Crazy Mountain Balance Camp 2022

We'll have a mountain hut just for our group at an altitude of 2.000 m. We will be 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. We'll cook and eat together, have massage workshops etc. The Crazy Mountain Balance Camp will be a marvellous adventure!

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 oxytocins to get us high :) Read more here. All food is plant-based.

Low Radiation

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.

Disclaimer: 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.

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.

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 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. 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 Mountain Camp 2022 :)

Hey I am Yağmur! I started my yoga journey as a physical activity. Along the way it transformed into self discovery and self awareness with the help of great teachers, books, and eastern philosophy itself. I value owning my own path, trusting my presence in the universe, opening my heart to love and every possibility in life. We will have yummy, flowy powerful sessions in the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp! I support my classes with lots of breathwork, meditations, basic therapeutic movements and crazy dances! We will gaze towards our inner self as well as we discover connection and harmony with the outer world. We will release our body and mind; let the movement come from not the conscious mind but the action itself.

Sessions will be open to all levels and everyone who wants to take a journey to themselves! I am looking forward to connecting with you in the beautiful Swiss mountains! Loves, Yağmur.

Too much yoga and deep stuff?

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.

This is important!

Please notice that there is no 'leadership team' or 'staff' at the Crazy Mountain Balance Camp. Yağmur (our 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 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].

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 :-)

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 day This 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 descend 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.

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 deal

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!

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.

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

Not included:
x Snacks, fruit, energy bars, energy drinks, soft drinks
x Sleeping bag liners
x Towels