LE CAMP DE BASE – refuge & outdoor activities

IDENTITY: a place where people from near and far come to mingle, whether they're keen on adventure or looking for a thrill. It's a place where people from all over the world can come together to share a common pleasure: being outdoors. The mornings at the BASE CAMP are filled with people who have taken refuge there, just for a night, to make a bivouac and who will surely leave early in the morning to complete the day's stage, ignoring the aches and pains of the previous day. They then come across those who have come to get their dose of adventure and emotion, for the duration of a session, by practising an outdoor activity, supervised by our instructors. They arrive dry and enthusiastic, sometimes in their best technical clothing. They'll leave a few hours later, probably wet or dusty or both, dishevelled but smiling, with their heads full of memories?

THE LOCATION :
In the heart of Suisse Normande, in the south of Normandy, the small village of La Pommeraye, home to just under 70 inhabitants, is where the BASE CAMP is set up.
It sits at the top of a hill at an altitude of almost 300 m, with the Rouvre valley to the east, the Orne valley to the south-west and the Saint Clair forest just beyond to the north. The views from here are impressive, with up to 80 km in the distance. Situated 5 km from Clécy, the capital of Suisse Normande, LE CAMP DE BASE is close to all the region’s remarkable sites: the Rochers des Parcs, the Rochers de la Houle, the Orne and the South and West paragliding take-off points.
Initially, there was a hangar, which the owners of the site, who are none other than the CAMP DE BASE instructors, completely renovated, using their own construction methods, in order to make it their home. They always had in the back of their minds the idea that one day they might be able to welcome people there. La Pommeraye is a village with a very singular energy, where the inhabitants love to create, discover and share. Fuelled by this dynamic, as well as by their sporting experience, their travelling spirit, their passion for adventure and their expertise as sports instructors, Camille and Henri created LE CAMP DE BASE.

WELCOMING YOU :
If there’s one moment when you want to feel welcomed just as you are, it’s during a sporting event. During outdoor activities, confidence is built through a warm welcome, kindness and the ability of our instructors to understand how best to guide you through the adventure you want to experience.
A welcoming bivouac: whether you’re roaming, cycling or hiking, this long-term effort requires you to find a safe place to take refuge each evening. In fact, it’s a key factor in the success and enjoyment of your tour.
In less urbanised countries, it’s quite easy to find a place to pitch your tent in the wild and bivouac for the night. But in some countries, where there is a lot of tourism and a lot of rules and regulations, it becomes immediately more difficult to find a place that is both wild and quiet, and from which you are not going to be evicted in the middle of the night.
This is how the bivouac aspect of the CAMP DE BASE refuge came about. Our aim is to offer you an alternative to wilderness camping, while maintaining the simplicity that is typical of this type of overnight stay, and keeping adventure at the heart of your itinerary.
?
A refuge-style welcome: a gîte designed to accommodate 6 people in a single large room with a dormitory of cabin beds, similar to some youth hostels or mountain refuges. Built from warm materials, you’ll also be delighted to light its small wood-burning stove for chilly evenings. The large pergola is an invitation to spend as much time outside as possible.

OUTDOOR PASSION :
Outdoor activities are exciting for what they bring: a taste of expedition that starts with the choice of the equipment you use just to do it, or the pleasure of getting around, on water, on land or in the middle of a climb, and finally the beauty of the landscapes they take you through.

FOR NOVICES, EXPERTS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS:
When it comes to outdoor activities, there’s something for everyone: climbing, kayaking, trail running, mountain biking, multi-activity raids, courses and even roaming assistance!
Ideal for novices who want to venture out on their own and need a bit of guidance before they can one day be self-sufficient.
Or for those who used to go on adventures as a couple, but now have a family and don’t quite know how to organise themselves, how to dare and adapt, and who need guidance to give their children a taste for the extraordinary.
Initiates, who are preparing for a future expedition and want to continue learning.
Friends, who want to share some great moments, with someone to guide them, so that they can enjoy each other’s company with the assurance that everyone will find their place.

MONITORS:
In 2016, our instructors cycled 1100 km through the Balkans. It was an itinerant journey that had a profound effect on them and guided them in their life choices.
Since then, they have never ceased to cultivate the art of using constraints to create nuggets.
Their diploma, a BPJEPS APT, enables them to supervise all types of introductory sports activities. Their experience of coaching in this profession has confirmed them in their way of thinking: anyone can have an adventure. And if there are times when you need someone to be there to guide you, make you feel safe and give you the right advice at the right time…., then it’s with passion that they’ll take on this role.