Newport Pagnell Rangers – Switzerland 2012

“How shall we celebrate our Unit’s 18th anniversary?” That was the question that started the ball rolling and led to the Newport Pagnell Rangers spending 10 fabulous fun filled days in Adelboden, Switzerland this summer.

After 18 months of planning, organising, checking and double checking our departure date was finally here - Friday 27 July 2012. At 4.30pm we would board a coach, at Newport Pagnell Motorway Service Station and be on our way. There was just time for one last check, “Has everyone got their passport? Yes then let’s go!”

The journey would take around 20 hours from Newport Pagnell to Adelboden but we would be fine – we had been honing our ‘I Spy’ skills at every opportunity. First we had to stop on route to collect two JEKA Reps who would be staying abroad for the summer, next stop Thurrock Services to change drivers then on to Dover to catch a ferry across the English Chanel. We would then drive through Europe via France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany before finally arriving in Switzerland at lunchtime on Saturday.

Ruedy Hus / Our home for the next 8 days would be ‘Ruedy Hus’. A small annex attached to a restaurant / guest house but with our own front door, roof terrace (well above the garages) and views of the valley. If it wasn’t for the trees we would have been able to see straight across to ‘Our Chalet’ one of the Girlguiding World Centres.
Eager to settle into our new home we headed inside – on the first floor there was a living area with doors leading out onto the terrace, a kitchen, toilets and showers and small twin bed room. Upstairs there were 4 bedrooms. Each had 4 or 5 mattresses enclosed in a single wooden frame – with the sloping roof above our heads it was like sleeping in a tent.

Our programme was packed with weird, wacky and wonderful activities designed to give us a taste of life in Switzerland as well as some fabulous memories

Newport Pagnell Rangers
/ After a day spent settling in and swimming in the open air heated pool, where we found they sell the best chips ever, not that we needed them as our QM was creating delicious meals, we were looking forward to our first full day of excursions. / Food, glorious food
/
‘Just hanging with my friends.’ /
Watching the film
‘Cool Runnings’
(about the Jamaican Olympic Bobsleigh Team) shortly before going on the Oeschinensee toboggan run was probably not a good idea. /
Ready, steady, GO! / But the adrenaline rush from hurtling 700 metres down the side of a mountain more than made up for my completely irrational fear of crashing.
/ The Rangers said this was one of the best activities of the week, an absolute Must Do for everyone visiting Adelboden in the future. /
Look – no hands!

‘Sleeping in Straw’ it does exactly what it says on the tin! An old hayloft had been cleaned up and turned into a makeshift bedroom. The beds were wooden troughs filled with deep, clean straw. You got a blanket and a pillow and slept in your clothes! How amazing is that – especially for a group of city girls like us. Another Must Do.

Now we can tell our Guiding friends that we’ve experienced what it would have been like when guides slept on straw palliasses at camp.

We love to go a-wandering… / / Having spent a surprisingly comfortable night sleeping in straw we walked to ‘Our Chalet’ arriving just as they were hanging the
‘Happy Birthday’ banner.
‘Our Chalet’ was 80 years old today.
The guided tour was fascinating and the Rangers were thrilled that having heard so much about the World Centres they were finally visiting one. “When are we going to visit our next World Centre?” one asked. When we’re back at Rangers in September we’ll have to organise a trip to London to see ‘Pax Lodge’ and maybe our next international trip will be ‘Our Cabana’ in Mexico or ‘Sangam’ in India. /
‘Our Chalet’ at 80
/ One of our Leaders had chosen ‘Our Chalet’ as the venue for her 10 Year Long Service Award presentation.
Congratulations! /

What an amazing memory to have – being presented with your

10 Year Bar at Our Chalet on its 80th Birthday – a real once in a lifetime moment!

Wednesday 1 August was Swiss National Day

Nothing was open locally so we were heading for the Trummelbach waterfalls, on route to Interlaken when suddenly the coach screeched to a halt. “Everybody off!” shouted the driver. We all crowded to the side of the road and looked over to the thinnest, wobbliest suspension bridge ever to cross a fast flowing, icy cold river.

The ‘Wobbly Bridge’

The bridge, one of Europe's longest suspension bridges, was built as a short cut for children to use on their way to school but the owners have opened it for brave members of the public to try. Once on the bridge there was no turning back as the walkway was only about 30cm wide and there were no passing points. The views were stunning on a clear, still day but I’m not sure how many of us would have been as keen to walk cross it on a wet and windy day!

The Trummelbach Falls are a spectacular series of 10 glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain. Trummelbach alone drains the melt water from the glaciers of the Eiger. Having taken the lift, which was like those found in mine shafts, up to level 6 we set about climbing the steps to the next 4 levels. Levels 1 and 2 are outside the mountain – with viewing platforms accessed from stone steps which give you the chance to get really close to the falls. / The Corkscrew Fall
It’s behind you!
/ The noise of the water is usually enough to almost drown out normal speech but the Rangers had no problems making themselves heard above it! /
Can you hear me now?
Thursday evening was Swiss Night – Jeka arranged for one of the local hotels to stage an evening of traditional Swiss food and entertainment. We were shown to our table and found the place mats had a ‘Magic Eye’ picture on them – despite staring at the pattern for ages none of us were able to see the picture. / ‘Wot no picture’

The meal was lovely, traditional Swiss foods, with dried meats and cheeses mixed with the more familiar pasta, pizza and chips. Dessert was a range of individual pastries and cakes plus as much ice cream as you could eat. After the meal we gathered in the conservatory and listened to a family playing accordions and singing Swiss folk songs.

/ Then it was our turn – we had decided to sing a song written by one of our local guide leaders called “These are a few of our Milton Keynes things” which is about the area we call home. We might not have had the best voices but our song was definitely the most original.
There should have been times, between outings and adventures to just sit around and relax but no - Ruedy Hus became a hive of activity with game after game of ‘Uno’ being played.
When the Rangers needed a rest from their card school they turned the living room into a mini factory creating friendship bracelets galore. The range of patterns and colours increased as they became more proficient and by the end of the week they were making plans to sell bracelets to raise funds for their next international trip. /
I love cows! / All too soon it was time to leave Switzerland – we had a brilliant time and enjoyed so many amazing experiences together while creating memories that will last a lifetime. /

So what have I learnt? That the ‘Travelling Abroad’ Module (of the Camps and Holidays Scheme) isn’t really that scary after all especially if you surround yourself with a brilliant team of Leaders and an equally brilliant group of girls.

Would I do it again? Yes absolutely – every member of my group was a real credit to Newport Pagnell District and Girlguiding UK and I can’t wait to take them away again.

Last word - to all those of you who haven’t thought about taking your unit abroad – Go For It! It will be one of the most amazing things you do in Guiding!

Carrie Owen

Leader in Charge

Newport Pagnell Ranger Unit