Overland Summer camps for 4th - 12th graders
Cross a continent on a teen summer bike trip from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Bike past picturesque villages, snow-capped mountains and big blue lakes. Ride through the low countries, over the Alps and across France. Tackle the Pyrenees in Spain then sprint to the coast. At trip end, celebrate your adventures and accomplishments as you look back on the friendships and fun of a summer bike trip across Europe!
Sunday, June 30 – Friday, July 26
9 (1-10, 1 is easiest)
Start: Amsterdam, Netherlands
End: Barcelona, Spain
Completing grades 9-12 in 2019
We typically run two European Challenge groups each summer and carefully group students by grade
Each group is limited to 12 students
Meals
Group gear
Accommodations
Activities
Personal gear and clothing
(see what to pack)
Airfare to and from the trip start and end
Trip insurance (recommended;
learn more about the benefits)
Bicycle
Explore Europe on a challenging ride of unsurpassed beauty.
Europe by bike. In the summer. What could be better? On our European Challenge, we’ll ride through small towns and villages, past Dutch canals and windmills, along the shore of three Swiss lakes and over a mountain range between France and Spain. That’s a lot of beauty, a lot of exploration, a lot of adventure every single day.
And we do all of this together. The European Challenge is, first and foremost, a group experience. Our group shares every sight, every discovery, every high point together. It makes the experience incredibly rich and rewarding.
When our goal is biking all the way across Europe—from the Netherlands through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Switzerland, then back into France and onto Spain—you can’t help but be changed by the experience: the world is so beautiful, so full of promise. And you, well, you’re incredibly independent and resilient, but you’re also a great friend and a great group member.
At trip end in Barcelona, we’ll look back on four weeks of beauty, challenge, friendship and fun—but just as importantly, we’ll look back on a month that couldn’t have been nearly as incredible had you not been on a bike, in a group, with a goal. Nothing could be better.
I had the time of my life, and it's all thanks to Overland!
- Campbell Leonard, Santa Fe, New Mexico
A summer of adventure and challenge, of fun and friends.
Day 1: Trip Start
After meeting in Amsterdam, we’ll take a shuttle to our campground, build our bikes, practice riding as a group and prepare for the journey ahead.
Days 2-11: The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany & Northeast France
The Netherlands are known for exceptional biking—a great place to start our journey. Building to our average of 70 miles per day, we’ll grow accustomed to our bikes and riding with weight. Together we’ll ride through the small but steep hills in Ardennes of Benelux testing our strength and endurance. We’ll pedal from northeast France in Alsace, to Luxembourg and Germany, before returning to France and the beautiful hills of Lorraine.
Days 12 & 13: Switzerland & the Alps
In Switzerland, we’ll head toward Bern and the Bernese Oberland. Riding through green valleys and small Swiss towns, we’ll conquer two 1,000-meter passes. We’ll ride to Gstaad and Chateau d’Oex before following the Rhone River valley to the shores of Lake Geneva.
Days 14-23: Provence & the Massif Central
Following the foothills of the Alps into the heart of France, through vineyards and ancient cities, we’ll head southwest into Provence. We’ll bike toward the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct near Nîmes, and then skirt the Massif Central. We’ll explore the culture and tour the cobbled streets of Carcassonne, one of Europe’s best preserved Medieval-walled cities.
Days 24 & 25: The Pyrenees & the Mediterranean
After three weeks of riding together, we’ll face the challenging, yet beautiful climb through the Pyrenees. Crossing into Spain, we’ll make our way down to Barcelona for a celebratory swim in the Mediterranean.
Days 26 & 27: Trip End
In the morning, we’ll pack our bikes and prepare for our flights home. We’ll spend the afternoon exploring Barcelona and celebrating our month riding across Europe.
ACCOMMODATIONS
24 nights of frontcountry camping. All campground facilities will include hot water, sinks and toilets. Many campgrounds will have showers and laundry.
2 nights in a hostel just outside Barcelona. The hostel is a dormitory style accommodation with rooms divided by gender.
Itinerary may vary by group and is subject to change.We travel light at Overland.
Luggage
Clothing
Outer Layers
General Gear
Bike Gear
Footwear
Miscellaneous
Important Documents
Spending Money
Things to know
Questions? Call us: 413.458.9672.
You can expect typical summery weather with lots of sunshine, some rain, warm days and cool nights.
You will need to arrange transportation for your child to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) for trip start and from Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) at trip end. We will provide more specific travel information once we have placed your child on a trip.
While we have regular access to showers, most students will shower once or twice a week. Groups will do laundry once a week.
The European Challenge is not a sight-seeing tour; it is four weeks of sustained physical effort and group teamwork. The landscapes we ride through on our fully-packed bicycles are sublime in their beauty, and we will take time to enjoy them, but the focus is on the group experience and our shared goals.
The European Challenge is a chance for your child to be challenged in ways that he or she might never have encountered before. Riding a bike is not technically difficult—but riding across Europe with 13 other people is one of the hardest sustained challenges we can imagine. For your child to succeed on and enjoy the European Challenge, you have to be committed to the goals of the trip so that you can help your child understand the goals and purpose of the trip.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and Spain all use the Euro (€). Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Some US banks may be able to order Euros and/or Swiss Francs. Students can also exchange money in airports throughout the US, or leaders can help students withdraw these currencies using a debit card or exchange US dollars upon arrival in Europe.
Safety and risk management are at the forefront of our decision-making–from trip planning to leader training to supporting our groups in the field. We cannot guarantee absolute safety–no program can. All recreational activities include inherent risks. Therefore, we strive to manage the risks that we can, knowing we cannot eliminate them. We work hard to recruit, train and support our trip leaders so they can create the kind of trips that have made us successful for over 30 years. Please click here to read more about our approach to risk management and our accreditation by the American Camp Association.
While no previous experience is required, we have high expectations of our students. We expect your child–with your help–to select a trip that is appropriate for their interests and abilities. You should spend some time familiarizing yourself with the details of the specific trip and help your child understand what to expect. We also expect our students to prepare ahead of time: to review the packing list, gather clothing and gear and complete whatever training the trip requires (for recommended training please see the Before You Go tab). Once the trip begins, your child should be ready–and excited–to contribute to a wholesome and enthusiastic group where each group member feels welcomed and valued.
When we receive your application, if your first choice is available, we will: (1) call you to acknowledge our receipt of your application, (2) send you an email with a link to our enrollment forms, and (3) charge a deposit of $795 to your credit card. If your first choice is not available, we will call you to discuss options. For more information, and to access our application, please visit our Apply page.
PHONES
To maximize independence and self-reliance, we do not permit phone calls, emails or text messages to or from our campers. Your child will call home on arrival and departure with our phones and assistance, and in the case of an emergency. If your child brings a phone for use while en route to Overland, please do not send an expensive smartphone. Instead, an inexpensive prepaid cell phone will do. All phones will be collected on arrival and returned at departure. While we will take reasonable steps to prevent damage, theft or loss, we take no responsibility for phones and we will not make any reimbursements for lost, damaged or stolen phones.
ELECTRONICS
Cameras are welcome but please do not bring any other electronics (e.g., iPods, iPads, Kindles or other readers, GPS or similar devices). All electronics (except cameras) will be mailed home on arrival (at your risk and expense).
COMMUNICATION
We are committed to providing extraordinary support to you and your child. To that end, the Overland office is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. seven days a week during the summer. Outside of office hours, our answering service provides emergency coverage. Our leaders in the field are in touch with our office regularly; they carry cell phones (and in some cases satellite phones). Anytime a camper is treated for an injury or illness by a doctor or other medical personnel, parents are notified by our office. A director will call the parents to explain the nature of the injury or illness, the sequence of events leading up to the injury and/or the steps leading to the treatment. Parents are typically able to speak with the medical personnel, with the leaders and with their child.
Getting a letter, card or postcard while on an Overland trip is always exciting. Please keep in mind that sending mail to your child on an Overland trip is different than sending mail to a traditional camp because your child will be on the move. Our experience has been that mail often does not arrive on time, and, sometimes, even when it does, post offices, campgrounds and other mail stops do not reliably deliver mail to our groups. For these reasons:
1. Please do not send anything valuable – please send letters, cards or postcards only. If mail is late, lost or misdirected, Overland’s leaders and staff are not able to return to the post office (or other mail stop) to collect it.
2. Please use the US Postal Service first-class mail only; do not use UPS, FedEx or DHL (many of our mail stops accept US Postal Service mail only).
3. Please do not send overnight letters: many overnighted letters arrive before or after we arrive and are then sent back. For this same reason, please do not send mail that requires a signature upon delivery.
4. Please allow one week for postal delivery to U.S. mail stops.
5. Please allow two weeks for postal delivery to international mail stops.
Bike from the North Sea to the Mediterranean—a grand tour of Europe from the seat of your bicycle.
Students going on European Challenge should prepare for:
We expect you to arrive to your trip fully prepared for all activities.
Preparing for the Biking
Daily rides on the European Challenge average 70 miles over varying terrain. There are five days over 80 miles and the longest day is approximately 90 miles (the exact mileage varies by group). You will encounter challenging terrain: long mountain passes in the Alps, hot temperatures in southern France and more long mountain passes through the Pyrenees entering Spain. You will spend some days off of the bikes: arrival day, departure day plus four buffer days to allow for delays en route (most groups will find that they spend these buffer days partially or completely off of the bikes).
Overland bicycle tours are self-contained—there is no van support. You will carry all of your belongings, plus some group gear and food, on a sturdy rack mounted over the back wheel of your bike. You will hang panniers (these are saddlebags, pronounced “pan-yers”) off the rack and attach gear like your sleeping bag and sleeping pad to the top of the rack using bungee cords. On average, you will carry about 40 pounds of equipment on your bike (not including the weight of the bike).
You should come prepared and recognize that some days will be more challenging and longer than others. Delays occur due to a wide range of variables—weather patterns change and road conditions vary. You, or someone in your group, might get a flat tire or encounter another mechanical issue that could delay your group. On some days your group will arrive in to camp in the early afternoon, with plenty of time to explore the area or go swimming, while on other days your group will spend more time on the bike.
Completing all of the pre-trip training is essential. There isn't a gradual build to the miles, nor is there a settling in period—you'll ride long, hard days from the very start of the trip.
Every European Challenge participant must complete all of the spring training rides, and, once on the trip, must be able to maintain 12 mph over challenging terrain on a fully loaded bicycle. We've designed the early weeks of the training so that most of the riding can be completed on the weekends. As the trip draws closer, there are more rides, so you will have to make time during the week to ride. Be sure to plan your training rides on consecutive days so that your training more closely approximates the riding that you will do on the trip. Please keep the following responsible riding practices in mind as you complete your spring training.
Responsible riding practices
WEAR A HELMET AND CLOSED-TOED SHOES
Always, no exceptions.
DESIGN A GOOD TRAINING LOOP
To the extent possible, ride on bike paths, bike lanes, and bike routes.
FOLLOW THE LAW
You have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. Obey traffic signals and stop signs. Ride with traffic; use the rightmost lane headed in the direction you are going.
BE PREDICTABLE
Make your intentions clear to everyone on the road. Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars. Signal turns, and check behind you before turning or changing lanes.
BE VISIBLE
Ride where people can see you and wear a hi-vis top. Ride with your rear light on and flashing. Make eye contact with others and don’t ride on sidewalks. When possible, ride with others.
THINK AHEAD
Watch for turning vehicles and ride outside the door zone of parked cars. Look out for debris, potholes, and other road hazards. Cross railroad tracks at right angles.
RIDE READY
Check that your tires are sufficiently inflated, brakes are working, chain runs smoothly, and quick release levers are closed. Carry tools and supplies that are appropriate for your ride.
Pre-trip Training:
All pre-trip training rides must be completed using the bike, pedals and shoes you will use on the European Challenge. All training rides must be at an average speed of 12 miles per hour on a fully-loaded bicycle.
Once on the trip, you will start riding at first light, taking short breaks (typically five minutes or less) during the day, and complete the day's ride in the late afternoon.
Please refer to the Pre-Trip Training Calendar where you will record your training in the weeks leading up to trip start.
Preparing for an Overland Experience
Overland trips are wholesome, structured experiences with high expectations of each student’s behavior. You are expected to be enthusiastic, positive, helpful and supportive of your trip mates and your leaders. We ask that you leave your cell phone and electronics at home (cameras are always welcome), so you can fully engage with your group and your trip. Arriving ready for a challenge – and prepared to contribute to an enthusiastic group – will go a long way toward creating a successful trip. Please contact us if you’d like to discuss preparing the European Challenge.
4 weeks
$6,695
