WAY UP
ADVENTURE WEEK FOR YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY CANCER
Way Up is a retreat focused on alpine sports or creative activities, designed so each individual can try something new, discover (or rediscover) their abilities, and connect with peers.
Participation is FREE and includes hiking, climbing, high-altitude trekking, yoga, sailing, as well as workshops, cooking, relaxation, and evening campfire gatherings.
Way Up is a project by Associazione Campo Base ONLUS, which creates retreats and summer camps for adults and children affected by serious illnesses or psychosocial difficulties.
You can find all the details for 2025 below:
Who can participate
Sports activities are led by experienced instructors and mountain guides, adapted to each participant's needs.
No experience or sporting skills are required.
Sessions 2025
The 3 sessions in 2025 each have distinct themes. For full details, download the booklet above.
- Climbing Session: 18-24 May, 2025
(Application deadline 15/03/25) - Multisport Session: 8-14 June, 2025
(Application deadline 30/03/25) - Creativity Session: 1-5 October, 2025
(Application deadline 30/06/25)
These sessions are in Italian
For sessions in English visit Way Up International
How to Participate
To apply, each person must download and complete BOTH forms A and B below, and submit them by:
- March 15, 2025 for the Climbing session
- March 30, 2025 for the Multisport session
- June 30, 2025 for the Creativity session
Please send all completed forms to:
connect@associazionecampobase.org
The retreat will be hosted at the medieval manor house of Castel Campo in Fiavè (Trento) at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites and near Lake Garda.
FAQ FOR FILLING IN FORMS
In the participant form, we ask applicants to be comprehensive, to write down as much detail as possible with respect to the questions asked: as you can imagine, we need this information to be able to guarantee the safety of all participants, and to be able to structure a programme that is as interesting as possible for our guests.
Form B must be completed by the participant's medical specialist. If you think you will not be able to see or have contact with your specialist doctor in a timely manner, it is fine for the for to be filled out by your general practitioner.
The participant should deliver Form B to their specialist doctor. The doctor can then give the completed, stamped, and signed form back to the participant to send to Campo Base, or they can email it directly to connect@associazionecampobase.org
If the specialist doctor isn't available on time, it is possible to have the form completed by the general practitioner.
Please inform the completing doctor that they might be contacted for any necessary clarifications once the forms are received.
For safety reasons, if the candidate is undergoing therapy or has recently completed it, or has other special conditions, we may request a recent blood test or other laboratory exams close to the event.
If it is not possible to send the Medical Form B in time, please send the Participant Form A first and the Medical Form as soon as possible.
For safety reasons, if the candidate is undergoing therapy or has recently completed it, or has other special conditions, we may request a recent blood test or other laboratory exams close to the event.
It is expected that the candidate consults with their doctor when filling out the form.
For further information please contact us at connect@associazionecampobase.org
Submitting the form does not guarantee participation in the project. The association reserves the right to create the list of confirmed candidates following its own criteria. For more information, contact us by email at info@associazionecampobase.org
Confirmation of participation or non-participation will arrive after submitting the medical form.
The chronological order of form submission is one of the factors that the staff of the Campo Base Association uses to determine the list of confirmed participants, so we encourage you to send the completed forms as soon as possible.
Forms should be sent to connect@associazionecampobase.org by the deadlines specified for each session.
The chronological order of form submission is one of the factors that the staff of the Campo Base Association uses to determine the list of confirmed participants, so we encourage you to send the completed forms as soon as possible.
If it is not possible to send the Medical Form B in time, please send the Participant Form A first, and then submit the medical form as soon as possible.
INFORMATION AND FAQs
Participation in WAY UP is FREE for eligible participants who have received an invitation to join.
Specifically, the following will be included: All meals, transport (excluding travel to and from Castel Campo), accommodation and participation in the activities on the itinerary.
Travel from and to your home to the pickup/dropoff location (in Verona, Italy) on the first and last days of camp will not be paid for by Campo Base. We are unable to offer travel grants. If an eligible candidate needs to fundraise to sponsor their trip, we can support them by providing information they can share about the program.
Upon confirmation of participation we will send you a list of things to bring.
No technical equipment is required except for a good pair of hiking boots and a medium-sized backpack.
Our programs are tailored to the participants. No specific sports skills or an athletic lifestyle are required.
Our goal is to give participants the opportunity to try new things in a safe environment.
In this case, please contact us at info@asociazionecampobase.org and we can discuss it together.
At Way Up, you can expect to participate in: hiking, sailing, rock climbing and/or artificial wall climbing, mountain biking and/or e-biking, swimming, canoeing, and cave excursions.
But also: sports massage, cooking courses or wine tasting, cultural and sightseeing visits…
And perhaps, if you’re lucky, you might even manage to read a few pages of that book that has been sitting on your nightstand for a while.
In dedicated sessions, there will be a focus on certain activities, but the program will be varied even in these sessions.
Way Up is open to current and former patients of oncology and hematology who were diagnosed at a non-pediatric age, aged 18-45. Participants will always be accompanied by Campo Base staff and professional guides.
Those who can attend for the entire week will have priority.
An important goal of the project is to foster connections and networking among peers: we believe it is important to take the time to experience this opportunity.
Way Up is designed for patients and former patients. We absolutely recognize that illness affects all members of a family deeply, but unfortunately, it will not be possible to share this experience directly with them.
This will be a space dedicated to yourself, to talk and share (if desired) your experience and life with others in a different context from your daily routine.
You can reach Castel Campo by your own means and park your car near Castel Campo (you won’t need it until departure), or you can arrive at the pickup point in Verona, Italy with public transport.
The staff will help coordinate this aspect when confirming your participation.
This project is designed to spend time with the people you meet. We will spend the evenings together around the campfire, and the “free” moments are intended to be shared with the group.
Although no one is forced to stay anywhere, this will not be a typical vacacion.
There is no Wi-Fi at Castel Campo. We ask that you organize your personal and work-related needs so that you can disconnect (almost) completely from technology.
We request that you refrain from using cell phones during activities, meals, and shared moments. As there is not Wi-Fi please be aware you will have to have roaming data to use your phone. Please be sure to have a plan in place before international travel.
The camp can cook with specific products for the celiac disease use equipment that is properly cleaned and prepared, but it does not have a separate “gluten-free” kitchen, meaning it cannot guarantee the total absence of contamination as it does not have separate areas and equipment for food preparation.
We ask that you specify your needs in the forms and provide as much information as possible.
For more details, please email us at info@associazionecampobase.org
Way Up is based at Castel Campo, a medieval castle where we sleep, eat, and carry out some activities. Unfortunately, as it is a historic residence, the castle is currently unable to offer accessible and barrier-free spaces.
We are working on solutions and alternatives and hope to be able to offer more opportunities for everyone in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
The Way Up program, like all Campo Base projects, is designed to be adapted to the needs (including mobility) of our participants. However, we face one limitation: Way Up is based at Castel Campo, a medieval castle where we sleep, eat, and carry out some activities.
Unfortunately, as it is a historic residence, the castle is unable to offer fully accessible and barrier-free spaces.
Reaching the bedrooms and dining hall requires navigating stairs, and the terrain, especially outdoors, is uneven (gravel, large stones, slopes, and steps).
We regularly welcome people with mobility, manual dexterity and balance difficulties, but we are currently unable to accommodate wheelchair users. For further details, please contact us at info@associazionecampobase.org
We are working on solutions and alternatives and hope to be able to offer more opportunities for everyone in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.