Kandersteg International Scout Center / BSA Camp Alpine

[berliner]

The Kandersteg International Scout Center KISC is located in the Berner Oberland in Switzerland.

It is a camp site founded by Baden Powell himself.

A bit more than 1,000 Scouts could squeeze in;

BSA summer camp "Camp Alpine" had a tad over 400 scouts in 2010 I think,

site neighbours from the UK, Netherlands, etc and staff even from Australia (18 year old girl).

There is camp sites with showers and huge camp fire circles for hundreds of scouts

as well as chatels/houses/rooms with complete kitchen/catering available.

It is staffed by around 80 scouts who get room and board and a small allowance and usually staff stays for 3-6 months.

Great opportunity for older scouts/eagles to experience a working-type holiday in europe in a scout setting.

Beautiful landscape, great activites: hiking, mountaineering, rappeling, skiing, swimming to name a few.

 

http://www.kisc.ch

 

 

 

 

[jpstodwftexas]

Would love to go someday soon

[Nike]

Our troop in Germany attended both a week long troop run summer camp and Alpine. A good time was always had by all. Alpine was more merit badge focused, but the cool outdoor ones. Many of our European packs, troops, and Girl Scouts visit KISC because it is so well run, clean, and the staff is always helpful.

 

It would be great if councils in the States could send contingents of older boys to Kandersteg for a week, anytime during the year, with some additional touring on the continent. I don't think the Center ever closes. Kandersteg village has a great little bus system, and Scouts wearing a neckar get free transportation. There are plenty of hostels and places to camp. Trains are a great way to get from one place to another.

 

Scouts have to be 18 to be on staff, so if you have any college age Scouters who are maybe thinking of a semester off, encourage them to think about Kandersteg.

[Nike]

One more great place for Scouts, this one in Germany. Burg Rieneck up by Weisbaden, relatively. http://www.burg-rieneck.de/en/

[berliner]

Nike - what town you from? Where you in TAC in 2009/2010? *waves*

 

In Kandersteg the World Organisation of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts have their very own lil Chalet (house) just a valley over next to KISC.

 

As Switzerland is located in the center it is the best place to explore europe from 8-)

[Nike]

I was located in Southern Germany for four years and now live in North Africa, still part of TAC.

 

And, truth is KISC is in the village while you have to hike up to the Chalet. One reason our Girl Scouts went to KISC.

[berliner]

I havent been to the Girl Scout Chalet ;-) Did the tour of the south: Scouters Conference in Garmisch, Merit Badge University in Vilseck, NDCS in Heidelberg, IOLS in Stuttgart (Greenie Beanies LOL - but I love em dearly I got MREs for my Troop from SF), on the way back from Camp Alpine spent a night at the new Camp Freedom, but inside the Barraks 8-) I do love hearing Taps and all.

 

Africa sounds like year round summer camp 8-)

[Gone]

I am heading up a high adventure group from our troop to Germany in 2016. We are planning to trek up the Zugspitze (from Ehrwald, up the south side and in through the glacier) and then possibly the Watzmann in Berchtesgaden.

 

Has anyone done this or similar hikes? Any suggestions for good hiking treks? Would like to maybe to an over night tent hike in the Alps. Am looking through the various hiking associations and clubs in Germany/Austria to see what other say. Any suggestions anyone might have would be great!!

[berliner]

What I know is the "Hoehenweg" from Ehrwald over Leermoos and back around, goes around the entire valley, I think it was 20k? Maybe 12-13 miles? When I was at Bayern High Adventure Camp we went on a dayhike up the german side of the Zugspitze. Been a loooong time ;-)

[mrkstvns]

On 9/30/2013 at 4:36 AM, Nike said:

It would be great if councils in the States could send contingents of older boys to Kandersteg for a week, anytime during the year, with some additional touring on the continent. I don't think the Center ever closes. Kandersteg village has a great little bus system, and Scouts wearing a neckar get free transportation. There are plenty of hostels and places to camp. Trains are a great way to get from one place to another.

The programs at Kandersteg look absolutely amazing, plus they offer some GREAT activities that would really get the adrenaline pumping.

U.S. troops might find that they could work in an amazing winter high adventure trip by going during the school district's Christmas break. (Glacier climbing?  Snowshoeing?  Awesome!)

There's also activities in the summer that I simply can't imagine a "risk adverse" organization like BSA ever trying....Paragliding?  Awesome!

Thanks for the pointer to Kandersteg!  

Are there other international scout camps that we isolated Americans should know about??

[Eagle94-A1]

A bunch actually. Most camps in the UK are open to any Scout groups. From what I've heard so is most of the European ones too.

 

[ianwilkins]

13 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

A bunch actually. Most camps in the UK are open to any Scout groups. From what I've heard so is most of the European ones too.

 

Yep. They'd be only too glad to have visitors from a distant arm of the scouting family. Of course, there's Brownsea Island. I mean, physically, I'm sure you must have all bases covered in the US, but going abroad, and if it's done as more of a cultural thing, meeting foreign scouts, visiting old stuff, castles, all that, would be a different dimension to things. I must admit, some of my most vivid and wonderful scout memories have been those when we've been abroad, or hosting foreign scouts.

In the UK there are many Jamborees every summer, which would be a good way of meeting, well, lots of British scouts, and they usually have international guests from many countries, of which you could be one. 

There's a European Jamboree in 2020 in Gdansk Poland.

https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/3234/international-opportunities

I suspect over the next year or so the dollar could get stronger against the pound, so it could be a good time to do a trip.

Oh, and we've also stayed on the Lord Amory, which is a pretty good base for visiting London, sleeping on a boat moored opposite a huge bunch of skyscrapers, and probably half an hour or so from most of the London sites. 

https://www.lordamory.org

That combined with Brownsea, and maybe Gilwell Park, or a UK Jamboree, would be an amazing trip.

[Double Eagle]

Having spent a few years in Europe and been to Kandersteg, it is one of the greatest scouting centers I've seen.  First class programs for all, summer or winter, you will have a blast and it will wishing you had more time.  I've been there three times.  You can drive, or take a train with all your gear.  There is also first class skiing and skating in the area.  We had scouts sledding right behind our chalet.  We saw a far-off avalanche and the alps are something to see.  I rank Kandersteg up there with any Philmont experience.  Different programs, but a bucket list item for any scouter.  There are a few staff members that have the patch/neckerchief trading in their blood.  We wore neckerchiefs and they were a big hit.  You can get their woggle and patches in their trading post.  One of the best sources you can use is the Transatlantic Council site, or may try the Black Eagle Lodge of the OA.