Fall and Winter 2023 Program

All right! Most of our new students don’t have experience in most of the outdoor activities we do. Our instructors work closely together to teach you the skills you’ll need. By the end of the trip, you’ll be a pro at setting up camp, cooking in the backcountry, and more! If you have experience, our instructors will be happy to help you improve your existing skills.

If you play sports during the school year, you’re probably prepared! We get this question a lot. Being scared is a common feeling whenever you do something new. Outings during the week are not competitions. Above all, they are fun experiences where we will explore a lot, travel, explore natural sites, do outdoor sports, learn life skills, make new friends and disconnect from an overly stressful city life.

Since we will be participating in different outdoor activities throughout each trip, our students must have a minimum of physical fitness to participate in Young Explorers Club but in our experience this is the case for 90% of young people between 11 and 15 years old. We know that fitness is different for everyone, but it’s important to prepare so that you and your classmates can succeed. In the months leading up to your trip, we recommend that you participate in physical activity at least once a week if you are not already doing so. This can be hiking, jogging or running, biking, football or basketball, or anything else that helps your cardiovascular fitness.

Our programs and activities are based on the “challenge by choice” theory. This means that we will encourage all campers to participate and challenge themselves in the activities, but if they are truly opposed to continuing, they absolutely do not have to. We assess the intensity of any activity we do on the abilities of campers as a whole, not individually. An example would be that: We walk as fast as our slowest hiker. We strive to challenge each of our campers and also create situations that give them a sense of accomplishment, confidence, and achievement.

Most of our students come to Young Explorers Club without knowing anyone before their trip. You’ll start making friends as soon as you arrive at the airport (and our instructors will be there to help). Once the journey is over, you won’t want to leave your new community! Most of our students remain friends long after their summer is over.

The teenagers who come to the Young Explorers Club are kind, welcoming, eager to learn and come from all over Switzerland. Our groups are full of positive young adults who will work well with each other. YOUNG EXPLORERS CLUB has a strong emphasis on group dynamics and creating a supportive social environment, and our students reflect this.