Welcome to Camp des Cimes !

Everything started in the 60’s when the “Greater Europe Mission” (GEM), an American mission organisation, while proclaiming the Gospel and planting Protestant churches in Europe, began searching for a site from which they could reach youth in France’s northern industrial sector. Mr. Neddo and Schuler found a run-down house below an Alpine village in La Rivoire, above Bourg d’Oisans. The first camp was held in this house without running water, in 1967.

Shortly after, buildings belonging to the Oddoux brothers in the Rivoire village became available and Mr. Smith and Hoyle decided to put out a “candle bid” for the property (at that time, the bid standing when the candle was extinguished won the auction). The candle was kind to them, and in 1969 the purchase of the Camp Des Cimes buildings was finalized. Young Christians from across Europe— but mostly from France and the United States— came together these first summers to restore the old village in which some buildings were over 200 years old. Hard-working and ambitious, these young adults’ only shelter was a barn having neither electricity nor running water. They slept in the hay. Previously, this barn had been a farmhouse, a bakery, and even a small school.

And so Camp of the Peaks was born. As the years went by, the spirit of the little village was revived, new stone and wood coming together to bring warm comfort, and although modest, quality. In 1984, construction of a new building (The Big Chalet) was begun. It took 14 years of hard labor, a lot of energy, and numerous skilled American workers who came to support the regional team. Individual Chistians and churches across the Atlantic financed all this work.

Non-profit and non-denominational, the Camp of the Peaks seeks only to be a refuge where God can recharge, encourage, and save everyone. Here, the truths of the Gospel like the good news of Jesus Christ according to the holy Bible are lived out in simplicity, with an ambiance that’s friendly and warm. Whether Christian or not, everyone finds himself at ease Camp of the Peaks. The camp also places itself at the service of protestant churches of France by (for example) making its grounds available for week-end events, camps, retreats, and seminars. Camp of the Peaks also promotes youth development through a variety of recreational activities (hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, white-water boating, pottery, photography, theater, etc.), The overseers seek to foster a creative spirit, a sportive attitude, and self-confidence. Through the friendly environment and the shared camp experiences, they share their lives, demonstrating what life can be when permeated with Biblical truth and the person of Christ.