Camp Journal
Camp Suisse Is For Life Not Just For Summer
2nd July 2012
Isaac, 17, from Chichester, who first attended the Camp at the age of 14 and is returning this year as a mentor, says Camp Suisse enabled him to forge new friendships, learn new languages and participate in exciting activities, which all serves as his inspiration for a career in the Royal Navy.
“I first went to Camp Suisse when I was 14 when my friend Harry and I won places to go in a competition. Before arriving I was worried I wouldn’t fit in and that everyone would be wealthy, but that just wasn’t the case. I soon realised that there was no hierarchy; what mattered was getting stuck into the activities.
“Switzerland and Torgon in particular are beautiful places to be. The environment combined with the activities, such as mountain-lake swimming and banana boating on Lake Geneva meant I had a truly unforgettable experience.
“The food and facilities at Camp Suisse were great. As a hungry teenage boy you often worry about going without, but there was always plenty of food there and lots of choice. The accommodation was great too; we had proper bedrooms and beds which meant everyone got a good night’s sleep and didn’t become tired or irritable.
“The whole experience served to make me much more confident. From travelling alone, to mixing with people whose native tongue was different from mine, I was pushed to learn and to use my initiative. This is something that has made me grow as a person and has helped me to achieve my goals.
“I made friends from all over the world who I am still in touch with today. Although French was never my strongest subject at school, I am sure that Camp Suisse and my new international friends are the reasons I managed to pass my GCSE.
“I think Camp Suisse helped me realise where my future career lies. It certainly helped me understand more about myself, what I am good at and what I enjoy. I know that I would never be happy in an office environment doing a routine type job. I also discovered I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie and like excitement and risks. I have, as a direct consequence of Camp Suisse, decided to join the Royal Navy as a warfare officer. I hope to go to Britannia Royal Naval College to begin training straight after my A levels. I’ll do my degree through the navy but will also have plenty of other exciting opportunities and eventually, take command of my own ship.
“I am thrilled to be going back to Torgon as a camp mentor and it enables me to give something back. It will also help me develop my leadership skills before I got to Admiralty Interview Board next year. I have talked about Camp Suisse so much that my sister, who is at medical school, will be attending as a group leader this summer too. She is hoping to improve her French as she wants to work with Medicines Sans Frontieres after she has qualified. It’s great that we’ll be at camp at the same time”
An A-MAZE-ING day out!
1st July 2012
Today welcomed the first official day of Camp Suisse with an action-packed day in the labyrinth. Home to an enormous maze and attractions galore, it promised to be an adventurous start to the first International session.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best for the Red and Blue group’s big day out, but that didn’t put off the intrepid explorers of Torgon. After a short bus journey down the mountain we were all ready to go, excited at the prospect of completing the many challenges that lay ahead.As soon as we entered the labyrinth it was clear that we were going to have an unforgettable afternoon of fun. The lure of the many different games that littered the attraction proved to be just too strong for a lot of our campers (and staff!) who simply couldn’t wait to try their hand at one or more of the games.
Then eventually came the time to enter the maze. Unfortunately the maze proved too tough for the majority of staff members, but some of the campers were brilliant at working out which route to take in order to complete their challenging task. A series of twisting routes, tall hedges and mysterious treasure chests (containing the promise of free ice-cream!) was home to the younger campers for a couple of hours.
After having made their way out of the maze, a plethora of activities and games presented themselves to our campers. From inflatable bucking broncos to an enormous helter-skelter, the Reds made use of their time on the activities with a huge smile on their faces. Crazy bicycles were one of the highlights for our campers, along with an enormous bouncy castle that some of the girls coped with a lot better than the boys!
After that it was just a short ride back up the mountain to our base before the evening activity (a choice of either bingo or the European cup final) and bedtime. Exhausted but delighted, the campers made their way to bed with the thought of their first language classes in the morning! Roll on Monday.
Session 1 Arrivals Day!
30th June 2012
I woke up yesterday morning to the upbeat aura that was surrounding camp and with the glorious sunshine lighting up the mountains; we were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the first International Session of Summer of 2012. All over the world there were 117 campers also preparing themselves for either their first ever summer camp or to return to us after a fantastic trip last year. I accompanied several other members of staff early Saturday morning to our arrivals desk in Geneva airport to be the first friendly faces to welcome and greet our campers. Shortly after their arrival our campers begun the beautiful journey up the mountain to Torgon where, upon arrival, they took a look at all the super facilities we have onsite and finally met with the other campers.
Rosie, Toria and Jon were among other staff to welcome campers and parents alike to Camp Suisse. They played games and organised activities with the campers on the tennis courts and football pitch. At 6.30pm, when almost everyone had settled in, dinner was served – succulent chicken chasseur with potato wedges or vegetable paella with our fabulous unlimited salad bar was on the menu. Our campers especially enjoyed waffles and ice-cream for dessert.
After dinner, each Colour Group gathered to welcome and introduce themselves to the other campers of their own age and to meet all the Group Leaders. There are five colour groups at Camp Suisse:
Red campers are aged 7-9
Blue campers are aged 10-11
Green campers are aged 12-13
White campers are aged 14
Yellow campers are aged 15-17
On Saturday evening the campers played ‘getting to know each other games’ where they forged friendships and found out more about their fellow campers. After a lively day of travel and socialising, bedtime for the campers shortly followed. All campers and staff are now looking forward to all the excitement and adventure to come.
Nicky – Group Leader
Rain Does Not Stop Play At Camp Suisse
29th June 2012
We’d love to be able to guarantee perfect weather all summer long at Camp Suisse, but even our outdoor pursuits experts can’t promise sunshine seven days a week.So to make sure that a rainy day doesn’t stop campers enjoying the mountains, we’ve worked hard since last summer to create an Alpine Outpost that will enable us to offer camping and lots of other great Alpine activities, whatever the weather.The Alpine Outpost has been created in response to feedback from visitors that tells us they really enjoy the camping trip. After disappointing weather last summer we decided to ensure that rain will not stop this key activity in future. The new outpost nestles in the mountains a good hike away from Camp HQ. Inspired by the Alpine tradition of ski refuges used by climbers and skiers as a place to sleep in bad weather, or simply as an overnight stop on an expedition away from home, we’ve created a dry, safe environment that offers a great alternative to outdoor camping when the weather is against us.
St. Ivo – Day 5
27th June 2012
Coach 1
After a rainy day and a great night’s sleep in our Alpine Outpost we woke up to sunshine and got ready to squelch through the mud back to camp! Practically running down the mountain, we were all keen to get back to camp and on the bus to…Aquaparc!
We spent the afternoon fearlessly throwing ourselves down the flumes. Whilst some of were twirling and swirling our way down the Vortex others dropped down kamikaze, hardly even touching the sides. We sunbathed round the lazy river and made a splash in the wave pool. After begging our Group Leaders to let us stay longer it was finally time to make our way back up the mountain to Torgon so as not to miss dinner!
After a relaxing evening of hot chocolate and a dvd it was time for bed. All looking forward to the early start and the glacier tomorrow!
Coach 2
After a filling breakfast, one half of Coach 2 headed to the mountain bike helmet store to get kitted out for a morning following some awesome trails in the beautiful woods surrounding Torgon. Some of us had never mountain biked before but had lots of fun learning about the biking – the best positions to be in on different terrains, the front and rear brakes, and how to cycle safely in the mountains. A well deserved lunch was held on the decking in the sunshine: tasty sandwiches, fruit, a cereal bar and a juicy ice-lolly. We hopped on the bus in the afternoon, swapping with the other half of Coach 2, to try our hands at a bit of outdoor rock climbing at Collombey crag in the valley bottom. Everyone made it to the top with encouragement from the rest of the group, even Miss Winchester and Alice, a Sixth Former, showed off their skills and reached the highest point!
Back to camp for soup, chicken pie, potatoes, salad and scrumptious Eton Mess. Then, after some free time, an enthusiastic music quiz was held for Coaches 2 and 3. The results will be amalgamated with those from Coach 1, which was held on Monday, then announced tomorrow at breakfast! I am looking forward to a busy day tomorrow, when Coach 1 and Coach 2 will be heading to the Glacier and Villeneuve Pool! Check out tomorrow’s blog to find out more…
Coach 3
What a way to start your morning than a 6am breakfast call! However, spirits were high as today was the much awaited GLACIER DAY! Coach 3 were kitted out and ready to hit the road by 6:45 to make it to the cable cars up to the glacier. Once there, the kids and staff all enjoyed a ride on the husky dog sleds before climbing to the amazing Glacier 3000 view point for some scenic views and interesting glacier facts from activity leaders Rosie and Calum. As if the day couldn’t get more exciting, the coach then made its way to Villeneuve swimming pool; much fun was had jumping from 7m diving boards and plaing games on the beach! Finally, for some evening entertainment the kids took part in a very competitive music quiz testing their knowledge on music from the Rolling Stones to Justin Beiber. The coach 3 kids didn’t need to be told to go to bed twice after a tiring day, bring on the banana boating at the beach tomorrow!
St Ivo – Day 4
26th June 2012
Coach 2
After a busy night of campfires, quizzes, nature walks and ‘BBQ’ing’, the campers were surprisingly spritely early this morning- possibly due to the cooked breakfast supplied by the kitchen staff on our trip away from camp. Having tidied the cabin, the group set off back down the mountain to camp. One would think this would be the easier half of the walk- not the case. A field of overly curious cows proved to be quite the hurdle. Having walked half way into their domain, one cow took it upon herself to stand on the path, stubbornly refusing to be moved. However friendly her intentions, the diversion back around the herd of cows created several muddy bums- to say the least!
Eventually arriving back at camp, we had a quick lunch and took off for the Aqua Parc to enjoy the slides, pool, and, most importantly, to wash. After spending the afternoon running havoc around the park, the campers piled onto the coach and we headed back up to Torgon for the evening. A filling cottage pie for dinner remedied the taxing previous couple of days, and an evening of hot chocolate whilst watching ‘School of Rock’ gave the group a breather so they could tackle Wednesday’s activities with the same vitality they began today’s!
Coach 3
Mountain biking and rock climbing
With the children split into two groups, one headed down the mountain to a crag whilst the others went the other way up the hill to find the bikes! Down at the crag the harnesses and helmets were fitted and the climbing began. With lots of shouts of motivation all the children climbed higher than they all thought they could. The children all got involved with 4 climbing at a time and the others learning to belay. After a speedy lunch back up at the centre it was time to pile into the minibus for a short ride up the hill with the children entertaining themselves by asking JD ,the driver, to say endless phrases in his Irish accent! With many of the children very excited about mountain biking we quickly got on the bikes and started some warming up practices and games. They were split into 3 groups and led down various trails to reach the centre again. Lots of muddy legs and dotty faces emerged from the trees as the group re-joined to head back for a much needed shower hour. The evening’s entertainment was the Torgona Hunt, which got the children running around in search of answers to the cryptic clues. Another fun packed day for all!
Day 2 – where’d the nice weather go?
25th June 2012
Coach 1
The first day at Camp Suisse kicked off to a glorious start with blue skies and sunshine beaming down; sounds like the perfect day for a trip to the beach! Banana boating in Lake Geneva was a great antidote to the long coach journey that had brought the campers from St Ivo School in the UK to Switzerland! Plenty of splashing ensured and a great day was had by all, made even better by the fun-filled Torgona hunt, later that evening. Unfortunately, the England football team failed to make it a perfect day, but hey, we can’t have it all!
Monday dawned with grey skies and showers, but luckily we were prepared for all occasions. The campers spent the day scaling the heights of the indoor climbing wall and honing their explorer skills with an orienteering activity. The adventure continued with some target practice at the archery field and all we were missing was Robin Hood himself!
After spending an entire day improving our team building skills, there was great effort put into the Music quiz by all the teams, with the Lobsters emerging as the winners, astounding everyone with their musical knowledge!
Coach 3
What a way for coach 3 to start the Camp Suisse experience…… CAMPING!!! The day started with a quick kit check before the rowdy campers set off on their hike along the winding mountain paths. The 3 hour hike, led by Activity Leaders Taff, Toria, Tom and Sarah, was made to feel quicker with Taff and Tom’s nature stops to educate the campers about the mountain’s eco-system. Finally arriving at the Alpine Outpost it was time for some well earned lunch before the afternoon’s activities commenced.
The afternoon consisted of splitting the group in half with half remaining at the camp site and completing a treasure hunt and one of Tom’s infamous night-lines, whilst the other half had a little nature walk to the top of the mountain from where they could see Mount Blanc and the French border. There was just enough time for the two groups to swap around before the brilliant BBQ set up by the Camp Suisse staff. After dinner the campers gathered around the campfire to sing some songs and tell some stories before heading off to bed.
When morning came sadly the weather was not as good as the previous day, and meant breakfast was eaten inside.
The morning’s activity was a quick hike back to centre (luckily mostly downhill this time!). Upon returning there was just enough time to change out of the wet hiking clothes and get ready for an action filled day at Aquaparc! The afternoon was spent getting adrenalin rushes on the slides and contrastingly chilling out on the lazy river.
The evening activity aimed to give the intrepid explorers a bit of a rest before the action starts again tomorrow, with a cup of Camp Suisse hot chocolate and a DVD.
Coach 2 – Camping… better late than never!
A delayed blog for which we apologise, but we were having so much fun camping that we had little time for writing (that and the fact that when camping one has no access to the net!).
Before the fun began at camping we had the little matter of a 3 hour hike. The weather was kind to us, although by no means a beautiful day the rain held off and the temperature was ideal for our hiking purposes. The students coped surprisingly well with such a mammoth hike, and despite the occasional ‘are we nearly there yet’, we all arrived safely together at the Alpine Outpost.
Once settled into our accommodation the activities began; ranging from hiking to the lookout spot to playing a nightline game, a great deal of fun was had by the masses.
The evening barbeque was just what we needed to warm our bellies and our spirits. Subsequent heat was amply provided by the roaring campfire that ensured. As we all stared in a caveman-like trance into the fire the banana boats (bananas cut open and their skins filled marshmallows and chocolate) were placed into the flames. A yummy, gooey-goodness filled hour later and it was time for the evening’s activities, which consisted on quizzes, bingo and some good old camp songs!
Bedtime was welcomed by all after an exhausting day of camping antics!
Day 1 – St Ivo… Best get the sun cream out!
24th June 2012
Beach Day
Today, coach 1 & 2 of our campers from St Ivo were treated to a fantastic day out at the beach on Lake Geneva. The sun was shining, everyone was eager and ready to go…wait for it…banana boating! I think it’s fair to say that a lot of fun was had and some happy (and funny) memories were made; definitely something to look back and smile about.
Camping
Our other campers from coach 3 were getting prepared for a camping experience they won’t forget in a hurry, at our new and exciting alpine outpost. They were given the full outdoors experience; taking in nature, plenty of fresh air and sitting by a camp fire with a good old BBQ…you can’t go wrong!
Everyone came back in high spirits and after their evening activities, including the classic Torgona Hunt, they were given the opportunity to wind down in the centre. Some watched football, others had a table tennis tournament and a lot of piano playing was heard with the occasional sing-along.
3 coach-strong St. Ivo
23rd June 2012
Later on this summer, the city of London will host the 2012 Olympic Games. The motto for such Games is “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” Latin for “Swifter, Higher, Stronger”. I suppose that very same motto is applicable to us here at Camp Suisse. Whilst we may not be competing on a similar scale to the London Olympic athletes, we’re always seeking to push up the boundaries of what we’re able to do.
St Ivo School and Camp Suisse have an incredibly strong relationship that has grown over the past few years. This year we believe that as a sign of just how far this relationship has come, the school has sent over 150 people (including the teachers) to our base here in Switzerland. When we compare this to the same school sending 100 people less a couple of years ago, it really helps provide us with an indication of how much we have grown as a company.
Taking all of this into consideration, Saturday 23rd June saw the latest schoolchildren arrive in Torgon with their bags packed ready for an adventurous week in the Alps. A mere 20 hour drive from England meant that our campers were slightly tired from their long drive, but as is often the case, they were eager to discover when they would be going through their itinerary for the week, with all of them having a different highlight to look forward to.
Led by the knowledgeable and dependable staff and accompanied by the eager sixth formers, the group, despite a later than anticipated arrival time, wasted no time at all in sorting out their accommodation and making sure that they all knew about the many different facilities on offer here.What will tomorrow bring? Well in addition to the good weather, a trip to the lake, a spot of countryside exploring, there’s also the small matter of a crucial European football match to watch AND one of the groups gets the privilege of being the very first group to experience our brand new activity for 2012. What a week this plans to be! 
