Camp Journal
10th July 2019
10th July 2019
The reds walked back from their camping trip to Camp Suisse then set off to Le Bouveret beach by the lake with their pic Nic lunch. The children enjoyed the pool, a large blow up pirate ship and slide as well as the clear blue lake! It was challenging to get Maisy and Sofian out of the pool! We all returned back to camp for dinner then afterwards each language class did their talent show of either singing, acting or presenting!
Meanwhile, the Greens and Yellows woke up at Lac de Taney on time for a tasty breakfast. They practised some sunrise Yoga by the lake before starting their hike back down the hill. A quick coach ride back, and they were ready for their language lesson.
9th July 2019
9th July 2019
The Greens and Yellows set off this morning on what felt to some like a never-ending hike. However, the campers were quickly distracted by the amazing views and some tricky riddles, and made it to our destination in no time. After a swim in the Lake at Taney, the children were treated to a delicious dinner before helping to build the campfire. Counsellors and campers shared songs and stories, and were even treated to a ukulele concert! Bedtime came around the campers were happy to rest their eyes after a great day of activity.
8th July 2019
8th July 2019
The Reds and Blues attended their language class in the morning then hopped on the bus to the Montreux Jazz Festival! We started with a picnic on the park then we walked around the many stalls where bracelets, keychains, teddy bears, ice cream and candy floss were purchased! We found a place that we’re giving away free balloons and the group could stick a pin on a map to show where they’re from… we had 5 different countries!
The Greens started their morning early, with a 6:30 breakfast before heading to Glacier 3000! The campers were super excited to board the gondolas up to the Glacier, and even more excited when they saw the Alpine roller coaster! The campers took turns sledding down the Glacier, before meeting the husky dogs that would pull them through the snow. Taking a break to refuel with a tasty packed lunch gave them the courage to try the Alpine coaster! The campers then hurried back to the bus to travel down to Montreux for the Jazz Festival! The children explored the Festival in small groups and treated themselves to ice-cream and souvenirs from the stalls. After a little dance, they came back to Camp for dinner.
7th July
7th July 2019
The Greens and Yellows took a rain-check for their trip to the beach today, and instead, after their language lesson in the morning, spent the day at the Aqua Parc! The children were in high spirits as they went down every slide and attraction in there. Some of the Yellows even braved the super scary Orange slide. It was a particularly delicious day for the Greens, who took a trip to the local Italian restaurant in the evening, and were each treated to their own pizza!
Sweet and Snowy
Today, the Red group had their language classes in the morning, and played games to learn in a fun interactive way. In Margaux’s class, the campers learned the alphabet and days of the week! In the afternoon, the Reds did an art jamming session to Disney songs. Maisy and Violette were dancing the Hula to Moana whilst painting beautiful faces and leaves. The children designed faces in the forest and built bug houses too. It was a very creative and beautiful day!
The Blues were in for a big day today, and after their language lessons and a hearty lunch of paninis, baked potatoes, and hot dogs, they got ready for their afternoon activities. Mountain biking and archery were exactly what the campers needed after a morning of lessons. The balance of learning and adventure is really enjoyable for the children, as there is always something new and exciting to do. After this, a quick shower, a quick call to the parents and a tasty dinner. The Blues were then confronted with a mystery plaguing Camp Suisse! The campers were able to solve it through teamwork and detection skills, and peace reined once again.
It was a sweet day for the Greens, who paid a visit to Cailler Chocolate Factory. The campers were eager to learn all about the origins of chocolate and the chocolate making process, but even more enthusiastic to try as much chocolate as they liked in the tasting room. With a few cases of ‘eyes bigger than our bellies’, a relaxed lunch in the sun was the only way to settle the stomachs, before taking the next stage of the journey to Gruyere Old Town. Don’t worry, moms and dads, there were plenty of bars bought from the Chocolate Shop as ‘presents for my family’, though whether they make it home or not is the question!
Gruyere was the perfect end to the day, allowing campers to explore the picturesque Old Town, and home of the famous Gruyere Cheese. Fondue not being appealing to some of the campers, many chose to sample the delicious crepes Gruyere had on offer.
Meanwhile, weary eyed Yellows woke up for an early 6:30am breakfast on Tuesday. Why’s that? It’s the Glacier 3000 excursion of course!
Yellows started the day by taking two cable cars up to one of the most famous glaciers in Switzerland, the Tsanfleuron. On arrival, they took the Ice Express chairlift to the face of the glacier, where we spent time sledding and sliding on icy white snow. Before the campers got too chilly, they were lucky enough to take a ride with the Husky Dogs around the glacier- what an incredible experience.
In the afternoon, the Yellows took a ride on the world’s highest alpine coaster, before taking a dizzying walk across the world’s highest bridge between the two mountain peaks- a record breaking day!
Languages and labyrinths
The Reds and Blues started their day with their first language class this morning. Their classes are made of campers from both groups and tailored to the children’s ability and interests. For the Reds especially, this is exciting as they love getting to learn with the Blues, and playing games to practise their new language. Today, most classes spent their time getting to know each-other, and gaining confidence in using their language skills.
In the afternoon, the Reds and Blues went on their first excursion to the Labyrinth Adventure Park. The children really enjoyed following each other round the different attractions, especially the maze and the outdoor pools. Friendships have started to blossom within both groups, and Adrianna came out of her shell and dare-devilled on the slides.
Meanwhile, the Greens were excited today to be getting into the outdoors for a thrilling afternoon of adventure. The campers were split into smaller groups, which help our instructors to make the session more refined to the campers’ needs, and means the children get more time doing each activity. One group walked to our Archery Range, and learned how to be as good as Merida with a bow and arrow. Some of our Greens were already practised hands, and Leonardo was able to show everyone how it’s done! Our other Greens were brought up the mountain to our special mountain biking courses. After lots of practice on the bikes, the campers were ready to style down the trails.
After an intense first day on Sunday, the Yellow group went back to nature with a morning of Bush-craft. Split into ‘tribes’, campers practiced the basics of fire making and fire-lighting, and sampled the edible flora found in the Alps, under the trusty guidance of our resident Bear Grylls, ‘Bushman Steve’. After all the hard work, they were rewarded with marshmallows and popcorn cooked over their own fires.
The shelter building competition saw the tribes competing to construct a sturdy, waterproof shelter that could accommodate all 8 group members, before being put to the test with the Hurricane and Thunderstorm challenges!
After a hearty lunch at Camp, campers were welcomed by their language teachers to their first language classes. They finished their second day at camp with an indoor hockey tournament before heading to bed.
Reds, Blues, Greens and Yellows – Arrivals Day!
Camp was abuzz today as 120 new campers arrived for their first day of Session 1. Some of them are our fabulous returning campers, who loved Camp so much last year they decided to come back, while others are experiencing Camp Suisse for the very first time. It was lovely to see the children all mixing and starting to make new friends.
Arriving at camp can be an emotional day for everyone, and children of all ages were near tears as they said goodbye to their phones- and their parents, of course. A relaxed day of games ended with the children meeting their groups for the session, and joining together for a delicious dinner. An early night was called for as many of the children had travelled far to reach camp. Everyone went to bed tired but excited for the days ahead.
‘Red’-y for anything
Whilst our campers may have only been in the Alps for 24 hours, they got stuck straight into their busy programme of activities and language classes. We’re always amazed by the incredible number of nationalities and languages represented at Camp, and we love to see the number of international friendships that are forged at the very beginning of the session.
Eager to start their first day at camp, our small group of Red campers were ready and waiting at breakfast this morning, louder and livelier than all our Yellows put together! They started the day playing some get-to-know-you games and teamwork activities with the Blues. This put them in a relaxed mood for doing their Language Quiz, which will help our teachers to plan their curriculums for the session.
After lunch, the Red group took a walk into the woods, to learn Bushcraft survival skills. First, they learnt how to build and start a fire. They were able to make popcorn and toast marshmallows! Then, the children built a shelter in the woods. Each child joined in and cooperated with each-other in a very respectful and friendly way. The counsellors tested their shelter by getting them all inside then spraying water on them which led to lots of giggling!
The Blues tested their limits today, and participated in mountain biking and archery. The children were split into two smaller groups, which meant our instructors were able to give lots of quality teaching time to each child, and help them to practise their new skill. The children all tried hard and the buffet dinner this evening was ideal for the appetite they built up in their busy day!
The Blue campers also had their Language Quiz with our teachers. This is important as it helps the teachers to structure their lessons to the needs of each child and makes the teaching much more meaningful for the children.
Meanwhile, the Greens and Yellows started their day with their Language Quiz, following which they all piled onto the buses and made their way to Parc Aventure. With 10 treetop adventure courses, 5 ziplines (2 over 150m!), climbing wall, and a freefall tower, it’s an adventure lover’s paradise! Campers spent the afternoon swinging, zipping, clambering, twisting and jumping in the shady woods of the high ropes course. The children were all eager to participate and helped each-other to complete the courses, before returning to the Alpine centre for a well-deserved meal and a rest.
If that wasn’t enough, the Greens and Yellows joined forces again in the evening for a huge game of Capture the Flag on our football pitch. What a start to camp!
Chairlift hike
6th July 2019
All groups joined together today for an exciting adventure! After some boring stuff (tidying our rooms!), the campers travelled up to the Torgon chairlift at Plan de Croix. The campers were excited to take the chairlift to the dizzying hike to the top of the mountain. A scenic picnic lunch was the perfect opportunity to look around and learn about all the mountains you can see from the top. Then, the groups took a walk around the hills, learning some basic navigation skills on the way. The children loved seeing the flora and fauna native in the Alps, and stopped to pick some flowers on the way. A lovely day ended with dinner at camp, and Murder Mystery for the Greens and Blues in the evening.
Blue Group to Lake Geneva
5th July 2019
The blue group had an exciting day at Lake Geneva today! After breakfast the blue group went to their separate language lessons and practiced English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. After languages the group headed to the bus and drove down the mountain to the beach at Villeneuve. We spent the afternoon banana boating – a very fun activity! This evening we came back to camp for shower hour. We then had a cookout with all of camp. The blue group is excited to wake up early and go husky dog sledding at Glacier 3000!
Katarina Newcamp
Group Leader – Blue Group
