CABANES D’ALPAGE

VSF Camp 1 – Age 6/12

« Séjour Aventure et Découverte »

Immersion Ratio (per group): 20 French campers / 3 Foreign campers

Activities

1- Construction:

Divided into teams, the children will build their huts under the supervision of our professional counselors. Together they will build different kinds of huts and tree houses using the natural materials and elements at their disposal on the site (trees, rocks, streams, the natural inclination of the ground…), and bridges, decks, roads will connect the huts together to form a small village.

A specific name will be dedicated to each hut: « The Living-Room »,  » The Sleeping Hut », “The Kitchen”, « The Library », « The Secret Hide Out » …

The camp counselors will assist our campers and help them integrate smoothly into their natural living environment.   The cabanes will be solid and spacious enough to accommodate several campers!

2– Life in the Cabanes:

• Caring for the farm animals (chickens, roosters, chicks, rabbits, goats, baby goats, sheep and donkeys) they will also learn how to milk the goats!
  
• Cooking workshop : making butter and real countryside bread,
• Recycled paper: From old newspapers or from ripped magazines, let’s make some real hand made paper!
• Making a Solar furnace: Using a pizza box and aluminum foil, they will make their individual solar furnace and cook an egg on it!
• Making of a walking stick (a typical shepherd staff)
• Bivouac (Camping) in the cabanes (with of course the possibility in case of rain to retreat and go sleep at the farm)
• Barbecues and story telling around the camp fire will make each evening magic!

3 – Adventure and Discovery:

Nature by itself is a tremendous encyclopedia. An open book in which the children will learn to read the local flora and fauna. They will learn how to recognize footprints from different animals, discover their feeding places and hide-outs… They will observe nature, get to know the forest with all its plants, trees, and many flowers.

During field trips and treasure hunts, campers (divided into teams) will also learn how to use a compass.

Other activities

– Initiation in rock climbing
– Parcours Aventure : Adventure courses in the trees! Zip wires, monkey bridges and nets, FUN guaranteed!
– Big Games, team sports and of course Parties…!

Choice of Field Trips

• Visit to the Cultural Center of the Val d’ Abondance: studying the local cows, the transhumance, and the various stages of the manufacturing of cheese
• Visit to a local farm
• Swimming pool in Châtel: 3 pools, a large 25m pool, a medium-sized pool for children and a small pool with water slide, there is also a large lawn area for relaxing
• Shopping in town 

« The people, the food and the enchanting views of France were incredible. I could not have picked a more enjoyable camp. I came to the camp with no experience in building cabanes, and I came out of VSF camp knowing how to do it and I certainly know SO MUCH MORE French now than before! I made many new friends! The French people are so nice its easy to make friends. The camp itself was great, I was really happy with all of it. VSF camp is no ordinary sleep away camp. I was kind of nervous the first day but this is definitely the best camp I have ever been to. I would definitely recommend it to everyone who is looking for adventure and Fun! »

Sophia C., 12 yrs. old (USA

Camp Location: « CHALET LE SOLEIL LEVANT »

Surrounded by lakes, streams and rivers, Châtel is a true paradise!
Accommodation: Our campers will spend their holiday in a typical mountain chalet in the center of Châtel, an old Savoyard village with a long farming tradition. Our chalet offers comfortable bedrooms with shower facilities in each room, a  large dining-room with a view of the mountains and 4 activity rooms. …For more details Click here

TRANSPORTATION: With the VSF group (and the French children) by TGV train from Paris to Thonon-les-Bains (escorted by the camp staff) – transfer by shuttle bus to the camp site.
…For more info on Transportation click here