Experience Radical Self Acceptance!
 
How would it feel to enjoy the snow, together with people that value your authenticity?
Conscious winter sports, meditation, yoga and bodywork…
Do you feel the temptation?
This transformative paradise will take place in February 2024

 

Break away from your routines and your frequent social environment. Cut the cables! Imagine yourself in a faraway place in magical nature. Lose control & find yourself. Enjoy being who you really are. Share this special and heartful experience with a nice group, people of all ages and nationalities.
Welcome to the world of CrazyCamp.org!

 
Crazy Snow Balance Camp

experience
Crazy Snow Balance Camp
date
17 February until 23 February 2024
open for ages
18 - 81
location
Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
accomodation
simple mountain hut in a remote valley
comfort
personal privacy
group fun
target # of participants
12
mountains
skiing, snowboarding
snowshoe hiking
unforgettability
participation fee
from EUR 579
status
planned
 
plant based logo
environmental footprint
extremely small
Immersed in the silence of the snow covered mountains you will reconnect with nature and reconnect with yourself!
We will have a mountain hut just for our group at an altitude of 1.400 m. It is in an uninhabited valley and not reachable over the road. In the daytime we will be making marvelous snow shoe tours in the tempting mountain landscapes and enjoy simply being. We will cook and eat plant-based food together in the evenings. There will be quirky group games, and relaxation in the one-of-a-kind Crazy Camp Slow Sauna. Then we will have massage, yoga, and meditation sessions and so on. The Crazy Snow Balance Camp will be an unforgettable and meaningful snow heaven! We're not at a ski slope and this Crazy Snow Balance Camp is not a skiing/snowboarding event.
Let's enjoy this marvelous adventure high in the Alps without any stimulants! We will refrain from consuming alcohol and drugs. Our body will take care of generating adrenaline, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and lots of oxytocin to get us high :) Read more here. All food is plant-based.

people doing a snowshoe hike in the mountains
 

Our mountain hut is at an altitude of 1.400 m and right at a maintained snow shoe route. There are also some alpine snow shoe trails that will lead us to summits of up to 2.300 m. The hut is in a very quiet place, at the edge of the magical forest, almost at the very end of the valley. It one of the most peaceful valleys of the Bernese Alps (no touristic ski stations around), Switzerland.
The mountain hut is simple. The beds are bunk beds in group rooms. There is a kitchen and a dining/living room. There are toilets and showers. Please do not expect luxury things like comfort, tv or wifi. In the house and during parts of the snow shoe hikes clothing is optional (faq). There will not be a lot of personal privacy. You will be surprised how fast you will feel at ease with everybody. This is a place where you can simply be who you are, far away from your day to day environment and habits. No smoking in the house or in the sauna. Bring a sleeping bag and a yoga mat.
The village from where we will hike to our hut is fairly easy to reach. The appropriate train station (and then one local bus) is at:
  • not even 6 hours by train from Frankfurt with only one change
  • 6 hours by train from Paris (with two changes)
  • 3 hours by train from Milano (one change)
  • 10 hours by train from Amsterdam with 2 changes
From the mayor bus stations Bern and Thun (Flixbus, Eurolines etc.) you would take one train (and then the local bus mentioned before). You can also offer or join a ride share, for example through blablacar or with fellow Crazy Snow Balance Camp participants. Switzerland is member of the Schengen agreement. If you can travel in any Schengen country, you can travel in Switzerland.
Just being on these amazingly beautiful, uniquely located mountains is already a good reset for your stressed brain. Moreover, we will be actively working on bringing back balance to your life. Every day there will be yoga sessions and meditations – in the hut and outside, even during our hikes. We will be doing massage workshops.

There are measureless light-hearted moments of fun and laughter at the Crazy Snow 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. We will be doing plenty of exercises and games (eye gazing, for example) to connect with ourselves and with the others. We will experience deep levels of sincere connection, radical self-acceptance, body positivity, sharing and letting go of judgement. Are you ready for this intensive experience? Are you ready to engage in those exercises and games? To be there with all your light and all your darkness? If not, or if you are only interested in the “light & fun” side of reality, then please join the Crazy Ski Camp 2022 :)
TBA
What if I love mountains but don't want to join all that sharing and yoga and massage stuff?
Then please join the Crazy Ski Camp 2022 instead :) Of course you can opt out of some activities if you're tired after a long day of hiking, but if all these mind and body things are not your kind of thing, then the Crazy Snow Balance Camp is not your kind of thing.
Please notice that there is no 'leadership team' or 'staff'. Our yoga facilitator and Klaas will participate in the Crazy Snow Balance Camp activities just like all participants. At best they are 'primi inter pares'. We're all in it together :) (faq)

a woman snowshoe hiking up a mountain

In the daytime we will be doing snow shoe hikes. Snow shoeing is a fascinating sport; for sure a workout and at moments almost meditative, and at different moments exhilarating and exciting. A beautiful way of connecting with Nature and Winter. There will also be some less sporty days with a walk in the forest and snowga (snow yoga) sessions or meditations in nature. You don't need experience in snow shoe hiking. A compact introduction is part of the program. It's not a very technical sport. Please keep in mind that SNOW comes from NATURE so there is no guarantee for the amount of snow that will be there and on top of that we have to assess weather conditions etc. - our snowshoe hiking program might have to be adapted accordingly.
After our daytime winter sports, at the end of the day and in the evenings we will automatically be together. We are alone in the valley, there is nowhere else to go! We will make our own evening program. This will start with cooking, eating and cleaning together. There will be connective group games, yoga and massage sessions and so on. And let's not forget the one-of-a-kind Crazy Camp Slow Sauna! The idea is that everybody participates in the group life at the end of the day and in the evening. (faq).
Although the Crazy Snow Balance Camp is a relaxed, non-competitive event, snow shoe 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, clothing in layers including wind protection. You will need a pair of snow shoes (buy, borrow or rent them) and a pair of hiking poles or ski poles.

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 snowshoe 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.

silent forest, covered in snow

Cooking will be done by the group 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 with your food, then this is not the right experience for you, sorry. Read Details About Diets And Restrictions1. Gluten: Usually meals are low on gluten or gluten-stuff can be kept separate easily, but if you have a hard core allergy, you're not safe. At breakfast, there is oatmeal as an option. 2. Nuts: Can usually be left out of meals/served apart, but if you have a hard core allergy, you're not safe. 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 100% plant based. 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 :)
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.
If you are a couple, please understand that in the Crazy Snow Balance Camp, you cannot behave like a couple. In general, the beds are allocated through a lottery (faq) and we're all sleeping in one shared space. You participate in all activities and group life as individuals and not as a couple. Yes, you will be hugging – in the many 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 salt scrub in the sauna. 
Were your eyes drawn to the images of naked people featured on our site? Well, if it has, we have a page for you that's a complete nudity-free zone! Have a look  :)

silent forest, covered in snow

The deal

Your participation in the cost for these 7 days / 6 nights is (depending on your situation) between EUR 579 and EUR 679 per person for accommodation, food (that we will cook together), yoga sessions, sessions, massage workshop, and life enriching experiences.
If you feel that the Crazy Snow Balance Camp is really the right experience for you, and you are seriously struggling with the participation fee: please reach out to me. Because I wouldn't want that money issues would stop you from participating. There are, for example, possibilities for volunteering.
What is included/provided?
+ Accommodation
+ Yoga sessions
+ Guided meditations
+ Massage workshop
+ Breakfast
+ Simple lunch (sandwiches, leftovers of yesterday's dinner)
+ Dinner (we will cook together)
+ Coffee, tea, water, juice
+ Fun and meaningful experiences
x Snacks, fruit, energy bars, soft drinks etc.
x Sleeping bags
x Towels
x Gear rental, if needed

The environmental footprint of this Crazy Snow Balance Camp is Extremely small.
  • We will not use any ski lifts, cable cars or alike during our stay.
  • We will not use any artificial snow
  • Natural landscapes have not been altered for our activities
  • In our accommodation we will only use renewable energy (with the exception of some candles)
  • As we live in community, we are heating much smaller volumes of spaces then what we would need individually
  • Our food is entirely plant based. The livestock industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and destruction of nature. By sticking to plant based nutrition, we do our taste buds and our health a favour - and we do Planet Earth as a whole a favour. Check this link for more info.
  • Our activities are not 'gear-intensive' and we don't need to buy lots of materials etc.
  • The easiest way to reduce the environmental impact of your participation is by choosing your means of transport. Come by train, or join a ride share with fellow participants or through blablacar or online groups. Avoid flying. Avoid driving alone. The network of night trains in Europe is growing and growing, a great way to travel! If you need assistance in finding the best prices, please reach out to me.
  • Don't buy new gear for this Crazy Snow Balance Camp. Find second hand gear or ask around in your friends circle; maybe you can borrow. Or rent it. Also, I (Klaas) have a small stock of gear that I might be able to borrow out to you (depending on size).
  • Don't buy fresh clothes for this Crazy Snow Balance Camp. First of all, forget about fashion. At the Crazy Snow Balance Camp, no one will judge you for your looks. You will enchant us with your personality. If there is a hole in your ski pants, just patch it. If there is a piece of clothing that you really need, find it in a second hand store or at a clothes swap. Also, I (Klaas) have a modest stock of clothes that I might be able to borrow out to you (depending on size).
  • Don't bring synthetic soaps, shampoo with nanoplastics, etc.. A piece of vegan Savon de Marseille / Aleppo soap / hard soap or what ever you call it, will do perfectly for skin, hair and clothes.


Don’t miss this week 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 379. 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.