Adventure Camp in Switzerland

This outstanding Adventure Camp programme takes full advantage of the exceptional opportunities provided by its glorious setting high in the mountains of the Swiss Alps. Available for campers is a choice of challenging activities, rarely seen together in one camp location.

Early booking is essential for this busy and popular outdoor adventure programme as it tends to be fully booked many months before the summer season starts.

Programme Overview

The aim of this programme is to acquire vital skills needed to safely enjoy the outdoors whilst having fun and sharing adventure with new found friends.

We ensure that there is a careful balance between testing activities that demand hard work, skills and intensive application mixed in with fun team-building sessions and using the outstanding indoor facilities of the two well-equipped Leysin Sports centers.

Every weekday morning campers leave our camp base to enjoy a challenging and thrilling range of activities and sports that includes:

rock-climbing

hiking

mountain-biking

a high-ropes course 

nature trails

white-water rafting (15+)

outdoors survival skills

orienteering

educational workshops focus on the Alpine environment

One of the highlights of the two-weeks is the scenic trek high into the mountains to stay overnight at an authentic mountain hut at Lac Lioson High above the alpine town of Les Mosses campers enjoy cooking dinner and a meal ‘al fresco’ in the terrace with an amazing view. Around the camp-fire campers play games and swap stories amongst much laughter and fun.

Safety Matters - Qualified Staff

Our trained counselors work as a team under the leadership of an experienced Camp Programme Coordinator who ensures a vital emphasis on safety, high quality equipment and appropriate clothing and equipment for the campers. 

Our camp team is assisted by fully qualified local specialist staff with first-hand knowledge of the terrain when taking part in specialist activities/sports.

Country Overview

For several decades, the Alpine town of Leysin, perched high above Lake Geneva, has been the heart of our Summer camp programmes in Switzerland. Over the years camp has welcomed thousands of youngsters from all over the world. With campers typically coming from more than 30 different countries in each session, making new ‘international’ friends is part of the experience!

From the sunny south-facing terraces of our Swiss Alpine Centre, there are amazing, panoramic views over to the distant French Alps. The Centre is the base for our specialist programmes for children in the 7-17 age-range offering a wide choice of fun-packed programmes, from outdoor adventure, sports, language studies, arts, science and Leadership Training courses. Besides taking part in the speciality programmes campers also have the opportunity to enjoy the pure mountain air and the Alpine environment of this mountain paradise with its meadows, native flora, forests and wildlife.

Highlights of our camp in Switzerland may include a hike up the mountain, where campers get to taste homemade cheese and ice cream, a visit to the shores of the beautiful lake and city of Geneva, and an exciting visit to a chocolate factory.

Accommodation

At just over an hour’s drive from Geneva International Airport the Swiss Alpine Centre is located in Leysin, high in the Swiss Alps. From its sunny terraces, common rooms and many of the bedrooms right the center offers spectacular views across the Rhone Valley to the dramatic French Alps and the peak of Mont Blanc. Right at our doorstep there are walking and hiking paths to the green alpine meadows with colorful flowers, wildlife and the invigorating fresh mountain air. 

The center welcomes up to 180 campers from all over the world for the speciality programmes with the exception of the Leadership Training Camp (LTC). Leadership Training Camp (LTC) is designed for 15-17 years old and takes place at the Alpine Classic Hotel, a first-class facility in the center of Leysin. 

Bedrooms at both sites have en-suite facilities and offer spacious, comfortable accommodating for up to four campers. Campers are assigned to rooms according to age and gender. Experienced counselors (who stay in rooms near the campers) are responsible for taking special care of each and every camper.

During free time, campers in small groups enjoy the traditional cafes and shops in the town, which they can visit with their new-found friends from all over the world (younger campers are always accompanied by counselors on their outings).

Meals

Our Camp chefs prepare three nutritious, healthy and varied meals, every day. A salad bar with its fresh daily produce is available at all meals. Breakfast time a varied offer of choices from cereals to pastries and fresh fruit and more. We cater for healthy young appetites so ‘second helpings’ are always available.

Most special dietary needs can be accommodated but please check in advance with the Camp Head Office.

Facilities

The Swiss Alpine Centre includes:

Snack bar

Gift shop

Classrooms

Auditorium

3 dining rooms

Music & dance studio

Arts & crafts center

Climbing wall

Common rooms

Games equipment

Facilities in the town of Leysin include:

Indoor swimming pool

Multi-sport gymnasium

Covered ice rink

Basketball courts

Football pitch

Volleyball courts

Beach volley courts

Archery targets

12 Tennis courts 

8 Outdoor tennis courts 

4 Indoor tennis courts 

Climbing walls 

Mini-golf course 

Squash courts 

Weights room 

Outdoors nearby facilities include:

Hiking trails

Mountain-biking trails

Adventure trails

Rock-climbing area

Mountain hut 

Unspoilt forest areas

Camp Organisation 

At our camp, children are assigned to groups according to their choice of programme as well as age and/or skill levels. The morning period (3hrs) is devoted to the campers chosen specialty programme. In the afternoons, campers from most programmes join together and choose from a selection of ‘sign-up’ activities. Leadership (LTC) campers and Junior Adventure campers have their own special programmes and only join the other campers on special occasions.

Present for all activities (at an average ratio of 1:6) are experienced counselors who are trained before camp starts. Counselors are enthusiastic young people from around the world and their role at camp is to take care of your children making sure they are comfortable, safe and happy at all times. The majority are in the age frame 21-35 and bring with them a variety of cultures and languages, creating a wonderful international environment, which is our trademark!

Evening Activities

Evenings are filled with exciting imaginative games, spectacular events and relaxing activities. These include:

Camp Fire - After a stroll through the stunning Swiss countryside to reach a local beauty spot, campers enjoy a campfire with marshmallows and roasted, chocolate-filled bananas, as they watch the sun set on another great day in Leysin.

Friday Festival - Starts with a hike to the beautiful Prafendaz lookout point where the campers enjoy a delicious BBQ and tasty donuts. After lunch it's time to put face paint on and split into groups to create and perform some awesome team chants, and begin the competition.

Mountain Hut Overnight Stay – Campers take their pack lunches and put on their hiking shoes before setting off on their overnight Adventure Hut hike. They spend their day taking in some of Switzerland’s most beautiful scenery on the way up the mountain. After a hard day of hiking in the sunshine they settle in for a BBQ and a peaceful night's sleep in a quaint, traditional mountain hut!

Carnival Night - Counselors work hard to transform the whole camp into a Carnival filled with fun parlor games. Campers spend their afternoon playing awesome games like Strong Man, Oily Pig, Balloon Stomp, Hot Shot, Candy Guess, Karaoke and much more!

Movie Night – Campers settle in with their duvets and lots of pillows for a comfortable night in one of the common rooms. With a big screen and lots of popcorn, this is a welcomed relaxed evening and long tiring day of activities.

Ice Skating – Campers go in small groups to the ice rink in the center of town. It’s a chance to learn to skate for the ones that have never tried and a great opportunity to have fun on the ice with friends.

International Night – On this day and evening we celebrate our diversity and give campers the opportunity to share their culture, dance, traditions, gastronomy and humor of their home country! The camp participants prepared wonderful presentations. Everyone at camp takes part in the presentations and encourages each other!

Special Farewell Dinner – A very special dinner event complete with a beautifully decorated dining room and slideshows of all the best moments at camp. Campers are pampered with table service provided by their very own counselors!

Final Evening Festivities - There are awesome presentations by campers and the Dance Camp team plus a special edition of ‘Secret Friends’ hosted by special guests. Finally it's time to dance the night away at our very own disco.

Evening activities are often run independently for each separate age group but sometimes are organized as all-camp events where the entire camp comes together for some of the spectacular and much-anticipated camp all-time favorites.

Excursions

On all excursions we ensure free time for cultural visits, shopping and walking around in small groups. On visits to places of interest admission fees are included. 

Highlight for campers are the two excursions that take place over the weekend.

Saturday – Excursion to a local point of interest

This excursion is organized separately for each age-group and is usually to one of the local points of interest set out below – according to weather conditions and any local special events:

Maison Cailler - Chocolate Factory
The Nest Museum in Vevey
Olympic Museum
Labyrinth Adventure Park
United Nations Building and Geneva old town

Sunday – Excursion to the Aigle Outdoor Water Park

The whole camp is allowed a little extra time in bed and then after breakfast they grab their swimsuits, load up their lunch boxes and jump on the COG train to make their way to Aigle.