Summer Camp: A Mountain of Stories
A mountain summer camp for children, featuring nature, reading, games, hiking, climbing, and cave exploration in the wonderful setting of the Ligurian Alps.
“A Mountain of Stories” is an experience designed to let children spend several days immersed in nature, based at Rifugio Mongioie. The mountain becomes a place to explore, learn, play, and share, accompanied each day by stories, characters, local legends, and tales born from the group’s imagination.
The camp combines outdoor activities and imagination: each day offers a different experience, alternating moments of hiking, games, creative workshops, reading, nature activities, and small adventures. Children will discover the mountain environment in an active and engaging way, learning to observe it, respect it, and experience it with curiosity.
Activities are led by Micol and Anna, professionals with complementary skills. Micol is an International Mountain Leader UIMLA, while Anna is a children’s book author. Together they will guide the group on a journey of nature, storytelling, play, and discovery. A certified UIAGM Mountain Guide will also be present for caving and climbing activities.
Why choose this trek
This camp is ideal for children who love nature, stories, and adventure, but also for those who want to experience their first time away from home in a welcoming, safe, and stimulating environment.
The value of the experience lies in the combination of mountain and storytelling. The days are designed not just as a sequence of activities, but as a small shared journey, where each child can explore, invent, observe, draw, listen, and tell stories.
The mountain hut base allows children to experience the mountain authentically, with simple daily rhythms: waking up together, preparing for activities, hiking, playing, sharing meals, listening to stories in the evening, and learning to be part of a group.
Trek program and details
Trip itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Viozene and ascent to the hut
The camp begins with a meeting in Viozene, where children will meet the leaders and say goodbye to their parents.
From here they will hike up to Rifugio Mongioie, while luggage will be transported to the hut by jeep. The first evening will be dedicated to dinner at the hut and getting-to-know-you games, to start building the group and becoming familiar with the environment.
Day 2: Cave exploration and themed games
The day will be dedicated to discovering the Grotta delle Vene, with a caving activity designed to introduce children to the underground world in a safe and engaging way.
The experience will be accompanied by a certified UIAGM Mountain Guide and will allow exploration of a fascinating and unusual environment. A picnic at Colle di Carnino is also planned during the day.
In the afternoon, children will learn to pack their backpacks and participate in themed games. The evening will be dedicated to reading, drawing, and reflecting on the day’s experiences.
Day 3: Mountain animals
This day will be dedicated to discovering the animals that inhabit the mountain.
During the hike, children will search for tracks and possible sightings of marmots, chamois, foxes, and other inhabitants of these places. Sightings cannot be guaranteed, but the area often offers good opportunities to observe wildlife or learn to recognize their signs.
A camera trap will also be installed, which will then be checked in the final days of camp to discover which animals passed through the area. In the afternoon there will be an activity on knots, while in the evening the group will invent a story.
Day 4: Climbing and stories under the stars
The day will be dedicated to climbing, with an activity conducted safely thanks to the presence of a certified UIAGM Mountain Guide.
Children will be able to experience movement on rock, learn to trust the equipment, and have a small vertical adventure, always with an age-appropriate approach.
In the afternoon, the group will share their stories, transforming the experiences of previous days into shared narratives. The evening will be dedicated to the sky: learning to recognize constellations and, weather permitting, playing with light signals and codes using flashlights.
Day 5: Nature, river, and final theater
The day will be more relaxed and dedicated to contact with the natural environment.
Children will spend time with their feet in the river and participate in activities to learn about and recognize local plants and trees. It will be an opportunity to observe nature calmly, touch, look, compare, and learn through direct experience.
The evening will be dedicated to theater, viewing camera trap videos or images, farewell games, and reflections on the days spent together.
Day 6: Treasure hunt and camp conclusion
The final day will be dedicated to a treasure hunt, games, and team competitions.
The closing lunch can also be shared with parents, for those who wish to participate. After lunch the experience will end and luggage will be transported back to Viozene by jeep.
Typical day
Wake-up: around 7:30 AM.
Breakfast: around 8:00 AM.
Activities begin: morning.
Lunch: at the hut or packed lunch, depending on the day’s program.
Free time: after lunch.
Afternoon activity: in the afternoon.
Showers and free time: before dinner.
Evening games and reading: after dinner.
Goodnight: around 10:00 PM.
Technical details and useful information
Duration: 6 days.
Location: Rifugio Mongioie, Ligurian Alps.
Meeting point: Viozene.
Participants: children ages 7 to 11.
Meals: full board, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Packed lunches provided by the facility for excursion days.
Accommodation: shared room at the hut.
Type of experience: residential mountain summer camp.
Main activities: hiking, games, reading, creative workshops, nature activities, caving, climbing, animal observation, and group living.
Insurance: liability coverage.
The experience will be confirmed upon reaching the minimum number of participants. The program may vary based on weather conditions, group needs, and the leaders’ assessment.
It is important to communicate any medications the child is taking, special dietary requirements, or useful information for daily management during camp.
What to bring
Recommended clothing: long hiking pants, shorts, short-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts or fleece, warm jacket, rain shell or windbreaker, underwear, socks, warm hat, gloves, sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Personal items: sleeping bag, headlamp, A4 notebook, small pencil case with writing and drawing supplies, personal hygiene items, and anything indicated on the list provided before departure.
Included services: all activities in the program, activities with Mountain Guide for cave and climbing, necessary technical equipment such as helmet and harness, activity materials, continuous presence of the two reference leaders, accommodation at the hut, and full board.
Services not included: parents’ lunch on the final day, sleeping bag, flashlight or headlamp, A4 notebook, personal items, and anything not expressly indicated in included services.
