AA First Session

One and a half days after the school year ended, I was off to start work in Leysin for the AA (Alpine Adventure). AA is part of the SIS (Summer In Switzerland) program offered in the summer through LAS. It was a busy three weeks of camp. I spent my mornings teaching Mighty Math to the 7-12 year olds and afternoons and weekends leading various trips in and around Switzerland. In any free time (which there wasn't much of!), I tried to get outside to take in the fresh alpine air.

Here is a familiar view...from the balcony of my summer apartment in Leysin looking towards Diablerets

 View from my balcony looking towards Dents Du Midi (highest peak in the Vaud canton)

 Before the kids came, faculty went to Cabane La Sarouche just near Chateau D'Oex.

 The faculty kids that were already there wanted to have a manicure so the staff and kids participated just outside the mountain hut while fondue was prepared inside.

 Cabane La Sarouche is next to a cheese farm so we went to visit the baby cows. These cows were only two days old!

 The cheese farmer checking up on the cows...

 Cabane La Sarouche

 Inside, staff enjoyed boat loads of fondue!!!

 The picture above is my "family" at SIS first session. Each camper is assigned a "family". My family had three Brazilians, one Russian, one Italian, one French, one Indian, one Canadian and me. The above picture is the family playing UNO in my apartment.

Below are two of my "daughters" and two of my "sons" learning how to make banana bread....something that none of the kids in my family had ever heard of or tried!!

 Family shot in my apartment.

 A day in Zermatt....we took the train to the Gornergrat in Zermatt and hiked down the mountain. Unfortunately, it was not a particularly sunny day. Here, my family is looking across at some glaciers.

 Family shot just below the Gornergrat!

 Trying to survive across the snow!

 Watching the train go up to the Gornergrat

 Me and Camille at the Rothorn, Zermatt

 The train station in Zermatt

 Some of the kids standing by a huge Swiss Army knife

 Dorm BBQ on the rooftop terrace of the dorm....girls from the US, Spain, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia all conversing.

 There were two nights when I was able to escape to the Montreux Jazz Festival. I saw both Van Morrison and Ian Anderson. Here is Lake Geneva by moonlight after one of the shows.

 Weekends for the AA program happen on Tuesday/Wednesday. This particular weekend, the campers trekked to various mountain huts. Here is my group making our way to the cabin.

 Tons of wildflowers and waterfalls.

 Ooops...watch out for the cows in the path!

 We stopped along the way for a snack and the kids played in the stream. Notice the waterfalls in the background.

 Kids playing and waterfalls falling....

 Resting and snacking on a rock

 Wildflowers

 We even had to trek underneath some waterfalls!

 Helping the kids make their way through

 Helping our youngest Swiss/Serbian camper make her way through.

 Waterfalls

 Camille and one of our youngest campers amidst the wildflowers

 A young Russian camper bringing up the rear

 Looking back at the cabin that we spent the night in

 More play time by the waterfalls while three of the other staff keep an eye on them.

 Kids playing in the mud....building a bridge to get across the stream actually

 Our hut

 Me and Camille

 Views of the mountains from our hut

 Geltenhutte (2002m)

Group shot...Russians, Ukrainians, Americans, Canadians and Serbians.....5 staff and 11 kids.

More wildflowers

 Shot standing underneath the waterfall looking out at the mountains of Launensee, Switzerland

The night we returned to Leysin from the hut trip, there were some thundershowers just as the sun was setting. Leysin is home to the most brilliant rainbows I've ever seen, but the ones on this night were brighter than ever before. As the sun moved, so did the position of the rainbows. These were taken from my balcony.

 Pic Chaussey in the background illuminated by the sun.

 The flowers on MFK's balcony with the rainbow in the background.

 And then there was a double rainbow!

 Here are my kids learning to make chocolate chip cookies....yet another delicious treat that they had never eaten!

 And without being prompted...just like anyone who makes chocolate chip cookies, the kids wanted to try the batter!

 This particular afternoon after classes were through, the group took the telecabine up to the top of our mountain in Leysin and hiked down. Here you can see the famous towers of Leysin in the background...the Tour D'Ai and the Mayen.

 Looking out towards Lake Geneva

 Finally after 12 straight days of work, I had a day off. I drove across the valley and hiked up the Dents de Morcles, a peak I look at every day from my balcony in Leysin.

 Following the trail markers.

 My friend Paul standing on the ridgeline that we traversed which is where we first encountered the wind.

 Looking down at the valley below.

 The end of the hike was steep and rocky

 The rock faces were so cool though!

 We didn't descend this way, but it was a cool view of the valley!

 AKA: over 9000 feet

 Looking across the the valley, the two peaks next to each other in the center are the Tour D'Ai and the Mayen in Leysin....I think I can see my apartment too! (Perfect timing of that bird in the picture too!)

 The cross symbolizes the top of the mountain where there is also a book to sign.

 Me, Paul and his friend RD who was visiting from Virginia at the summit

 Back to work: The last shot of my first session family. We took a walk out to Nid D'Aigle (Eagle's Nest) in Leysin. Here, we have stopped at a bench for a snack of cheese, crackers and apple juice. After the Brazilians were moved to the older program, my family only consisted of four kids (India, Russia, Italy and France).

Another post will follow after second session is complete. I will bring my camera to class so I can share the happenings in Mighty Math!

A+ mes amis!