The Founders
Elisa Sepúlveda, Mary Seppi, who have 27 years of experience running the camp.
Teachers
Who are invited to teach a specific activity.
The monitors or counselors
Who are generally ex-campers, they are in charge of leading activities and are responsible for the rooms.
The campers are divided in rooms with between 4 – 12 persons according to ages, sex and friendships.
everyone sleeps in a bunkbed on a mattress (and pillow) with the bedsheet and pillowcase that you send.
Each room has one or two camp counselors in charge of the campers’ wellbeing.
You’ll be welcome!
In each camp there are always new people, so no one will feel alone.
Also, they all had a first year at the camp. Campers that come back year after year naturally tend to include new ones.
Likewise, icebreaker games are played, and the monitors make sure that everyone knows each other and feels included.
Handy kids are our specialty. This is a situation that we OFTEN encounter in summer camp.
The child is allowed to be the first days, but eventually they must always try new flavors and foods. A colleague will always support him and say, “I was very crafty, but today I eat everything.”
There is a lot of positive support and endorsement from their peers, almost everyone when they arrive has tricks. Pride in camp also comes from eating the “food that gives you strength.”
Some parents have sent healthy snacks (like peanut butter, tree nuts and the like), the kids can eat it if they see that they need that extra energy.
If you wish to have special food prepared for you, you will be charged extra.
Las Mulas is located in the upper Cajón del Río Achibueno, in the city of Linares, approximately 5 hours from Santiago.
The camp is located in a wide pasture, surrounded by native forest and a slight walk of between 5-20 minutes to various beaches of the Achibueno River.
The departure is organized with the majority of the group from Santiago early in the morning.
The group travels together, by bus or a train car to Linares, where part of the Team awaits them. From Linares they are transferred to Las Mulas by bus.
The final part of the journey consists of a slight 40-minute walk (the youngest children arrive in a 4×4 truck).
Your bags will be waiting for you at the camp, along with cookies, watermelons, and glasses of water.
I don’t live in Santiago, how do my children get to the summer camp?
In this case there are two options:
OPTION 1:
Meet the group at the Linares train station at the arrival time of the train.
OPTION 2:
Get on the train at a stop between Santiago and Linares
It is very difficult for parents to come visit us. First of all, our camp is located in a remote area. During the camp dates our accommodation space is very limited since both cabins and tent space are fully occupied by our campers and staff.
Our priority is to stay focused on our children 100% of the time and hosting parents can be very distracting.
Children are usually ashamed of their parents showing up and for others it is unfair.
We recommend that you schedule a visit on different dates to the camp, where you and your family can share the beauty and entertainment that Cajón del Achibueno has to offer.
The kids at the camp usually have such a good time that they forget to miss home. However, in the event of an emergency, it is possible to reach your child by contacting Mary.
We assign one person to be in charge of meds and there is no problem keeping on schedule.
We have not had a problem in 20 years: there are bees although no hives. If your child has a serious bug or grass allergy, please remind them not to go barefoot.
Usually they ask to ride before camp ends and it is a momentous occasion with lots of cheering for overcoming fears.
River time is highly supervised and organized so that no children are in the water unattended at any point.
We slather gallons of sun screen on children but ask the parents to remind the children before camp.
We also ask the parents to buy non-toxic sunscreen as this is not a regulated cosmetic and studies have shown some ingredients to be as dangerous as the sun.
Check the EWG (environmental working group) website to inform yourself on the latest research about cosmetics and their toxicity.
Mary has extensive experience in improving social skills with children.
I would like my child to learn English (or Spanish) while in camp
They will hear a lot of both languages and usually go home with a heightened understanding of the second language.
every child requires the same amount of care, we believe in feeding good quality food as well as providing an affordable vacation for your children. It is worth mentioning that camps in the United States cost anywhere between two to three times more than our price.
We have had children as young as 5 accompanied by a sibling, as well as children aged 6-7 who have come alone or with a friend.
My daughter is 5 years old and wants to come with her brothers.
No problem. If the youngest sibling is particularly dependent, we may ask a little help from an older sibling. Often times the 5-8 year olds need extra help finding their belongings so we assign counselors to help them specifically.
We have had excellent results with children who are challenged with listening skills.
We are very focused on safety often parents will write and tell of the great progress in maturity that happened during camp.
We quietly work with the child to make sure they don’t drink too much at night and get to the bathroom before they fall asleep. We may even check their bed early and get them up.
If the sleeping bag gets wet, we surreptitiously take it out back and hose it off and dry it in the sun. Often times, kids become so conscious that they overcome the problem at camp.
We will make sure they are in a lower bunk. There is always at least one adult in the house and it has not been a problem. Usually they are so tired at night that they sleep straight through.
It has never been a serious problem. We sometimes need to spend extra time with the child but the power of the peer group experience and the health benefits of nature and natural foods have worked wonders on countless children over the years.
Many, many children have overcome issues that they arrived with; it is not at all shameful, the children are supportive of each other and it is a growing experience for all.
It’s a rich mix of countries, ages, customs, religions etc.
Student and parent/guardian acknowledge that if student is dismissed or departs for any reason, or chooses to return home early from the program, no refunds can be granted. Further, student and parent/guardian are responsible for any and all costs of early departure whether for medical reasons, dismissal, personal emergencies or otherwise. These costs include, but may not be limited to medical evacuation and costs, medical treatment, plane, train, taxi or bus fare, meals, accommodations, and compensation and expenses for staff that may be required to accompany student.
Parent/guardian should understand that staff might not be available to accompany students leaving early for any reason on any part of their trip home therefore must acknowledge that parent/guardian must accompany the child. In addition, if parent/guardian cannot be reached when and if their child returns home early, the Emergency Contact Person designated on your Las Mulas Camp application will be contacted for notification and communication purposes.
Payment Policy, Deposit, Tuition & Refunds:
A non-refundable, CLP$50.000 deposit, applied to the tuition, is required to secure a spot in Las Mulas Camp’s Summer Programs. The final tuition balance is due three weeks before camp start date. If we have not received payment by this date, Las Mulas Camp reserves the right to cancel unpaid applicants with no return of fees. For students who apply after the two week date, payment is due in full with application. If Las Mulas Camp does not accept a student who has completed their application, all fees will be returned. However, if an applicant does not complete their application and make payment by due date, and this results in Las Mulas Camp cancelling their registration, the applicant forfeits the $50.000 deposit and fees as per the below timeline:
Prior to three weeks before camp, all tuition, except the $50.000 deposit, is fully refundable.
For cancellations 2 weeks before camp, we will refund 50% of the tuition less the $50.000 deposit or give the equivalent in camp credit less the 50.000 deposit towards any of our summer 2021 programs transferable to family members with the same last name.
In the case that camp credit is issued for any of the above, the amount of camp credit will be the amount paid to Las Mulas Camp less a $50.000 cancellation fee.
The seasonal nature of the program precludes any refund, camp credit, or reduction for late or non-arrival, early withdrawal or student cancellation within two weeks of the program for any cause.
Students sent home in violation of our rules, for medical reasons, or at the discretion of the student, family, or Las Mulas Camp will receive no refund.
Registrations for any camp session may be transferred to other sessions with no penalty while space is available at the discretion of Las Mulas Camp staff.Política de cancelación