We Welcome Your Application to Join Us!

We build each of our groups with care, keeping the groups small (no more than twelve students), and paying close attention to age, grade, gender, and the mix of hometowns and schools. Our goal is to put together great groups — groups where nice kids thrive in a supportive, wholesome, and caring environment. Please note: availability as shown is based on students traveling without a friend; if your child is interested in traveling with a friend, please call our office for availability.

Important Information about Availability

Available

This departure of this trip has good availability. Apply as soon as possible since availability changes quickly.

Limited

This departure of this trip has limited availability. Apply as soon as possible, and on receipt of your application, if space is still available, we’ll confirm a spot for you. If all of the spots are taken, we’ll call you to discuss options.

Waitlist

This departure of this trip is currently full — please call us to discuss options.

How to Apply

Apply online using a credit card for the $795 deposit (your card will not be charged until we confirm a spot for you). Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received (we do not hold spots over the phone).

When to Apply

The flow of applications starts in July and peaks in January/February. Some groups fill by the December holidays, and others will have space into the late spring. Our advice? Apply as soon as possible — it only takes a few minutes — and we’ll get to work right away to find a great spot for you.

Questions?

Call (413.458.9672) or email (info@overlandsummers.com). We look forward to hearing from you.

Experience Overland

A Day in the Alps

Here at Overland, we like to debate which of the world’s mountain ranges is the most beautiful. The Alps? The Rockies? The Sierras? Or, some other range?

There’s no way to settle that debate, and, in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Because the Overland experience is about more than the places you go, more than the beauty you see — it’s about the adventure, the fun, and the friends.

Scroll down, and see the beauty of the Alps… but more importantly, see for yourself what the Overland experience is like.

Thursday (Day 12 of trip)

Lauterbrunnen Valley

6:00 a.m.

The campground’s coming to life — we can smell coffee and hear the muffled voices of our neighbors. It’s a beautiful day, we’re in the Alps, and we’re going for a hike.

A leader rises with the sun while leading a teen summer adventure hiking trip in the Swiss Alps

Stechelberg

8:00 a.m.

We load up with snacks and lunch: fruit, bread, cheese, hummus, peppers, sliced meat, and chocolate. High above is the Schilthorn — James Bond rode the cable car up there. Yeah, we think, that’s cool, but we’d rather hike.


Meet the Leaders
Leader for a teen summer hiking trip with Overland

Harmon Pardoe

Williams College

New York, New York

A leader of one of Overland's teen summer adventures.

Elena Bird

Dartmouth College

Boston, Massachusetts

"Our leaders were incredible. They were fun, positive, and encouraging — all around great people. "

Shepard Smith

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Teenage hikers stroll through a Swiss town while on an adventure program this summer Teens pose with baguettes while on a summer adventure with Overland. Trip leader shows campers the way during a summer hike for teens

Trachsellauenen

9:00 a.m.

Dark forest gives way to green meadows, then steeper grades. High above, it’s all rock and ice and snow.


Carefully Crafted Challenges with Clearly Defined Goals

Every Overland trip is a set of carefully crafted challenges with clearly defined goals. The challenges are thoughtfully calibrated, and the goal is always to have fun and make friends.

Hikers leading the way on an adventure trip for teens in the Swiss Alps

Obersteinberg

10:30 a.m.

Snack time. Water, gorp, an apple, more water. We check in — everyone feels good, spirits are high.


"I loved being able to hike in such a special, beautiful place in a new part of the world for me. I also loved exploring so many towns and villages. "

Lindsey Eiseman

Kentfield, California

A teen hiking group pauses for a break while on their summer adventure in the Swiss Alps.

Oberhornsee

12:00 noon

Lunchtime: out comes today's high mountain picnic. Lots of talk. Laughter. Smiles. It’s easy, and fun, and summer.


"The Alpine Challenge is an awesome trip. The hiking is challenging yet incredibly rewarding. Switzerland is the most picturesque place I've ever been. The accommodations and food on this trip are outstanding. "

Ainsley Rexford

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Teenage hikers set up camp while on their adventure trip with Overland

Down and back to Stechelberg

4:00 p.m.

Who knew that hiking down could be hard? Well, not like hiking up, but still hard. We walk into our campsite and get organized — it’s stir fry tonight, and I’m on cook crew.


Student Ownership

An Overland trip is guided by our leaders but driven by our students. With their leaders’ support, our students share daily tasks, creating spirited, close-working groups where everyone contributes.

Hikers ford a stream in the Swiss Alps while on an adventure trip. A group on a teen adventure travel program consults a map Teens on an adventure program hike through Switzerland.

Dinner

6:30 p.m.

Being on cook crew for dinner means a solid two hours of work — and it’s the best two hours of my day. We always talk about how food is love — how the preparing and sharing of a meal is this subtle but important way to show your care and consideration — your love — for others. I’d never thought about a meal that way, until now, and I don't think I'll ever see a meal any other way.

Lunch while on a teen adventure trip is essential to keeping the hikers energized.

Day’s End

9:30 p.m.

We always look back on the day, all of us together, sitting in a circle, having dessert. Each of us talks about our high and low of the day. And then we thank someone for something—big or small. We call that cheers.

Somehow, tonight the highs were higher, and the lows just weren’t that important (okay, my low was how my feet felt at about 3:00 this afternoon... but they’re fine now… so does it even matter?).

And the cheers?

Well, when a kid you met just twelve days ago thanks you for the thing you said, and you can’t really remember what it was exactly, but he said it was just what he needed to hear when his feet were sore and he was tired and he was wondering why it was so hard to go downhill, well, that’s when I knew that the trip actually wasn’t about the hiking.

It wasn’t even about the Alps.

It was about that.

A summertime sunset is enjoyed by the teenage hikers on an adventure in the Swiss alps

Why Overland

The group goes on a hiking trip while on a teen summer adventure.
Our Leaders

Overland’s leaders are terrific role models for our students. Capable and caring, our leaders focus on creating supportive, wholesome environments where every student can flourish and grow.

Learn More About Our Leaders
Teens take a summer kayaking trip on an adventure program with Overland.
Our Small Groups

Our groups are limited to 12 students — we pay attention to age, grade, gender, the mix of hometowns and schools, and we limit the number of friend pairs in each group.

Learn More About Our Small Groups
Teen hiking group gathers around a mountain on a teen summer adventure
Our High Standards

We expect a lot of our students — from playing by the rules to including everyone and helping out. At Overland, we value a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and consideration for others.

Learn More About Our High Standards