Altitude Summer Camps, Verbier (Ages 3-14)
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Altitude Camps, founded in 2001, offers International Summer Camps featuring English and French language lessons and action-packed activities. The camps are tailored to younger children and adolescents, and the quality of service and professional staff make Altitude a leader in the industry. Altitude strives for its camps to be memorable, fulfilling and, most importantly, a fun summer experience for every camper.
Verbier is a superb holiday destination that has grown in size over the last 100 years from a small mountain town to an internationally renowned resort.
In the wintertime, the resort is very much a ski town, with over 30,000 holidaymakers a week in peak season, all enjoying the sun, skiing and incredible mountain atmosphere Verbier has to offer. In the winter, Verbier’s huge ski area hosts events such as the final of the Xtreme Freeride World Tour, World Cup Speed Skiing and the Carlsberg High Five.
In the summer months, the town is transformed to a glorious mountain retreat, perfect for those wanting to escape from the everyday, with incredible picture perfect scenery as far as the eye can see. With its sunny south-facing bowl providing a delightful suntrap from morning until dusk, the town is quiet and peaceful, but still with plenty on offer for visitors from near or far.
Verbier provides the perfect setting for those wanting an active holiday, or simply as a base from which to explore the rest of Switzerland.
“The Altitude Camps in Verbier came recommended to me by a colleague who not only works with the world’s top programs for children, but also happens to live near there. For parents concerned about their children’s safety away from home, there can be no better location for a summer camp than this one. Here, students will have the opportunity to engage in many different activities conducted in English or French, with or without formal language lessons, while enjoying the personal attention that a small camp with a high staff-to-child ratio has to offer. They will have the opportunity from an early age to meet children of many nationalities and to make friendships that will last a lifetime. Lastly, campers who come from places in which the weather is torrid in summer will also appreciate the respite that the cool and dry mountain air offers, without the tradeoff of a rainy day at home.”
Altitude Summer Camps
Why choose the Altitude Summer Camp program?
- Altitude’s camp is based in Verbier, a quiet mountain town high in the Swiss Alps, where campers can have the freedom to explore and experience the outdoors in an extremely safe environment.
- Altitude guarantees small camp sessions of no more than 50 campers, meaning that all its campers are known on an individual basis by each member of staff.
- Altitude’s group sizes in language classes, mountain adventure groups and afternoon program are small, with a high staff to camper ratio of 1 : 8 at all times, and 1 : 4 for the Marmot camp for its youngest campers.
- Altitude’s language teachers are native speakers and fully qualified to teach either English or French.
- Altitude’s staff are all police checked, first aid qualified and experienced in working in their designated roles with children and teenagers.
The facilities
THE ALTITUDE CAMP FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- Language school
- Two residential chalets
- Student lounge in each residence
- Game Consoles
- Free Wi-Fi
- Table Tennis
- Table Football
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Facilities
Verbier has a range of fantastic facilities from the extensive mountain environment where the adventure activities take place, to the sports center with indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, squash courts, climbing walls, ice rinks and more. Football pitches and horse-riding stables also provide great sports activities, as well as the 18-hole driving range, and mini golf course.
Student Welfare
Altitude staff co-ordinate all language lessons and activities each day, and stay in the accommodation each night with the campers, providing 24-hour supervision.
Airport Transfers
For children travelling alone, Altitude Camps offers a group transfer for CHF 150 return from Geneva Airport and back. To organize the transfers, Marshall Language Services will need to furnish the participant’s flight information to Altitude. If children are travelling as unaccompanied minors, Altitude will receive them from the airline staff, and when the program is over, accompany the participants back to the airport and hand over the children to airline staff.
The courses
COURSE CONTENT AND SAMPLE TIMETABLES
Residential Language Camps (English or French)
Altitude’s Language Camps for juniors aged 7 to 14 combine English or French lessons with activities purposely designed to feel less like a typical classroom environment, encouraging fun and practical learning. The language camps are suitable for learners of all levels, and lessons are focused on a conversational method. Campers will take language lessons in the morning followed by afternoon activity programs of sports, team building games, and local excursions together with campers on the mountain adventure camp program. All residential campers participate in an exciting evening program each evening, and enjoy an additional excursion day each week on Saturdays.
Altitude also offers non-residential Language Day camps which provide lessons and activities until the afternoon, and campers leave for home in the evenings.
The programs provide:
- Assessment on the first day of the course
- Individually structured program
- International classes
- Residential program from 9:00 – 19:30
- Non-residential day program from 9:00 – 16:00
- Small class sizes with an average of 5 students per teacher
A sample timetable:
Residential Mountain Adventure Camps
Altitude’s Mountain Adventure Camps split campers into age groups of 6 – 8, 9 – 11 and 12 – 14 and provide age specific activities such as fire building, using compasses and map reading, shelter building, mountain biking, and climbing. The camp guarantees small groups of up to 8 children per activity leader which encourages teamwork, provides one-to-one guidance from the team leader and builds self-confidence and understanding. Each camper’s experience and ability in each activity will be assessed individually and each camper will have his or her own specific targets to work towards to complete their level, as follows.
- Beginner: can demonstrate a grasp of all basic rules and concepts, and is able to perform the activity at a basic level with supervision and assistance.
- Intermediate: fully competent at the activity with some supervision working in a group, moving towards independence and further understanding.
- Advanced: shows a high level of ability and understanding and is able to perform with no assistance, also showing the ability to lead others in the activity.
All campers will participate in afternoon and evening activity programs of sports, team-building games, and local excursions. Campers will also enjoy an additional excursion day each week on Saturdays.
Altitude also offers non-residential Mountain Adventure Day camps, which provide lessons and activities until the afternoon, and campers leave for home in the evenings.
The programs provide:
- Assessment on the first day of the course
- Individually structured program
- International environment
- Residential program from 9:00 – 19:30
- Non-residential day program from 9:00 – 16:00
- Small group sizes with an average of 8 campers per activity leader
A sample timetable:
Marmot Day Camps (3 – 5 years)
The Marmot Camp is a summer day camp program designed exclusively for Altitude’s youngest campers, aged 3 – 5 years. This exciting program offers a carefully planned new activity each day from a varied program of sports, mountain adventures, arts and crafts and baking. The strict staff to camper ratio policy of one staff member to every 4 campers, ensures a high level of supervision and care for each child and the experienced and qualified Marmot team are dedicated and passionate about providing the best possible experience for little ones.
The programs provide:
- Day program from 9:00 – 13:00 everyday
- Staff to camper ratio of 1:4
- Lunch included
- Qualified and experienced staff
A sample timetable:
From our clients
First of all, I would like to thank you and your staff. Everything was controlled and care was given to every detail. My husband and I had never considered a camp for Alessandro, but it was important for us to make him feel more independent and confident in himself, and make him appreciate living in contact with people he had never met before. We chose your camp because we considered the variety of programs and dynamics.
Alessandro came back home thrilled with his experience; he felt a bit bigger to have stayed away from home without his parents. He has returned more aware of his adaptability, and he respects rules and people more naturally. Most of all, he loved the dynamics of life in the camp. All of this has fully met our expectations!
He already asked to book for next year so that he can return to Verbier to see his friends, and we can only be happy about that!”
Do you have a positive experience to share? Write to Rachel.
RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION
Altitude Residential Summer Language and Mountain Adventure Camps include full board accommodation. Campers stay in traditional Swiss-style private chalets, conveniently located within easy walking distance of the town center of Verbier, as well as the mountain lifts and sports facilities. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and will be shared by no more than 4 campers. The accommodation facilities include a games room, garden and a free internet connection.
Meals
Residential accommodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. The camp can also cater for all dietary requirements.
Laundry
Bed linen and towel are provided and change every 2 weeks. Laundry is included in the cost of the camp and done during the weekend.
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
Other Programs by this School
FAMILY PROGRAMS
For families travelling together, Altitude offers older teens and adults their own unique Verbier experience, which can consist of an English or French language course, an all-day guided hiking trip, or a day trip to one of the many local attractions.
Customized English and French Language Courses
Altitude offers English and French language courses for adults and older teens aged 15 + at all levels. Students can participate in just 1 or 2 hourly sessions per week or opt for a more intensive 5-day course.
Explore Verbier with Activities at Altitude
Altitude offers a variety of activities for adults and older teenagers to explore Verbier. Hiking, walking and mountain biking coaches and guides are available per hour for exploring the tranquil scenery of Verbier and the surrounding area. Tennis coaches are available for private lessons, including court hire and equipment rental. Adults can take a paragliding flight or participate in weeklong paragliding courses. Altitude also organizes trips each week in and around the Valais region to help experience the best of Switzerland.
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