Your 2027 Summer Camp at Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz will take you further
More than a camp – an adventure that stays with you
Experience the Engadin wilderness first-hand, learn essential outdoor skills and discover what you are capable of when you step out of your comfort zone.
The new Wilderness Camp at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz is a residential outdoor programme for young people aged 14-17. Over two weeks, you will explore the mountains, take on meaningful challenges and grow in confidence, independence and responsibility, supported by an experienced team and a strong international community.
Registration will open in autumn 2026.
Looking for a real challenge? Step outside.
The Wilderness Camp is for young people who want more than a conventional summer holiday. The Engadin valley becomes your learning environment: a place to explore with curiosity, practise new skills, solve problems together and experience the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge.
The programme combines adventure with reflection, freedom with responsibility, and demanding outdoor experiences with a positive and supportive atmosphere.
Learn skills for life outdoors
Learn how to make a fire, cook outdoors, find and collect water, build an overnight shelter and set up camp. Navigate with a map and compass, plan an expedition and learn how to recognise risks and behave safely in alpine terrain.
Discover your potential
Every challenge is an opportunity to grow. You will take responsibility for yourself, your equipment and your role in the group. Along the way, you will discover your strengths, build resilience and experience the pride that comes from achieving something you once thought was beyond you.
Grow stronger together
An expedition only works when people listen, communicate and support one another. Team challenges create space to take initiative, practise leadership and find solutions together. Shared experiences in nature can become the foundation for friendships that last long after camp.
One programme –
a different adventure every day
Your base
The Wilderness Camp starts and ends on the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz campus. Every participant has a room reserved at the school throughout the programme, providing a safe and comfortable base at all times.
Your expedition
Depending on the itinerary and weather conditions, nights will be spent on campus, at a hotel, in tents or in bivouacs. If conditions change or a participant needs support, the group can interrupt the outdoor programme and return to the school.
Your weekends
At the weekend, Wilderness Camp participants return to the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz campus and join the residents of the International Summer Camp. A special programme offers time for shared activities, excursions, recovery and new friendships within the wider camp community.
Your Wilderness Camp
Choose one two-week camp.
Age group: 14 – 17 years
Places are limited to 20 participants/camp: 10 for girls and 10 for boys.
2 weeks 4.7. — 16.7. 2027
2 weeks 18.7. — 30.7. 2027
If you would like to spend four weeks at Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, you can combine a two-week Wilderness Camp with a two-week International Summer Camp, staying as a boarder throughout. It is not possible to attend Wilderness Camp for four weeks. Looking for language courses, digital skills and a choice of amazing afternoon programmes? Explore our International Summer Camp.
Is the Wilderness Camp right for you?
Adventure is rewarding because it tests your resilience and develops your leadership skills.
Wilderness Camp participants should be ready to:
- enjoy spending time and being active outdoors
- take part in outdoor activities in a range of weather conditions
- manage day hikes and outdoor activities lasting at least six hours
- bring basic hiking skills and follow safe hiking practices
- work respectfully and cooperatively as part of a group
- try unfamiliar experiences and take on challenges
- manage their personal hygiene and equipment independently
- approach the programme with motivation, commitment and a positive mindset
No specialist outdoor experience is required. The essential skills and techniques will be taught and practised during the camp.
Before registering, participants and parents should review the Swiss Alpine Club’s guidance on safety when hiking.
Skills and experiences
Outdoor craft
- Fire building and outdoor cooking
- Finding and collecting water
- Setting up camp
- Building a shelter for an overnight stay
- Protection from changing weather conditions
- Responsible equipment and resource management
Exploration and alpine awareness
- Navigation with a map and compass
- Hikes and exploration tours
- Expedition and route planning
- Recognising typical alpine risks
- Safety-conscious decisions in changing conditions
- Nature and environmental knowledge
Team challenges
- Solving practical tasks together
- Communicating clearly and listening actively
- Taking initiative and accepting responsibility
- Supporting other group members
- Contributing to a positive team environment
Respect for nature
The wilderness is not just the setting for the programme; it is something every participant learns to understand and protect. The group will practise responsible behaviour outdoors and follow “Leave No Trace” principles wherever they go.
More than outdoor skills
Curious minds
Explore the natural world with open eyes. Ask questions, notice what is around you and learn to use freedom responsibly within the group’s rules.
Striving hearts
Meet challenges with courage. Recognise your strengths, reflect on difficult moments and develop the confidence to keep going when a task demands patience and effort.
Leadership and teamwork
Leadership begins with responsibility. Participants learn when to take initiative, when to listen and how to help a group move towards a shared goal.
Integrity and connection
Respect for yourself, other people and the environment shapes life at camp. A diverse international group creates opportunities to learn from one another and build genuine connections.
The Engadin is your classroom
An alpine adventure
The Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz campus lies at 1,750 metres above sea level, surrounded by the mountains, forests, meadows and clear waters of the Engadin valley. Parts of the programme may reach approximately 2,000–2,500 metres, where changing conditions make good preparation, teamwork and responsible decisions essential.
Learning by doing
Outdoor skills become meaningful when they solve a real problem. Participants do not simply hear how to navigate, organise a camp or respond to changing weather – they practise these skills together and learn from the result.
Challenge in a supportive environment
Carefully chosen challenges enable participants to experience joy, pride and personal growth. Camp leaders create a positive environment in which everyone is encouraged to contribute, persevere and support the group.
How registration works
Your next summer could change how you see yourself
Come to the Engadin valley ready to explore, contribute and take on a challenge. Return home with practical skills, stronger friendships and the confidence that comes from having persevered through demanding outdoor experiences.
The right organisation makes the difference
Outdoor adventure requires flexibility, careful preparation and clear safety procedures. The Wilderness Camp combines an immersive experience in nature with the support and infrastructure of the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz.
Safety and care
Camp supervisors are trained in basic first aid. A nurse is available on campus around the clock, the school doctor is available in Zuoz, and the regional hospital in Samedan is approximately 15 minutes from the school. Emergency services or additional medical support will be contacted if required.
Participants must follow the instructions of camp staff and stay with their group. Activity plans may be changed, postponed or cancelled if necessary due to weather, terrain or environmental conditions.
A secure campus base
Every participant keeps a reserved room at the school, even while the group is away. This means the programme can return to campus if weather conditions, health concerns or other circumstances require a change of plan.
Airport transfer
A supervised group transfer between Zurich Airport and Zuoz is available on the official arrival and departure days of each camp. Families should provide travel details in advance and, where possible, book arrivals and departures between 12:00 and 4:00 pm. Arrangements outside this window may require private transfer and incur additional costs.
Communication during camp
Participants may bring a smartphone for taking photos and contacting their families at designated times. During excursions, charging facilities and mobile reception may be limited or unavailable. Other electronic devices are not required.
Any questions?
Would you like to know more about the Wilderness Camp, its physical requirements or the registration process? We will be happy to advise you by phone, video call or email.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about the Wilderness Camp. If your question isn’t listed here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
The Wilderness Camp is a dedicated outdoor programme for 14–17-year-olds. Its focus is on expeditions, practical outdoor skills, teamwork, resilience and responsible interaction with nature. The International Summer Camp combines morning language or digital skills courses with a choice of afternoon programmes. Wilderness Camp participants join the wider residential camp community on campus at weekends.
No specialist experience is required. Participants should have hiking skills, enjoy being outdoors and be keen to learn. The camp team teaches and practises the essential techniques during the programme.
Participants must be fit enough for day hikes and outdoor activities lasting at least six hours. They should be willing to stay active outdoors in changing weather and carry the equipment required for the day’s programme.
Accommodation may include the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz campus, a hotel, tents and bivouacs, depending on the programme and conditions. Every participant has a room reserved at the school throughout the camp.
Weather is part of an alpine outdoor experience, and participants should bring suitable clothing. Safety comes first: the camp team may adapt, postpone or cancel an activity, choose an alternative programme or return to campus if conditions require it.
Participants receive a detailed packing list before camp. Essential personal items include suitable hiking clothing and footwear, a weatherproof outer layer, a hiking backpack (50 litres) with rain cover, a small daypack, a headlamp and personal medication. The Information Pack explains which group and sleeping equipment the camp provides and this will sent to parents in May.
Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz does not provide insurance coverage for participants. Parents, guardians or agents are responsible for arranging adequate health, accident and third-party liability insurance for the participant. The insurance must be valid in Switzerland and neighbouring countries and should cover emergency medical transport. It must remain valid throughout participation in the Wilderness Camp, including travel to and from Zuoz.
- Proof of insurance must be provided in English a few days after the registration has been submitted to camps@lyceum-alpinum.ch. Registration for the Wilderness Camp will only be accepted if adequate proof of insurance is provided.
- For the period of the Wilderness Camp, we suggest being member of the REGA – Swiss medical emergency (annual membership CHF 40)
- Participants should bring their health insurance card or insurance details as well as their ID card or passport in case medical treatment is needed during the Wilderness Camp.
- If a participant needs to see a doctor or visit a hospital, the invoice will be sent directly to their parents, guardians or agents.
No. A participant who interrupts or withdraws from the Wilderness Camp cannot transfer to another programme offered by the school and must leave the school. Families should therefore review the programme requirements carefully together before registering.
Participants may attend one two-week Wilderness Camp and one two-week International Summer Camp as a boarder. It is not possible to attend Wilderness Camp for four weeks.
Participants attending both camps are supervised on campus during the weekend between the two sessions and take part in a special programme.
Yes. A supervised group transfer is available between Zurich Airport and Zuoz on the official arrival and departure days of each camp. Travel details must be submitted in advance. Families using an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor service should arrange it directly with the airline for the entire journey.
Smartphones are permitted at designated times, in exceptional circumstances and for taking photos. Other electronic devices are not necessary or permitted. Reception and charging opportunities may be limited during expeditions.
