MINAIRONS

Day 1

The smallest campers have arrived accompanied by their parents. Some with siblings or cousins. The bravest ones have come alone, ready to make a load of friends. Each one begins their adventure in a different way. The majority will be here for a week, some for two! We get situated, introduce ourselves, play games, and sing songs while some parents are reluctant to leave. The first laughs appear. Where are the showers? Some are already sure that they want to sleep on the top bunk and others near the counselor…

Day 2

The guitar enters into the shop and we wake up to the rhythm of the music. We get dressed, go to the bathroom, and meet up in front of the information board to see the activities that we will do today. In the morning an orientation around the campsite to get used to the environment. We fill up our water bottles in the fountain, orient our compasses to the north, set up the map well and let’s go! Off to find the marks! But the heat squeezes us, how about a little dip in the stream before eating? In the afternoon we pick some flowers in the forest to make natural soap. After dinner, game of the night: jacket zipped up all the way, and off to look for trails!

Day 3

Today it’s the birds that get us up from the bed. So hungry! The older campers have put the tables and benches in the sun and we calmly have breakfast with everyone together in the middle of the camp: cereals, cold cuts (turkey, ham, etc.), jam, juice, chocolate milk, fruit, bread, milk… We need strength since the excursion to La Palanqueta is full of adventures. We grab the backpacks, hats, water bottles and magnifying glass. There are also those who carry binoculars. You never know what we could find in the forest. We have lunch at the campsite and in the afternoon we grab logs, tie ropes, saw branches and construct cabins better than those of Robinson Crusoe. And at night… open air cinema! We have many movies to choose from in the library.

Day 4

A new adventure awaits us today. We put on our sneakers, grab our packed lunch, and we start on the route towards Els Estanys de la Pera. There some of us observe the pond skaters skate across the water, others look for tadpoles and the most daring of us swim in the lake. How cold is the water! An incredible place to eat, play, and discover everything nature has to offer us. On the way back we follow along the GR-11 to the campsite contemplating some spectacular views of all the Cerdanya: el Cadí, el Puigmal, el Puigllançada… According to the schedule today we get 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, nature workshop in the forest. We observe with a magnifying glass the tadpoles we find 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’s already time to eat. We have been waiting for this afternoon since the first day: horseback riding through the campsite surroundings! The horse 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

A brand new day and new adventures. Today we put on some good shoes and we pick up the backpack with the picnic, swimsuit and the 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 work. How do we get the milk from the cow? How is cheese made? The smallest animals get all the attention and love. There is a lot of work yet 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 get rid of all the straw on ourselves.

Day 7

Even though it’s the last day, we still have energy for a varied raid. We get mixed with the other camps and do archery, orientation, BTT… We share our last laughs together. Today the food is special: mashed potato and tuna pie, meat with mushroom sauce, and ice cream for dessert. After eating the families arrive and this adventure ends, but there are still a lot of vacations left ahead to keep enjoying nature, sport, and friends. Happy month of August! Until next summer, Minairons!