Crazy Mountain Balance Camp 2023

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!

Immersed in overwhelming mountains you will reconnect with nature and reconnect with yourself!

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.

We'll have a mountain hut just for our group at an altitude of 2.200 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 a splendid escapade high in the breathtaking Alps, with no need for artificial stimulants! We'll steer clear of alcohol and other substances, relying on our bodies to produce adrenaline, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and plenty of oxytocin for an euphoric experience :) 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. 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.

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. Majestic mountains with peaks of up to 2.900 meters above sea level, valleys, streams, fields and forests will surround us. In our proximity there are only some summer farms here and there (more about seasonal migration in the Alps here).

We are in the south east of Switzerland, in the most unspoilt province of the country (Grisons/Graubünden). In the evening, stars and the moon will be the only light source outside. There will be no light pollution. From our hut, it is around 2,5 hour walking to get to the village (altitude difference: 700m). In that village there is a bus stop and a railway station. The hut can be reached by mountain bike as well.

We will be in Grisons in the south east of Switzerland. One bus away from Chur, and Chur can easily be reached by train; direct high speed train from Frankfurt for example; 5:30 hr from Paris by high speed train with one change; 4 hr by train from Milano with one change; night train from Budapest/Vienna with one change, etc. Chur is also serviced by Flixbus and Eurolines international buses.

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 a 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. These practices are inspired by concepts such as conscious relating, non-violent communication, connective kink and radical honesty. 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 this is not for you :)

Hello! I'm Juliet. Yoga has always been a valuable part of my life, as a practice to connect mind and body. I completed my Yoga Teacher Training in Ubud, Indonesia. This taught me the deeper meaning of yogic philosophy as a way to centre ourselves and our journey to consciousness.

My main focus is on instinctive movement that nourishes us from the inside. I believe that yoga should be playful and accessible, so I teach a mixed-style vinyasa with plenty of moments for calm and reflection through breath-work.

I look forward to connecting with you all in the beautiful mountains!

Namaste ♡

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?

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. 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 (3 hours, T2). Luggage will be brought by tractor to the hut.
Second day As a warming up we will make a hike (T3) that is not very long and not very technical – but will take us to a 2.750m high peak. Picnic and sunbath on the summit before we go back to the hut.
Third day A not so long hike (T3) will bring us to the ruins of an alpine underground ore quarry from past centuries. We will probably take a guided tour through the interior of the mine! Afterwards we'll hike back to the hut through the forest (T2 and T3).
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 A long hike, 8 to 9 hours, T3, that will bring us to a dip in the lake and then we'll ascend another 2.750m high peak before hiking back to the hut.
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 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 these 7 days / 6 nights is (depending on your situation) between EUR 599 and EUR 699 per person for accommodation, food (that we will cook together), yoga sessions, guided meditation sessions, massage workshop, and life enriching experiences.

Reductions

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. 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
+ Luggage transport from the village to the hut
+ 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

Not included:
x Snacks, fruit, energy bars, soft drinks etc.
x Sleeping bags
x Towels