LENKtastic II - 5th day

Cheesefactory

Today we went to a cheesefactory that was situated high up on a mountain. There we saw how cheese is really made. We followed our guide when he was stirring in a big bowl of cheese-water and later he took out the cheese and put it into forms. We got to eat alot of different types of cheese that was produced at the factory and they were so delicious! We also got to taste fresh milk from the cows at the factory.

Later the boys went up to the top of a big mountain and Martin, who wanted to walk fast reached it as the last. When we came back the factory and we wanted to go down the ”city” fast  so that we could go to the pool but unfortunately we went into the wrong direction a couple of times and reached the camp about one and a half later than we had planned... 

Biking

Our group, composed of five camp participants and a leader, set of for Speiz at 09:30 on this summer morning.

After a quick lunch break near a river in the forest, the group finally arrived at destination, exhausted after a four hour trip, but very happy. Thier efforts were rewared by a short visit to Spielz’s castlefollowed  by a dip in the lake of Thun and in the local swimming pool. One hour oft rain-riding later, we were back at Lenk.

Rope Park

Early in the morning we took the train to Zweisimmen and we hiked to the rope park. Since we didn’t know how to use all the gear they gave to us, a strong looking woman taught us how to do so. Then we had to practice our newly gotten knowledge on a baby rope (!), but that was just a little anticipation of what we would get later. They had courses for all kind of people: small ones, big ones, long ones, short ones, and even one that was pretty much all zip-lines.









After a couple of them we ate lunch and headed to the swimming pool, where we played volleyball (on actual sand!), football, went down a big slide and jumped off a diving board. As you may or may not have seen, we had lots and lots of fun. :-)

LENKtastic II - 4th day

Hiking:

The trip of the Hiking group was about 5 hours long and took them to a place called “The Seven Fountains of the Simmental”. The weather was great, there was plenty of sun all day and luckily no one got sunburned. The group stopped at an impressive waterfall for lunch and some of them had a quick bath in the river while the others were taking a short nap. Mario and Ahmed brought their speakers so everyone could listen to music while hiking. One of the hikers was shocked to discover that the cow fences are electric.  The hike was the perfect way to spend the day but the rooftops of Lenk were a welcome sight for the footsore campers.

Biking:

The biking group started their trip with a really easy route on flat land after which they spent two hours riding up a steep mountain. On the way up they took a shower in the waterfall. Eventually they reached the “Seven Fountains” where they took lunch and ran into the hiking group. The bikers continued their journey up another mountain where they rested before starting their way down. While going downhill the group was submitted to four near death experiences, where bikers were sent tipping off the path. After this terrifying ordeal they descended the mountain at full speed in just 30 minutes arriving home intact.   

LENKtastic II - 1th day

Some arrived on time others were very late. On arrival people became friends and explored the camp around. At night we ate and then played some ice breakers, towards bed we heard the party down the hill that continued on into the night that kept some up all night.

Around 3 am their was a constant barrage of firecrackers.

Around 7 I had to get up to start kitchen duty and start the buffet of food. Girls got up earlier to try to fix their hair, after the wonderful breakfast we waited for the oLENKic games in anticipation.

Tuesday

We had an early start today, waking up to have breakfast at 7:00. We did similar activities as we did yesterday. First, we went back up the mountain to continue to clear the paths so that others may enjoy the beautiful Saas Balen Alps. In the afternoon we changed our location to closer to the house but still cut and carried trees near the river. After a hard day’s work, we played a friendly game of all camp soccer on the local field. Despite the rain, we still had fun and all enjoyed the intense but exciting match. We loved the delicious food and were excited to break dance!

Break dance… ->

Thursday

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Saas Balen. Today we worked on top of the mountain, making the trails wider. We made friends with a goat who we named Jolene, who tried to eat our hair. After escaping Jolene (who later followed us), half of our group cut a path for a river through the fields. The other half of our group continued enlarging the pathways to control the waterways. On the way back home some of us rode on the back of a truck, while others stuck with the fire van. Since we were muddy and smelled like goat, we took a quick shower in the cold waterfall by the village.

Monday

It all started as a cloudy morning on the first day of camp. After an hour of delay, we finally got to work on the wonderful Swiss trails. But first, to get to those pathways, we rode in a firefighter truck. We cleared the roads of all debris, and made it safer for travel. This was done by the use of tools and a bit of teamwork. After three hours of hard work, we traveled back to the house for a delicious lunch of soup and an assortment of cheeses and meats. Once we were full, the leaders set us back to work on the roads. We were happy to help maintain the two separate ecosystems in both the forest and the valley. Tonight will be filled with much excitement like bracelet making and bonding.