The story of
this expedition
Kamp De Leeuw is four days of physically tough adventure in the wilderness of Romania, together with other entrepreneurs. No script you know in advance, no comfort and no way out: once you start, it is for real. You push your limits in a short, intense period.
Anyone who knows Kamp Waes will recognise the idea: tasks under time pressure that you only complete if the group works. You navigate in the dark by map and compass, abseil down steep rock faces and earn along the way what you need to get through the night: a fire steel, food, shelter.
You fly to Romania on Thursday and head into the mountains, up to 2,000 metres, in wolf and bear country in the Carpathians. Two nights you sleep outside on hard ground. On Saturday evening a hotel is waiting, and on Sunday you fly home. Improvise, adapt and overcome.
Navigating in the dark
without landmarksYou navigate by map and compass, at night too, through terrain without paths or landmarks. What you need to get through the night, a fire steel, food and shelter, you earn along the way. You do not know in advance what is coming.
Rock faces and valleys
abseil and keep goingYou abseil down steep rock faces and force your way through valleys where no path runs. You only complete the tasks if the group works: whoever is faster helps whoever is slower. The time pressure is not simulated, it is real.
Two nights outside
zero comfort unless you make itFor two nights you sleep on hard ground under the stars, in wolf and bear country. You cook over an open fire and rely on what you carry. The weather can turn, the terrain is tough and the nights are short. After the last stretch a hotel is waiting, and the next day you fly home.
What makes this
expedition unique?
Fire and stars
Cooking over an open fire and sleeping under the stars.
Map and compass
Navigating terrain without paths, in the dark too.
Wolf and bear country
Living and moving through the territory of the big predators.
Rock faces
Conquering steep rock faces and forcing your way through impassable valleys.
Kamp De Leeuw is short, but it is no weekend away. We deliberately take away the comfort and put the clock under pressure, so you see what you are worth when everything falls away. The tasks are built so you cannot complete them alone. Those who help each other get further.Koen De LeeuwFounder and expedition leader, known from De Expeditie on PlayParacommando · Wilderness First Responder Meet Koen
De Expeditie
De Tijd
Humo
Play MediaHow we
work
Self-sufficient,
never alone
Once we set off, you rely on yourself and your group. What you need, you earn along the way or carry yourself. You cook over an open fire and sleep wherever the terrain allows.
Safety and
guidance
Safety is our top priority. Our X Guides hold a Wilderness First Responder certificate and have experience in rough terrain. They always carry two separate means of satellite communication, and we work with an evacuation plan and a risk analysis reviewed by a team of experts.
Someone at our basecamp in Belgium can be reached day and night.
Preparation
of 3 to 6 months
The programme starts after you sign up with a kick off. Monthly group training sessions and a technical training follow, with a final check two weeks before departure.
Everything
at a glance
All prices are per person and exclude flights. We book flights together with you during the preparation programme.
- Departure
- 16/09 to 19/09/2027
- Duration
- 4 days, Thursday to Sunday
- Level
- Challenge4/5
- Group
- Up to 20 participants
- Price
- €1,800 ppIncl. preparation programme
Included
- Full preparation programme: kick off, training sessions and final check
- Personal kit list
- Professional X Guides
- Survival gear, backpack and sleep setup
- Navigation gear, jetboils and water filters
- All overnight stays, including the hotel on the last night
- All meals during the expedition
- All local transport
- Local activities
- All local tips
Not included
- Flights (we arrange them and invoice them separately)
- Transport between your home and the airport
- Personal clothing (top, bottom, shoes)
- Insurance (cancellation and search and rescue)
For the past ten years, there wasn't a single day when I didn't think about my company. During this challenging expedition, I was finally able to switch off completely. I learned to put things in perspective again. Back home, I immediately felt the impact: more clarity, better sleep and more peace of mind.
Frequently asked questions
See all questionsIs Kamp De Leeuw like Kamp Waes?
Anyone who has seen Kamp Waes on Belgian TV will recognise the idea: a short, gruelling period of physical tasks under pressure, in which you find out what you are worth. Kamp De Leeuw is an Element X programme, developed by former paracommando Koen De Leeuw, and is not affiliated with that television programme.
How hard is Kamp De Leeuw?
The level is Challenge (4/5). It is physically tough and mentally intense: long days in terrain without paths, up to 2,000 metres, with little sleep, time pressure and tasks you can only complete as a group. Good fitness is essential.
When is it and how long does it last?
From Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 September 2027. You fly to Romania on Thursday, sleep two nights outside and the last night in a hotel, and fly home on Sunday.
Where does Kamp De Leeuw take place?
In the wilderness of Romania, in the Carpathians: dense pine forests and rugged mountainsides, in wolf and bear country.
What does Kamp De Leeuw cost?
€1,800 per person, excluding flights. We arrange the flights and invoice them separately. Included are the full preparation programme, the X Guides, all survival gear, all overnight stays, all meals and local transport.
How many participants?
Up to 20 participants: entrepreneurs and people who want to push their limits.
How do I prepare?
Just like our other expeditions, the preparation programme starts after you sign up, three to six months before departure: a kick off at Kasteel Borgwal with a physical test and training advice, monthly group training sessions, a technical training in navigation and rope work, and a final check before departure. You join your team WhatsApp group and receive a personal kit list.
Is it safe?
Safety is our top priority. Our X Guides hold a Wilderness First Responder certificate, carry two satellite communication devices and work with an evacuation plan and a risk analysis. Someone at our basecamp in Belgium is reachable day and night.
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Your Kamp De Leeuw
starts with a conversation
Your preparation is included and starts 3 to 6 months before departure.