum and Rosie redirected the group. Keen hikers and aspiring Camp Suisse activity leaders Vasil, Andrew and Jan lead the way and we hope that in the meantime they will return as Camp mentors. For the older teenagers who eventually find themselves too old to return to Camp Suisse as a camper we allow them to return instead as a Camp mentor where they assist Camp Suisse staff in group leading responsibilities.
On their return to camp, Green group had a swift 10 minutes to ditch their camping gear, refill their rucksacks with swimming costumes and beach clothes and off down to Lake Geneva for banana boating in the afternoon. Each camper took a ride on the banana boat around the incredibly scenic Lake Geneva. There was no time, however, to take in the view as campers struggled to remain on the banana boat as it bounced over waves and took sharp turns eventually throwing them off in to the water. After the boat rides there was enough time to grab an ice-cream and muse in the sun before making it back to the camp in time for shower hour and some succulent chicken pie or vegetable tagine. Campers Jules and Dimir were very keen on the Great British desert Bread and Butter pudding.
Green group, received a quick briefing of the excitement that tomorrow’s activities have in store for them before settling down for some splendid Camp Suisse hot chocolate and Pirates of the Caribbean film.
Wandering Through The Woods – Blue Group
23rd July 2012
Without a cloud in the sky, Blue group awoke to the best weather we have had here at camp this season. With a hearty breakfast of cereal, fresh fruit and lashings of chocolate spread under their belt, the normal morning routine got under way however the language teachers had a twist for their morning sessions. Members of the Blue group performed a small presentation in which they had the opportunity to show off their new language skills.
A fresh lunch of salad, pasta and fish finger sarnies set the afternoon off nicely. The Blue group were educated about the wonderful surprises that nature harbours in this particular alpine region. On the bush craft hike, with activity leader Calum, the blue group learned about how to survive in the wild. They learned that if you filter dirty water through moss it becomes more potable. They also went foraging for edible leaves that unexpectedly taste of sour apples.
The sun continued to beat down on the Blue group as they head back to Camp Suisse HQ in the late afternoon. So after dinner, the Blue group were required to condense a popular film in to a 3 minute summary. Check out our Youtube channel and Facebook page to see how they did and leave your comments.
Red – Outdoor climbing
The campers of Red group tried their hand at tennis and basketball on this bright and glorious Monday morning. Language lessons were also extra special as the group showed off their newly acquired linguistic skills in some fantastic presentations. The campers sung a song, acted a play or spoke about something in their chosen foreign language. Keep an eye on our Youtube channel and Facebook page for recordings of these presentations.
The campers of Red group tried their hand at tennis and basketball on this bright and glorious Monday morning. Language lessons were also extra special as the group showed off their newly acquired linguistic skills in some fantastic presentations. The campers sung a song, acted a play or spoke about something in their chosen foreign language. Keep an eye on our Youtube channel and Facebook page for recordings of these presentations.So after a quick spot of lunch, the Reds hopped on the coach and headed down the mountain for some outdoor climbing. Some of the campers remarked on the height of the rock face, but Tom and Kirsty settled campers’ anxieties and soon enough all were attempting the wall ascent. Having had plenty of practice on the indoor wall at the centre, the Red group scaled the heights fearlessly with every single member of the group reaching the top.The group looks forward to more outdoor adventure with the camping excursion tomorrow.
So after a quick spot of lunch, the Reds hopped on the coach and headed down the mountain for some outdoor climbing. Some of the campers remarked on the height of the rock face, but Tom and Kirsty settled campers’ anxieties and soon enough all were attempting the wall ascent. Having had plenty of practice on the indoor wall at the centre, the Red group scaled the heights fearlessly with every single
member of the group reaching the top.The group looks forward to more outdoor adventure with the camping excursion tomorrow.
White Group Tennis Tournament
The White group were greeted with a cloudless sky this morning so after a cheery breakfast all were excited to take part in their last session of tennis with Oli. All group members competed in a doubles tournament, which saw Lou Lou and Marius winning the title in a hotly fought contest with Matt and Jordan in the final. The final itself was spectated by the whole group, with everyone fulfilling a role such as ball boy/girl, umpire or line judge.
Lunch arrived soon enough and after a succulent fish finger sandwich the white group set off for a fun filled afternoon at Parc Aventure. The group clambered up ladders, swung across ropes and ziplined through the trees all at 20 metres off the ground.
After chicken drum sticks and karaoke night, the clear night sky revealing the blanket of stars indicates that tomorrow should be another fabulously clear day, but the Whites will be sure to take their SPF with them on tomorrow’s adventure as temperatures are predicted to reach 29 degrees.
