From April 17 till April 22, 2017 this Crazy Snow Balance Camp will take place in a unique quiet valley in Switzerland. Skiing, snowboarding, backcountry skiing/snowboarding, nordic skiing, snow shoe hiking, crazy group games, yoga and massage, moon shine hikes… be part of it!
Welcome to the world of CrazyCamp.org!
High above the valley, right at the slope: the mountain is ours, the snow is ours!
Activities
We’ll have accommodation in a mountain hut just for our group at an altitude of 1.950m, far away from villages and you can only get there by going up with the cable car. Parts of the daytime we will be doing snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding in this beautiful isolated valley; other parts of the day as well as parts of the evenings will be dedicated to Mind & Body Balance – Yoga, Meditations, Massage etc. And then there will be crazy group games, we’ll cook and eat together, we’ll relax in the unique Crazy Camp Mountain Sauna etc.. The Crazy Snow Balance Camp will be an unforgettable snow adventure!
Location
Our mountain hut is at an altitude of 1.950 in a very unique location. We’ll be late in the season but that is not a problem because this valley is one of those rare places where the microclimate is much colder than in surrounding valleys. Meaning that the ski lifts here close only after the first weekend in May every year! We will be in a white fairytale landscape. There are only very few buildings in this valley, a small hotel and some huts mainly. There is no village, there are no cars.
The ski area is rather small; if you want to be skiing/snowboarding on the slopes all day, better join one of the other Crazy Snow Camps. It’s more like we’ll be skiing/snowboarding most mornings or afternoons, and we’ll be hiking through the snow at other moments or making snowshoe hikes; the valley is a paradise for backcountry skiing/snowboarding if you’re into that (I’m not) and there are Nordic Ski trails right in front of our hut. In other words: the place is perfect if you want to combine different activities or want to discover a snow sport that you haven’t done before.
Accommodation
The accommodation is simple and functional. It’s actually the attic of a summer farm. There are some bunk beds in group rooms and there are some mattresses on the floor. There is an kitchen with a stove and there is a toilet and a shower. Please do not expect luxury things like comfort or personal privacy. You will be surprised how fast you will feel at ease with everybody, in a place where you can simply be who you are, far away from your day to day environment and habitudes. Bring a sleeping bag! And there will be the unique Crazy Camp Mountain Sauna! The perfect way to relax mind&muscles. Target number of participants is 14. No smoking in the house or in the sauna. In the house clothing is optional (faq)
Snow sports
We’ll be doing a mix of snow sports most mornings or afternoons: on-piste or off-piste skiing/snowboarding, hiking through the snow or making snowshoe hikes; the valley is a paradise for backcountry skiing/snowboarding if you’re into that (I’m not) and there are Nordic Ski trails right in front of our hut. This can be individually but we will do some things as a group also. In previous Crazy Snow Camps it turned out that the participants enjoy shredding the slopes together, teaching each other some ski/board skills, etc.
Please keep in mind that SNOW comes from NATURE so there is no guarantee for the amount of snow that will be there and for example no guarantee that all trails will be open and that all lifts will be working. But as I mentioned before, this valley does have an exceptional climate.
At the end of the day and in the evenings we will be automatically together (we’re high on the slopes, there is nowhere else to go!) so we will make our own après ski. This will start with cooking, eating and cleaning together. There will be crazy group games, again yoga and meditation and so on. And let’s not forget the unique Crazy Camp Mountain Sauna! Basically everybody is expected to participate in the group life at the end of the day and in the evening (faq).
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, but in the snow around the hut as well…
Most of these sessions will be guided by Michaela (see picture gallery below). Michaela participated in the 2015 Crazy Mountain Balance Camp and there I noticed her talent for engaging both beginners and more advanced people in these mind & body activities. Therefore I asked her to join again in summer 2016 and I am very happy that she said ‘yes’ to my invitation for this Crazy Snow Balance Camp as well! On top of this all, Michaela is a professional massage therapist so she will enrich our experience even more with massage workshops and individual massage sessions.
And there will be the unique Crazy Camp Mountain Sauna – and jump in the fresh powder snow afterwards!
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 photoshoot or make us sing the traditionals of your native culture? Just some ideas… it really can be anything. Another fun activity that we’ll be doing together is… cooking! (and cleaning afterwards…)
The deal
Your participation in the cost for these 5 days and nights is EUR 315 per person for accommodation, food (that we will cook together), guided yoga sessions and meditations etc. and tourist taxes.
or EUR 270 if you are female and you choose to use the Gender Pay Gap Compensation (faq)
That is cheap! However, don’t come if you are only interested in an affordable holiday. The Crazy Snow Balance Camp is all about the group, spending fun evenings together, doing crazy games, and enjoying the mountains together!
What is included/provided and what is not?
+ Guided yoga and meditation sessions
+ Massage workshop and individual massage
+ Accommodation
+ Breakfast
+ Simple lunch (sandwiches, leftovers of yesterdays dinner)
+ Dinner (we will cook together)
+ Coffee, tea, milk, water, juice
– Snacks, fruit, energy bars, energy drinks, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages
+ Tourist taxes
– Sleeping bags
– Towels
– Skipass, cable car, equipment rental
– Parking fees in the village if you come by car
+ Unforgettable fun
Should the exchange rate between EUR and SFR change dramatically, I will have to adapt these amounts.
Couples
If you are a couple, please understand that in the Crazy Snow 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 the other extreme of the group table during dinner, and accept that someone else than yourself might be giving your partner a salt scrub in the sauna.
How to get there
We will be in central Switzerland. Distance from Zürich airport is 180km, Basel/Mulhouse airport at 170km; Genève airport is 225km, Milan is 250.
From The Netherlands/Belgium/Luxemburg there is a ride share available, approx. EUR 85 two-way per person (faq)Most probably, as time passes by, ride shares from other directions will be added.
Switzerland is member of the Schengen agreement. If you can travel in any other Schengen country, you can travel in Switzerland.
Don’t miss these 5 nights of epic snow fun!
LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN TOGETHER!
Join!
If you want to participate in this event, then please use this application form. 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 175. 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.
