MINAIRONS

Day 1

Our youngest campers have arrived with their parents in tow. Some with siblings or cousins, some brave ones have come alone. All are ready to make a load of new friends. Each one begins their adventure in a different way. The majority will be here for a week, some for two! We introduce ourselves, play games, and sing songs. Some parents might be reluctant to leave, but they will be reunited soon. Now we have to get situated: where are the showers? Some are already sure that they want to sleep on the top bunk and others near the counselor…

Day 2

We wake up to the sound of guitars as our counsellors strum a morning tune. We get dressed, go to the bathroom, and meet up in front of the information board to see what activities we will be doing today. In the morning we have an orientation around the campsite to get acquainted with the area. We fill up our water bottles at the fountain, point our compasses north, double check our map, and off we go! As the day goes on it starts to get hot. How about a little dip in the stream before lunch? In the afternoon we pick some flowers in the forest to make natural soap. After dinner, it’s time for tonight’s activity: jacket zipped up all the way, and off to search for footprints!

Day 3

Today the singing of the birds wakes us from our sleep. So hungry! The older campers have put the tables and benches in the sun and we have breakfast with the rest of the camp outside: cereals, cold cuts (turkey, ham, etc.), jam, juice, chocolate milk, fruit, bread, milk… We need the energy since the excursion to La Palanqueta is full of adventures. We grab our backpacks, hats, water bottles and magnifying glasses. Some bring binoculars too. You never know what we will find in the forest. We have lunch at the campsite and in the afternoon we grab logs, ropes, and branches to construct cabins better than the likes of those built by Robinson Crusoe. And at night… an open air cinema! We have many movies to choose from in our library.

Day 4

A new adventure awaits us today. We put on our sneakers, grab our sack lunch, and we start on the route towards Els Estanys de la Pera. Up there some of us watch the pond skaters gliding across the water, others look for tadpoles and the most daring of us take a dip in the lake. How refreshing! It’s an incredible place to eat, play, and discover everything nature has to offer. On the way back we follow the GR-11 to the campsite, taking in the spectacular views of the Cerdanya: el Cadí, el Puigmal, el Puigllançada… On the schedule it says today is our turn to take a hot shower. Some of us have never showered with solar panels in the middle of the forest. During the break at night, we set up the telescope and look at the sky. With a little bit of luck we will see Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s rings.

Day 5

Today the Minairons get up a little earlier because it’s our turn to set the table. How many are we in total? This morning, we have our nature workshop in the forest. We study with our magnifying glasses the tadpoles in the stream, the butterflies, and the ladybugs. We put food in the birdhouses and pick strawberries in the forest. Delicious! And without even realizing it, it’s already time for lunch. We have been waiting for this afternoon since the first day: horseback riding around the campsite! The horse camp monitors and the older horseback riding campers teach us to brush and saddle the horses. When we have everything prepared, we enjoy an unforgettable horseback ride together. What fascinating animals!

Day 6

It’s a new day and new adventures await. Today we put on some good shoes, grab our backpacks and picnic. And maybe our swimsuit and towel, you never know. We have a long hike to the nearest farm. We have already scheduled an appointment and they are waiting for us at mid-morning to show us their routine. How do we get milk from the cows? How is cheese made? The baby animals get all the attention and love. It’s a lot of work but it is a wonderful experience to work on a farm. On our way back to the campsite we take advantage of a pool of water to wash off all the straw..

Day 7

Even though it’s the last day, we still have energy for a field day. We join  the other camps to do archery, orientation, BTT… We share our last laughs together. At midday the families arrive and our adventure ends, but there is still enough summer break left to keep enjoying nature, sports, and friends. Until next summer, Minairons!