Camp Diary 2 -Nehal Gupta Winter 2013- Les Elfes India

Adventure Sports &   Ski Camp at Les ELfes Verbier

Les Elfes was a dream before I visited it . It was a yay moment when my parents agreed to send me . I was so enthusiastic while packing all my stuff and thinking about travelling to Switzerland with an international group of my age. The campaign brochures and its sites had already captivated me a lot. Finally the day came and I travelled with my chaperon Ms. Rachna  and  eight more children from India to Swiss.

At the GVA airport Les elfes had its own counter . The guy who came to pick us up was Fred. He  gave a taste of how my coming week would be. He was too easy to talk to and such a hilarious guy . There I met two more people from New York and Russia . Nicole was the girl from New York and became a good friend of mine.  It gave an essence of being free and independent. Then we travelled till Les Elfes together and was really impressed the way our chaperon told everything about we were seeing on our way. After reaching the members there welcomed us really warmly by introducing themselves with smiling faces . We were shown our chalets and rooms which were no less. Also we went to shop that day with our group and got our ski equipments . The same evening we met a French woman who specialised in baking cookies and snacks. They were lovely and we wanted to eat more than our bellies allowed us to.  Next day we went to Ski on the bunny slopes and our trainers Alice and Alessio were so friendly and tranquil. Learning how to get skis on and handling them was a lot of fun. Then after that day our group got promoted to blue slopes . Travelling together on lifts and clicking pictures with them was the real fun.  It was a sense of achievement and ” yes I have done something”. Getting lunch on slopes and sitting on snow was something unique and amazing . Even falling after every try didn’t loose are confidence but encouraged us to do better. Everyone of us was so curious to learn ski in such an amazing aura . Under this excitement I could also bear the coldest days of my life till now.

Then on the last day I realised that Ski is actually my cup of tea. We did the red slopes. We went 2400 metres high and skied . The view we got there just can’t be expressed in words. It seemed that I was on top of all the mountains amidst the clouds . Moreover when the strays of Sun came across the mountains it all glowed and looked all animated . Rainbows were visible and seemed to just purify one’s soul . Skiing down from there in that wind completely turned me into another person . That sense of handwork and accomplishment can’t come in me with any other thing I do. My chaperon used to encourage and cheer us so much . In all Les elfes is a mandatory place to go to find yourself and turn your personality upside down .

Nehal Gupta

The Indian Mascot

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Camp Diary Ranveer Modi Winter of 2013 at Les ELfes Camp

Ski Week at Les Elfes  Camps in Verbier

The night of 27th couldn’t have been spent in a more petrifying manner. An 8 hour haul to Zurich and to top it off, a half an hour lay over at Zurich airport en route Geneva. Midway, I was almost beginning to wonder whether it was all worth this exertion? Would this trip be a bubble ready to burst prematurely?

Once we reached Geneva after a not-so-snappy journey, we found one of the drivers waiting for us. He did nothing to inflate our mood by informing us that we had to wait for another flight.  After an hour or so of waiting, we finally re grouped with two Russians and an American and started our drive towards Verbier. The main attraction was the Geneva Lake. It was humongous to say the least and at the same time the view served like divine nectar to my head which was on the verge of exploding. On the other side was France. That was some retina busting boundary. The rest of the journey was spent in tucking in some much required shut eye. The weather was terrifyingly gloomy but the moment I beheld snow, my face started emitting a radiant glow. It was shameful not to have touched snow till then in life but this was hell of a beginning.

The chalet appeared right in front of us. It was just as proclaimed on the website! There were two chalets: one for the boys and the other for the girls. The road had bit of frozen ice on it which made it more difficult to snail towards the reception. We were allotted our respective rooms. Mine was 207 and I was sharing it with my friend and an excited albeit quiet (hybrid) Russian. The whole day was bit of a drag with the usual orientation and etcetera. This just reminded me of the first day at Doon.

-15! The moment I stepped out in the open, I  felt my thumb freeze and my toes shiver. After wearing uncountable layers if this was the outcome, then the apparel brands seriously needed an overhaul. After we gathered our equipments, we proceeded towards the buses that carried us to the piste. We were in the blue piste, which was one step above the bunny slopes, the basic ones. What a view! There in front of me ensconced in the snowy Alpine slope, lay the legendary ‘magic carpet’, which my parents had so enthusiastically talked about (probably because it had the word ‘magic’ in it ).  Whoosh! That might have been the onomatopoeic version of what happened when I crashed into a fellow skier for the first time. I just wanted to break my skis at that time and I decided to try again. That day I crashed/fell 25 times, to say the least.

The next day was the same, but the day after that we got our bearings right and was granted our first promotion. I felt good and accomplished. I felt enthused and impatient. I wanted to be a black level skier! The whole day was spent talking about the much awaited new year night.

A carnival! Seriously? What’s the use of Disneyland? The excuse of the instructors was it was supposed to be for all age groups. Well, I thought we were having a kindergarten kitty party. The torch light walk was fun but the fireworks was nothing compared to the ones we get to witness at private residences back home in India. The disco was fun even though the instructors’ and our taste in music did not quite overlap. Sadly.

All I could think of was skiing the next day. I went to sleep at around 12:30 am.  The  only heads-up was that we could wake up at 8:30am., an hour later than ususal. The routine was always the same but that day the lunch was under Mont Fort, in a cabin. We would be skiing there someday but not that day, we were informed rather patronisingly.

Our last day was the most memorable in terms of skiing. We went up to the red slopes and took a 10 km long route on the groomed piste downwards. It was fun and was a mesmerising experience with the wind slammimg against my face. I felt I was getting sucked into a vortex but I didn’t care. My instructors, Alice and Alessio, were literally after my life as I was always out of line, cruising along at my own breakneck pace. I was really sad when we were informed that it was time to head back to the chalet. That night I was named the ‘Mascot for India’ and we also bagged the ‘Best Group Award’!

Again I was back on the flight. This time homeward bound. I will always cherish those days and will always thank the people who are responsible for me going to Les Elfes, in my prayers. The staff was skilled, meticulous and most importantly, compassionate. And gloriously funny and cheerful. I will miss every bit of it in the days to come. Thank you Les Elfes for helping me to ring in the new year amid such a spectacular alpine sweep. A warm experience in the chill of Alpine winter.

Ranveer Modi

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Les Elfes India -Adventure Sports Camps from India

Les Elfes is a Swiss organization with over 27 years of working with children. With a client base spanning all the continents, we offer opportunities to young adults between the ages of 8 and 18 years, to discover and learn beyond formal education in an international environment.

Today Les Elfes has emerged not only as the pioneering organization in its area of expertise, but is the only organization in the world  open to participation in high-end adventure/ intense learning environment for a week or more in continuity from the month of December to August each year.

Having started operations in India since 1997 we have had the pleasure to host hundreds of young adults from India At Les Elfes we offer Spring Summer and Winter Camps combining the best of adventure sports like skiing snowboarding along with learning and perfecting languages. Children and teenagers discover other cultures and make new friends.

Activities are designed to promote leadership and teamwork and challenge students toward excellence in a way that maximizes both personal and group development and enhances self-confidence and interpersonal skills.

Our endeavor is focused towards the nurturing and challenging of the young mind. To move them out of comfort zones, to help them think for themselves on their feet, to make them self reliant yet team players. To help them gain confidence though a sense of self achievement .To enables and equips them with skills that make them confident adjusted and contributing global citizens of our flattened world. And this is achieved in an extremely safe, fun and international environment.

Keeping cultural sensitivities in mind India is the only country form where we have introduces the concept of Chaperoned programs which are led by some of our experienced team members in all the sessions. We also believe in personalized service therefore whether a child or a parent we are always accessible.

Detailed schedules of all our sessions are available on our website ( www.leselfes.com) and .leselfesindia facebook page offers glimpses of our past and our present.

For detailed information you can email us on leselfes@gmail.com

Adventure Camps in Switzerland