If you’ve ever considered an international Scouting adventure but didn’t know where to start, Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) could be the perfect place. Located in the foothills of the Swiss Alps with easy access by plane or train, the staff and volunteers at the purpose-built venue will help you plan every element of your trip. ScoutsCymru Chief Volunteer Rhian Moore recently visited KISC to find out what groups can expect and offers some top tips to get the most out of your experience.
Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) in Switzerland has a special place in the hearts of many Scouts and having visited for a few days I can understand why.
Located in the foothills of the Swiss Alps with easy access by plane or train, there’s a team of volunteers called Pinkies, because of the colour of their uniform t-shirts and hoodies, who can help you plan your visit for a tailored jamboree experience.
There are options for camping or bunk rooms in the lodges and chalets; support to create exciting and balanced programmes with space for adventure, eco challenges, international friendship and jamboree activities; catering is available for all your meals; and you have the opportunity to meet Scouts from around the world.
KISC was opened in 1923 by Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouts. It was his dream to have a ‘permanent mini jamboree’ where Scouts from all over the world could come together and be inspired to create a better world. Now owned by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the only recognised World Centre, it has tried and tested plans in place to help make your adventure awesome.
Most Scouts visit in the summer, with around 16,000 visitors making 80,000 overnight stays each year. Scouts from the UK account for 30% of that total – more than 2,700 Scouts from the UK visited KISC last year. The biggest and busiest day is always 1 August when they celebrate International Scout Day and Switzerland national day and 2,000 visitors come together to take part in different activities through the day, culminating in a parade through the town.
If you have never organised an international trip before, or not been on an international adventure, Kandersteg is perfect for your first time, with staff on hand to advise on every step of your adventure.
There are amazing opportunities for Scouts from the age of eight to have an international experience at KISC, whether that’s a Scout group camping in the summer, professional volunteering for three months, or up to a couple of years for 18 to 35 year olds, or as part of a ‘working party’ where Scouts over 18 visit for a week and spend half of it in the centre helping with key task or project and the other half exploring and having their own adventure.
As Chief Volunteer of Wales, I encourage volunteers and young people to get as involved as they can in all the opportunities available in Scouts, both in Wales and the UK, and around the world.
One of the many wonderful things about Scouting is the opportunity to be part of a worldwide movement and to take part in international adventures with your Scout friends. Going abroad with Scouts helps young people grow their confidence, improve their resilience, help them to develop skills that set them up for future challenges, and create experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
However, I know that not all Scout groups take part in international adventures, and not every young person who wants to go to a Jamboree, Roverway or Moot is successful, whether that is because of limited numbers, timing or costs of the trip, not feeling confident enough to have a go on their own, or something completely different.
With so many benefits of going abroad with Scouts, there had to be an alternative – and I wanted to find it and encourage others to have a go too.
Having heard so many wonderful stories about Kandersteg International Scout Centre, I was keen to visit myself to find out more about the centre and the opportunities so I could speak with confidence and authenticity to volunteers and young people in Wales and encourage them to visit.
The journey was easy – flying to Geneva and then catching two trains from the airport, an intercity double decker train to Bern and then a regional train to Kandersteg.
I arrived at Kandersteg around 9pm. It was very dark and while I knew my route to the centre, I wish I had arrived earlier so I could see where I was going. When I arrived, check in had closed and the team left instructions on an information board for me to find my room.
Checking in properly the following morning was easy and one of the Pinkies showed me around the facilities – we did this after breakfast so I had already found the dining room and could tick that one off the list!
Wandering around the campsite in the sunshine and shadow of the Alps, I could easily imagine it filled with Scout groups, gathered on the stone steps around the main campfire. The site has designated areas marked with trees and shrubbery, giving you a sense of smaller camps making up a worldwide experience of coming together on a shared experience.
Making the most of the beautiful sunny day I did one of the self-directed activities and hiked the 3km Höh trail to the panoramic spot up the mountain that overlooks Kandersteg. The route took me along the Kander river, past a Buddhist monastery and through forests to a peaceful spot with benches where you could see the mountains and the town laid out in all its stunning glory.
The next day it snowed. I woke up to a winter wonderland and wandered back to the campsite to explore it again in the snow – I’ll never be too old to stomp in the snow!
The picturesque town is full of alpine chalets and has everything you’d expect – shops, restaurants and even an outdoor swimming pool. I visited the bakery and tearoom after a recommendation from Carol, a Scout from Doncaster who regularly visits KISC with her husband, also a Scout, to help with various projects.
She showed me around Kanderlodge and Sunneblick and explained the history of the centre and talked me through the summer activities and atmosphere when 2,000 Scouts come together for aerobics, other activities and a BBQ outside the main chalet each August.
Each mealtime I joined the Pinkies and other visitors and listened to them chat about their experiences and their roles. While I was sat in the coffee bar area I listened to Pinkies chatting to visitors, helping them with projects and giving tips on what to do and where to go.
Friendship and support to be the best you can be shines through every conversation at KISC. My lasting memory will be the kindness of the people I met, the passion for making sure as many Scouts as possible have a wonderful time at KISC and the peaceful surroundings and the sense of serenity it brings.
A trip to Kandersteg is good for the soul, your Scout energy and reaffirms the small part we each play in a worldwide movement that is still going strong more than 117 years later.
Each country has a volunteer ambassador who can share their knowledge, tips and experience to help you plan your trip. In the UK this is Kiwi Patel who is based in London. KISC can put you in touch with him.
The team at KISC can help with booking, including arranging camping equipment for you to rent on site – no need to bring a tent and cooking equipment on an aeroplane!
All the activities are on the website and the programme team can help you make the most of your trip. Popular activities fill up and sell out quickly. Favourites include the overnight hikes and hut stays and the day long hikes, with the Lötschenpass hike always the first to fill up. It’s recommended to plan your visit in advance and have a draft plan ready to submit when bookings open, and have back up ideas ready – the programme team can usually fulfil around 80% of groups’ first choice activities and work with leaders and activity providers to finalise plans.
Kandersteg International Scout Centre is around 40 miles south of Bern, the capital of Switzerland, and there are many options for travelling. You can fly to Geneva or Zurich and catch the train to Kandersteg. The train station is at the airport in Geneva and the staff in the ticket office help you get the right ticket. They have double decker trains that are super-efficient, clean and run on time. KISC is a 30-minute walk from the station, through the village along the main road, or if it’s daylight you can follow the Kander river towards the mountains.
Arriving during daylight hours while the centre reception desk is open makes checking in and your first night at KISC a lot easier.
The centre and programme are run by an expert team, led by a Director and senior leadership team of volunteers. Around 20 long term volunteers stay between four months and a couple of years and, depending on the season, between 12 and 47 short-term volunteers who stay for three months.
All vacancies are advertised on the KISC website and applications for the short team roles open six months in advance.
Finally, there are work parties where you join a group of 10 people from your country and visit for a week in low season to help with a specific task or project. These are organised by each country and in the UK it’s through Kiwi, our KISC ambassador.
Rhian Moore’s trip was funded by The Scout Association
