KANDERSTEG 2026….

At the end of the summer holidays a group of Knaphill Scouts & leaders joined the contingent of 700 Surrey Scouts on a trip to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland.  They enjoyed a week of adventurous activities in the stunning landscape of the Swiss alps.

Here’s what three of our Scouts had to say about the trip….

KIX Travel by Samuel, Scout

We all met at Cobham services on the Friday afternoon, and we actually got there early so we could grab a cheeky McDonald’s first! While I was eating, I was getting so excited for the trip because I’d been looking forward to it for ages. The services were absolutely packed because there were so many other scouts everywhere. Our group, 1st Knaphill, was assigned to coach number 6. Then we finally set off on the first leg of our massive journey to Switzerland, heading towards Dover ferry port. When we got on the ferry, we all got a token for a free drink and meal, which was awesome, and we got to walk around and stretch our legs.

By the time we arrived in Dunkirk, it was pitch black, so we all tried to settle down for the longest leg of the trip. We actually managed to get some sleep overnight, and then the sun started coming up just as we crossed into Switzerland! It really surprised me that we stayed on a massive main road for most of the time. It only got narrow and windy right at the very end, and I couldn’t believe how high up we had actually gone!

The journey back was pretty much the same thing but in reverse. We had to catch a super early morning ferry, and the sun was rising just as we got back into Dover. When the leaders told us we were only 10 minutes away from Cobham, that last bit felt like it took literally forever because everyone was totally exhausted and just wanted to see their families.

Interlaken High Ropes by Luca, Scout

Our first activity was the high ropes course at Interlaken, and it was also my favourite activity of the trip. We spent about three hours there, and there were 14 different tracks, with different levels of difficulty. The black track was the hardest, so there were challenges for everyone, whatever their ability.

There were around 160 different challenges across the park, including climbing, balancing and crossing obstacles high up in the trees. Most of the tracks also had zip lines, which were my favourite part. One of the zip lines was around 23 metres high, which made it even more exciting!
We were having so much fun that we didn’t want to get off the ropes! Some people got stuck and had to call for help, but 1st Knaphill didn’t need any help and managed to make it through the courses ourselves.

It was great because everyone could choose a track that suited them, while also encouraging each other to try something more challenging. There were definitely some moments when I had to be brave, but completing each obstacle made me feel really proud.

I thought the Interlaken high ropes course was much, much better than Go Ape. With all the different tracks, challenges and zip lines, it was definitely one of the best activities we did on our Scouts trip.

Rafting Down the Aare by Zeth, Scout

One of the most exciting activities we did at international scout camp was a rafting trip down the Aare River to Bern. The whole scout group went together on one huge inflatable raft, which made it feel like a real adventure from the start.

We had to get up early and be ready for breakfast at 7am. After breakfast, we caught a local bus to the starting point. Once we arrived, we had a safety briefing, put on our life vests and covered ourselves in sunscreen. Then we had to carry the raft down to the water.

Getting into the raft was surprisingly easy, and soon we were all sitting together and took turns to paddle. We had to paddle in rhythm so that we could all work together. It was harder than it looked at first, but we soon got into a good rhythm and headed downstream.

We had a guide with us from the rafting company who played music from a speaker. Under his guidance we stopped and jumped into the river for a swim. Some parts of the river were calm and peaceful, and we could enjoy the beautiful scenery and quiet surroundings. Other parts had rapids, which were much more exciting and definitely brought out the adventurous side of the group! We also went underneath several bridges as we made our way towards Bern.

Eventually, we arrived in Bern and our rafting adventure came to an end. We pulled the raft out of the water and loaded it onto a trailer before heading into town for lunch. We had picnic near a bear enclosure and watched the bears while we ate our lunch.

Then we climbed onto the coach and headed back to camp for the afternoon.

It was a beautiful way to spend a sunny day, and rafting down the Aare was definitely one of my favourite experiences at international scout camp. It was exciting, and a lot of fun — especially being able to do it all together as one big group.