Students from Steinmühlen Boarding School Get a Taste of the Mountain Air in Randa, Switzerland

While the graduating class is taking its oral exams, the rest of the students at Steinmühle Boarding School are enjoying a relatively relaxed time. This is especially true for those boarding school students who are currently in Randa, a village near Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais, 1,400 meters above sea level.

Going to the Swiss mountains as a group is a voluntary activity every year. This recreational activity is nevertheless very popular. Thirteen students took part this year and, together with a team of five teachers, spent some unforgettable days at their destination, the rustic Augustinushütte hiking lodge.

You’ll have to fend for yourself there. You’ll stay in a dormitory or in rooms for six people.

In winter, people associate the mountains with winter sports. In summer, they associate them with hiking and other activities. The group did, in fact, go on various day hikes of varying difficulty levels.

After breakfast, the hikers set out; after a few hours, they found themselves back at the starting point, cooked together, and used their shared meals as an opportunity for lively conversation. Many a day also ended with a game in the living room, before fatigue eventually set in here and there from the exertion in the unfamiliar high-altitude air.

“We want to give the group a chance to spend time together, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the stress of school,” the teaching team explains, outlining the goal of the field trip. The focus is on nature and hands-on experiences. The students will also have the opportunity to test their own limits during one or more of the activities. – This is an important experience that can also help them rise to the occasion in specific situations.

According to the Steinmühle Boarding School, the goal in Randa is neither to set nor to break athletic records. The focus is less on athletic performance and more on reaching the summits together.

Reaching the summits—a wonderful goal in any case. And in that respect, one might say, they do have something in common with the recent high school graduates upon their return.