Crazy Mountain Balance Camp 2019

We'll have a mountain hut just for our group in a remote valley in the Alps, at an altitude of 1.500m and far away from "civilisation". 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! Also we will learn things about the unique culture of the Swiss summer farmers. In the evening we will organize crazy group games, cook and eat together, gaze at the starry sky while having a tea in our outdoor hot tub, have massage workshops etc.

Natural High

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 oxytocin to get us high :) Read more here. All food is vegan.

Low radiation

In the hut and directly around there is no GSM/mobile phone reception. Also on big parts of the hikes there is no network. In the hut there is no WiFi and if we keep our phones on airplane mode (as there is no network anyway) we will not be generating any radiation ourselves either. Only at some limited occasions we will use a bluetooth speaker.

Mountain hiking

A good part of the camp is dedicated to mountain hiking. Not mountaineering; no ropes, crampons or helmets. There is a hiking program set up but it is not an obligation to participate. The program builds from an easy acclimatisation hike (T1/T2) via long days to a 2.500m summit and an exposed ridge (T3, small parts of T4), alternated with days dedicated to meditation, yoga and bodywork.

The Crazy Mountain Balance Camp is more a social event than a sportive event. The 'weakest' group member will set the pace.

We will be in a simple mountain hut, far away from the noise and rumble of cities and villages, in the middle of beautiful nature: mountains with peaks of up to 3.200 metres above sea level, canyons, rivers, fields and forests. There are no villages in this valley; 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).

From our hut, it is an almost two hour walk to get to the nearest village. In that village there is a bus stop; the bus connects to a railway station. There is no public road for cars in our valley. The hut can be reached by mountain bike as well.

The wooden hut is simple and reflects the life style of the summer farmers. All beds are in one big sleeping room. There is an open kitchen with a wood stove and there is a toilet. Outside is the hot tub. Please do not expect luxury things like comfort, personal privacy or mobile network coverage. There will be max. 14 people in our group. No smoking in the house or in the hot tub. In and around the house, during swimming activities and during parts of the hikes clothing is optional [faq]

We will be in the very heart of Switzerland, in one of the Cantons that founded Switzerland (Federal Charter of 1291). Excellent train connections (and then one bus) from mayor cities in Europe, eg. 3,5 hrs from Milano with one change; 5:40 hrs from Frankfurt with one change; 5,5 hrs from Paris with 2 changes; night train from Amsterdam with 2 changes; also night train from Roma with 2 changes; etc. From the international bus station Lucerne (Flixbus, Eurolines etc.) you would take a direct train (and then the local bus mentioned before).

The other option is to offer or join a ride share, for example through blablacar or with other participants; from Benelux (and NRW or Alsace) there might be a ride share available [faq], approx. EUR 90 two-way per person.

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

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. We will be doing plenty of exercises and games (eye gazing for example) to connect with ourselves and with the others.

Our facilitator

Most of these sessions will be guided by Carmen. Carmen has received 300hrs yoga teacher training and has training experience in Latin America and Africa. Besides that she's into Acroyoga, so maybe we'll have a session of that as well :) and she will guide some connection and massage sessions. Also Klaas will guide us in some sessions.

What if I love mountains but don't want to join all that sharing and yoga and massage stuff? Then please choose a different Crazy Camp :) 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'. The yoga facilitator and Klaas will participate in the activities just like the other participants. At best they are 'primi inter pares'. We're all in it together :) [faq]