Cut the cables – reconnect with yourself!
 
August 15 – 21, 2022 the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp will take place in an amazing location high in the mountains in eastern Switzerland. Mountain hiking, Yoga and meditations, crazy group games, simplicity, swimming in wild mountain lakes – this adventure will bring you back in balance!

 

Break away from your daily routines and your daily social environment. Cut the cables! Imagine yourself in a remote place in overwhelmingly beautiful nature. Loose control & find yourself. Enjoy being who you really are. Share this unique and intense experience with a very diverse group, people of all ages and nationalities.
Welcome to the world of CrazyCamp.org!

 
Crazy Mountain Balance Camp

experience
 Crazy Mountain Balance Camp
date
August 15 – August 21, 2022
open for ages
 18 - 81
location
Grisons, Switzerland
accomodation
 
comfort
personal privacy
group fun
target # of participants
 14
mountains
water
culture
unforgettability
participation fee
from EUR 579
status
planned
Immersed in overwhelming mountains you will reconnect with nature and reconnect with yourself!

The video above is from a Crazy Mountain Balance Camp at a different location but it gives a good impression what a Crazy Mountain Balance Camp looks like.

This experience is not everyone’s cup of tea. Do you feel totally inspired by the full description, the ‘natural high’ aspect, the intense participation, the FAQ and the testimonials? Then sign up! If the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp isn’t 100% your thing, you might end up feeling disappointed. In that case, here is the alternative for you: Crazy Mountain Camp 2022

 

We'll have a mountain hut just for our group at an altitude of 2.000 m and far away from "civilization". In the daytime we will be hiking in the overwhelming mountain landscapes with picnics and swimming in wild mountain lakes. Yoga and meditations in the fields and at the mountain tops! In the evening we will do playful and meaningful group activities, cook and eat together, have massage workshops etc. The Crazy Mountain Balance Camp will be an astonishing adventure!
Let's enjoy this amazing adventure high in the Alps without any external stimulants! We will refrain from consuming alcohol and drugs. Our body will take care of generating adrenaline, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and lots of oxytocins to get us high :) Read more here. All food is plant-based.
In the hut and directly around there is hardly any to no GSM/mobile phone reception. Also, on big parts of the hikes there is no (or almost no) network. In the hut there is no Wi-Fi and if we keep our phones on airplane mode (as there is no network anyway) we will not be generating any radiation ourselves either.
Read DisclaimerDisclaimer: this has been the situation in this hut in the past years. However, I can't guarantee that no telecom provider would put a new antenna somewhere that would change things. In all honesty, this is very unlikely because there is no economic interest to put extra antennas in this very remote place.

people doing yoga in the mountains
 

We will be in a simple mountain hut in the middle of beautiful nature: mountains with peaks of up to 2.900 meters above sea level, valleys, streams, fields and forests. In our proximity there are only some summer farms here and there where the farmers make cheese from the milk of the cows that stay on the high fields during summer (more about seasonal migration in the Alps here). We are in the south east of Switzerland, at a walking distance from the Italian border. The local language is Italian. From our hut, it is around 1,5 hour walking to get to the nearest village (altitude difference: 600 meters). In that village there is a bus stop; the bus connects to a railway station.
The mountain hut is simple and cosy. The beds are bunk beds in a group room. There is an open kitchen with a wood stove. The toilet is simple. There is a shower – it can even be a warm one if you fire up the wood boiler. Please do not expect luxury things like comfort, personal privacy or mobile network coverage. No smoking in the house. In and around the house, and during parts of the hikes, clothing is optional (faq)

We will be in Grisons in the south east of Switzerland. By train and bus, the travel time from Milano is 3:30 h. From Zürich it's around 4:45 h by train. From Hamburg, Frankfurt, Basel you need only 2 changes (train). From Amsterdam only 3 changes if you travel with the new night train. Also from Rome, Vienna or Berlin it's only 3 changes. The train ride from the north is considered one of the most beautiful of the world (Bernina Express). The other option is to offer or join a ride share, for example through blablacar or with other Crazy Mountain Balance Camp participants. (faq)

Switzerland is member of the Schengen agreement. If you can travel in any other Schengen country, you can travel in Switzerland.

Mind & Body

Although just being in this absurdly beautiful, remote mountain valley is already a good reset for your stressed brain, we will be actively working on bringing back balance to your life. Every day there will be yoga sessions and meditations – in the hut in case of bad weather, but more likely in the fields around the hut, at silent mountain lakes, on mountain tops…

There are uncountable moments of fun, feelgood and laughter at the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp. And there are moments of emotional release. One of the house rules is “Feel happy at all times – except when you don’t feel happy.” All feelings are welcome and the intention is to not judge any of them. You are invited to welcome all feelings that might arise in you. We will be doing plenty of exercises and games (eye gazing for example) to connect with ourselves and with the others. If you are not ready to engage in those exercises and games, or you are only interested in the “light & fun” side of reality, then please join the Crazy Mountain Camp 2022 :)


 

What if I love mountains but don’t want to join all that sharing and yoga and massage stuff?

Then please join the Crazy Mountain Camp 2022 instead :) Of course you can opt out of certain activities if you’re tired after an extreme day of hiking, but if all these mind and body things are not your kind of thing, then the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp is not your kind of thing.

Please notice that there is no ‘leadership team’ or ‘staff’ at the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp. The yoga facilitator and Klaas will participate in the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp activities just like the other participants. At best they are ‘primi inter pares’. We’re all in it together :) (faq)

The lakes above the hut

The days in the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp will see quite a bit of mountain hiking. Not mountaineering; no ropes, crampons or helmets. More info on the trail classifications (T1 etc.) here. Please do read! There is a hiking program set up, but it is not an obligation to participate; if you are a seasoned mountaineer you might prefer to go rock climbing by yourself instead of hiking with our group. And also, if you want to spend your days relaxedly searching for berries or spotting birds, feel free to do so. Basically, everybody is expected to participate in the group life at the end of the day and in the evening (faq).
The program might look something like this:
First day We’ll all meet in the afternoon at the bus stop in the village. Walking up to the hut (2 hours, T2). A jeep will bring our luggage to the hut.
Second day As a warming up (and to give ourselves time to acclimatize to the altitude) we will make a hike (T3) that is not very long – we’ll be going to the two lakes that are above the hut. The water will be cold but we’ll enjoy a swim! Picnic and sunbath afterwards before we go back to the hut.
Third day A long hike. We will leave a bit earlier in the morning. Our goal of the day will be the summit of the 2.900 meters high peak that is right at the border between Switzerland and Italy (T3 with T4 in the last ascent/descent of the summit). We will go up on the Swiss side and go down on the Italian side.
Fourth day No big hikes; rather chillax, do some meditations and yoga sessions. Also we might explore our creativity, expressing ourselves interacting with the mountains and trees, through for example photography, making rock structures, or whatever inspires us. It's about the process, not about the result.
Fifth dayThis will be the biggest hike so we'll get up early for this one. We'll first go to another mountain lake for a dip. Here we can decide to either take a 'short' way back (T3) or we can continue to the next valley with yet more lakes and two small rock glaciers. Until there all T3 and on our way back a good part of T4.
Sixth day Another day dedicated to meditation, yoga and bodywork.
Seventh day Vacate the hut in the morning and descent back into civilisation. After this hike: the farewell hug in the village!

Weather conditions in the mountains can change fast and often. For this reason, the program can be changed according to what is safe and enjoyable.

One thing about hiking in groups. Keep in mind that a 'stronger' person can adapt to a 'slower' person, but a 'slower' person cannot adapt to a 'stronger' person. So, when we hike in a group, we'll set the capabilities of the 'slower' group members as standard while the 'stronger' people will have the satisfaction of applying their social skills by adapting to the group :-)
Although the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp is intended to be a relaxed, non-competitive event, mountain hiking is a sports activity that demands some extra attention for two reasons: altitude and safety. You will need a fair condition, good mountain hiking shoes, a daypack, a water bottle, rain protection and something warmer as well. A pair of hiking poles is helpful, but not a necessity. If you suffer from vertigo or acrophobia, some of our hiking program will not make you feel happy.

What if I love mountains but don't want to join that 'serious' hiking?

I really like the whole idea and I would really like to join, but I'm really not into all this T3 and T4 hiking. Are there options for me? Yes, there are. You can make easy hikes around the hut, for example. If you're into nature photography or drawing landscapes, you will find a multitude of subjects within 500 meters from the hut... Most probably, you will not be the only one that will not join the bigger hikes.

The field right behind our accommodation

Food and Drinks

Cooking will be done by the group and for the group; no à la carte service :) Because we are high in the mountains, our resources are limited and we’ll all have to be flexible. If you are very precise/specific with your food, then this is not the right experience for you, sorry.
Read Details About Diets And Restrictions1. Gluten: Often meals are low on gluten but if you have a hard core allergy, we’ll have to discuss in advance how you can be facilitated. At breakfast there is oatmeal as an option. 2. Nuts: Can usually be left out of meals/served apart. 3. Sugar/Diabetes: Usually things are without sugar. However you will not be able to follow that precisely engineered menu that your dietician wants you to follow.

All food is vegan.
Read Food DetailsThe provided food is vegan. Also please don’t bring any animal origin foods with you, such as meat, chicken, fish, seafood, honey, milk, yoghurt, cheese, products containing gelatine, etc. If you can’t do without them, please choose another Crazy Camp :)

This is an alcohol free event.
Read Alcohol DetailsThe provided drinks are non-alcoholic. Also please don’t bring any alcoholic drinks yourself. We’ll do without external stimulants :) So no drugs as well. Only for coffee we’ll make an exception. If you can’t commit to this, please choose another Crazy Camp :)

Workshops

There is space and time for workshop-like activities, so if you would like to share some of your knowledge or skills, feel free! Maybe you want to teach us some capoeira, do a photo session, or make us sing the traditionals of your native culture? Just some ideas… it really can be anything. And if you don’t want to, that’s fine as well!

Couples

If you are a couple, please understand that in the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp you can not behave like a couple. In general the beds are allocated through a lottery (faq) and we’re all sleeping in one big space. And you are expected to participate in all activities and group life as individuals and not as a couple. Yes you will be hugging – in the numerous group hugs! So be prepared to sit each at opposite sides of the table during dinner, and accept that someone other than yourself might be giving your partner a massage of the sore muscles.


Participation fee

Your participation in the cost for 6 days and nights is EUR 679 per person for accommodation, food (that we will cook together), guided yoga sessions, guided meditations, and tourist taxes.

That is incredible value for money! However, don’t come if you are only interested in an affordable holiday. The Crazy Mountain Balance Camp is all about the group, creating meaningful experiences together, spending fun evenings together, doing crazy games, human connexion, and enjoying the mountains together!

Should the exchange rate between EUR and CHF change dramatically, I will have to adapt these amounts.

Reductions

If you identify as female or are genderqueer and you choose to use the Gender Pay Gap Compensation (faq) then your reduced participation fee is EUR 579.

The reduced price of EUR 579 is also available for students and people that receive unemployment benefits. In these cases you will be asked to provide a proof of your status.

If you feel that the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp is really the right experience for you and you are seriously struggling with the participation fee: please reach out to me.

Includes

What is included/provided?
+ Accommodation
+ Breakfast
+ Simple lunch (sandwiches, leftovers of yesterdays dinner)
+ Dinner (we will cook together)
+ Coffee, tea, milk, water, juice
+ Guided yoga sessions and meditations
+ Massage workshop
+ Tourist taxes
+ Unforgettable fun

Excludes

x Snacks, fruit, energy bars, energy drinks, soft drinks
x Sleeping bag liners
x Towels

person standing in the mountains with their hands in the air

Don’t miss this adventure week in the mountains!
LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN TOGETHER!

Join!

Did you read the full description? And the faq and the testimonials? And do you feel a loud “YESSSS this is for me!!!” inside you? Then please use this application form to sign up. After review of your application, I will send you instructions on how to make the advance payment (faq) and about cancellation policies. The advance payment is EUR 385. Until you pay the advance payment there is no commitment – not for you and not for me. If you can not participate in this specific Crazy Camp, then please sign up for the newsletter and I’ll keep you updated about the other upcoming Crazy Camps.