Frequently asked questions

Both the Permission Lab and the Crazy Camps at CrazyCamp.org are projects of the same association. And both have the same core mission: connection and self-acceptance. In that context, conscious kink is a branch that has grown organically on the Crazy Camp tree. However, some people that are not into conscious kink were confused by the mention of it on the Crazy Camp website. So we gave the Permission Lab it's own corner of the internet :) and we recycle some of the images that might have the name 'crazycamp.org' or the logo. And if you would use the contact form at CrazyCamp.org to ask about the Permission Lab, you will simply get your answer :)

The advance payment is there for two reasons. First of all, I have to pay a (way bigger) advance payment when booking accommodation for the Lab. Second, it is the best way for me to find out if you have a serious intention of joining. As for the cancellation policy: If I cancel the trip, you will receive a full refund of your advance payment. If you cancel your participation, you’ll receive the refund if we still reach the target number of participants. The details of the cancellation policy are explained in the info mail that you will receive after applying.

I will not disappear with your advance payment but technically there is no way that you can know that I will not. I'm trusting you too: that you'll show up, that we'll treat each other and the space with care. If it helps: there have been 56 Crazy Camps/Permisison Labs so far (as per spring 2026), the whole Crazy Camp and Permission Lab thing is my passion and joy, and there are better ways of making money than to run away with your advance payment. By the way, please read the testimonials of previous Crazy Camp and (Permission Lab)(/testimonials) participants. And if you want, we can have a video call before signing up, or I can establish contact between you and a previous participant. The link is on the Reach out page :)

Originally the Crazy Camps (from which the Permission Labs emerged) started out with no organization at all. Just one private person sharing their passion with you. Basically I organize these trips just for myself and I share time, space, activities and fun with you. In return, you participate in the activities and pay your share in the costs. More info can be found in the About page. Some years ago I created a legal structure for the trips. So I founded a not-for-profit association under Dutch law. When you participate in a Crazy Camp or in a Permission Lab, you become member of this association for the duration of that Camp/Lab. More details about the association and your membership on this page.

If you would like to contact a participant of one of the past Permission Labs before deciding to sign up, I can establish the contact if I understand that you are seriously considering signing up. Just send me a message

It is not. You will have to find your own way of getting to the Lab. I will provide information about the arrival time that you are expected, the nearest train/bus station, the nearest airports, how to get from the bus station to the Lab location… In the forum you can discuss with the other participants about traveling together etc.

I disclose the location of the Permission Lab once your advance payment is in. So your decision to join is about the Permission Lab itself, not a specific resort or a cheap week away. In a way, the Labs are ‘blind breaks’: a holiday you book without knowing the destination. The information in the Lab description should be enough for you to estimate whether it will be satisfying for you. And you’ll get the full location as soon as you’re confirmed.

This is mentioned in the info page of the Lab that you are interested in. If something is not mentioned, then don’t presume that it is there… what is obvious for you, might not be obvious for that location. So if you miss something that is important for you in the description, better ask me :-)

Usually Permission Lab locations can not be reached by normal road. So oftentimes we have to get our stuff to the accommodation (snowshoe) hiking. You’re better off with a backpack than with a suitcase!

Most Permission Labs take place in simple mountain huts with shared sleeping spaces and a mix of bed types: from bunk beds to hayloft mattresses, and sometimes even a double bed or two. We don’t separate by gender.

To keep things fair and ease the pressure of “rushing to claim,” we do a lottery on the first evening to assign sleeping spots. It’s part of the spirit of these Labs: a gentle nudge into trust, chance, and letting go of tension, together.
This might mean sharing a room (or, rarely, a double bed) with someone you’ve just met. And usually that’s just fine. It’s about sleeping, not intimacy, and respect is the baseline.

But we also know: what’s “just fine” for some can feel deeply uncomfortable or unsafe for others. So, if you have specific emotional, physical, or gender-related needs around sleeping arrangements, please share them with me in your application or reach out beforehand. You don’t need to give detailed explanations; just enough so we can support you.
We can also make swaps post-lottery if, say, a tall person ends up in a small bed and a shorter person gets a big one. Fairness and care go hand-in-hand.

We trust the magic of the draw. And we trust you, to speak up if something’s not sitting right. Your comfort matters. Your rest is important.

Of course you can. It has been extremely rare that someone leaves early for other reasons than medical or logistical (catch that one night train home).

No, sorry. The Labs are no walk-in walk-out events. We’re in it together :-)

No, sorry. The nature of the accommodations and the group dynamics do not allow for this. If it is about a help dog eg. because you are visually challenged, please contact me so that we can discuss (im)possibilities.

Some activities during the Permission Labs carry a higher risk than sitting on the couch at home. Obviously this goes for sport activities like mountain hiking, but it can also go for some group games and for practical things like a hot wood stove in the middle of the room. You are always responsible for assessing the risks yourself and you are always responsible for your own do’s and don’ts. You are yourself liable for the consequences of your own decisions. No insurance is provided on behalf of the organiser; please arrange a travel insurance yourself and make sure that it covers the appropriate risks (for example: are winter sports activities covered? This is not always the case).

Usually groups are between 5 and 10 people. We don't want it to be massive. In a small group it's easier to build trust and to let go.

Crazy Camps attract people from all over the world, and the Permission Labs are quite international as well. In general, simple 'European English' is used as the common language. But if you’re having a chat with another participant who speaks your native language, no one expects you to switch to English!

If you’re unsure about your level, feel free to reach out; we can even arrange a voice or video call to assess together and discuss how to make it work for you. And I can also translate key things into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, or Italian, if needed.

Before every Lab we meet virtually, in a private forum. This is usually two or three weeks before departure. In the forum we give a short introduction of ourselves, we discuss ride shares, logistics at arrival, what to bring, what we will eat, etc.

Don’t smoke in places where it can bother others: in the house, at the terrace, in the sauna or hot tub, etc.

The Permission Labs are alcohol free and substance free. Let's enjoy this marvelous adventure without any stimulants! Our body will take care of generating adrenaline, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and lots of oxytocin for happy vibes. We want to connect with our deepest Self, and for this week, external stimulants or plant medicine aren't part of how we get there.

Yes, and you never have to explain why you're sitting something out.

Sometimes that's about a boundary. More often it's simpler: the hike was too long, you're bleeding, you slept badly, or something in you says not now.

The one thing we do ask is that you come to a Permission Lab to do this work for yourself, rather than to watch other people do it.

Some exercises may invite you to the edge of your comfort zone, and you're welcome to explore there. But your comfort zone and your boundaries are two different things. If joining something would mean crossing your own boundary, then please don't. Opting out needs no explanation.

Yes, you’re welcome, as long as you’re willing to participate as two individuals.

That means: for most activities, you’ll be invited to partner with different people. You’re welcome to check in, debrief, or share private moments outside the group flow, but we ask couples to avoid becoming a “satellite bubble” inside the retreat.

This space thrives on openness, curiosity, and shared energy, not orbiting pairs. You’ll still be walking the path side by side. Even if your hands aren’t always joined.

You’re very welcome. You don’t need to bring someone; in exercises etc. we rotate so you’ll not be just by yourself. We strongly advise you to discuss your participation beforehand with your partner(s), and show them the web site. It will allow you to be more present at the Lab and have a better experience all over.

Good question. The Permission Labs are activity trips that include for example mountain hiking. These are real mountain trails at altitude, so a baseline of stamina matters more than fitness level. If you're unsure whether your body and this terrain are a good match, let's talk it through on a call, no need to guess. In any case, you don’t have to be an athlete, the activities are recreational and not competitive. And of course you can skip the longer hikes or have an extended self-time in the accommodation. Please check out the next FAQ item as well.

Very likely yes. Almost nothing here is binary, and "limitations" rarely fit into neat boxes.

On mental health: whether you carry a diagnosis or just recognise pieces of yourself in one, you're welcome as you are, quirks included. The one honest thing worth naming: we're genuinely remote, far from towns, clinics, and doctors. So if there's a real chance you'd need urgent support during an acute episode, let's have a video call before you commit, and if you take medication, bring enough for the week and then some.

On physical limitations: bodies vary enormously, what's demanding for one person is easy for another. I've seen someone hike a mountain trail on one leg, we've had someone with a strong visual impairment reach a summit that was challenging for most of us... and we've had very able-bodied people meet their edge in a yoga class. Rather than draw a hard line, here's the honest picture: the accommodations aren't adapted (unless stated otherwise). Trails can be narrow, the toilet is sometimes a simple outhouse, and reaching the dorm can mean climbing steep, ladder-like stairs. If that still feels like a yes, trust it. If you're unsure how your body and this particular setting fit together, reach out, whether or not that involves a wheelchair, a chronic condition, or anything else.
Either way: if something about your situation makes you hesitate, let's have that conversation. Book a call, or send me a message.

There’s no leadership team at the Labs. No staff, no titles. Just people that are sharing space, care, and presence. I (Klaas) may be the one who started the whole thing and I might be the one sending out the emails, but when the Lab starts, Kim and I simply part of the circle. Just like everyone else. At best, we (and for example a yoga facilitator if there is one) are primi inter pares. So a day might look like this: someone offers a yoga session. Someone else prepares tea. Again someone else helps someone with their blister. Roles are fluid. No one is above or below.

What we do hold, together with the group, is a deep wish for this to be a space where you can arrive with anything and everything that is inside you. A space where no one measures you, and no one pushes you to be more open, more free, more anything than you feel.

Freedom, consent, and boundaries

Here, you are invited to follow your curiosity and perhaps explore something beyond what is familiar to you. And you are just as free to say “no” when something doesn’t feel right. You decide what you participate in, what you share, and where your own limits are.

At the same time, being together with people who are free to be themselves means that you may encounter expressions, choices, or ways of being that are unfamiliar to you, or even make you uncomfortable. Discomfort and a crossed boundary are not necessarily the same thing. Your boundaries determine what happens to you and what you choose to participate in; they do not determine how others are allowed to be.

That is our intention: you are always invited, but never expected. You are responsible for sensing and expressing your own limits, and for honouring the expressed boundaries of others. And within those boundaries, we invite each other to make room for curiosity, difference, and freedom.

We simply hold space, for what wants to happen, in its own time.

When discomfort or triggers surface

The Permission Labs strive to facilitate a state of absence of judgement and to facilitate space holding. This, combined with the fact that at the Lab you are far away from your habitual social, geographical, relational and professional environment, potentially makes it easier for you to drop the masks, express your authenticity (the full spectrum of it, not just the ‘pleasant’ colours) and experiment, without having to dread for the consequences.

The magic happens when you recalibrate your comfort zone and as stated before, the Permission Lab does not want to force you to make that step.

Nevertheless it can happen that you get triggered during the Lab. If that happens, there is no need to ignore or hide it; on the contrary, your expression of being triggered is welcome. It is an invitation for the group to hold space for you and not judge; and at the same time an invitation for you to connect with your feeling and to research what is inside you that caused you to be triggered. This is can be a liberating and transformative experience for you and for the others.

This does certainly not mean that the intention is to trigger you on purpose! But let’s face it, it is impossible to predict who will be triggered by what. Things that pass almost unnoticed for one, trigger (or touch) the other. It is impossible to avoid that some people might be triggered during the Lab experience.

Harm, accountability, and blind spots

I would like to add the following. I try to be very aware of sexism, racism and queer phobia and of how these things traumatise individuals and society as a whole. If a participant expresses themself in a sexist, racist or queer phobic way, the idea is to not judge that participant but rather facilitate them in embodying why a world without sexism, racism and queer phobia is a better place for everybody.

As I said I try to be as aware as I can, and also to be aware of how everybody experiences situations differently. But I am a middle age white European male (and thus member of the most privileged group on this planet) so I have many blind spots and if you feel the urge to point me out to them I encourage you to do so.

No, the Labs are not about sex. And we practice conscious kink without the intention of having sex. Sexual interaction between individuals is fine, as long as it’s consensual and as long as it does not take you away from your share in the household chores ;). However the Labs are not really a suitable place for sex; usually your personal privacy is close to zero anyway. This is not a hunting ground. We don't perform for each other... If you're looking for sex, you'll probably be annoyed here. Better book a TUI trip to Ibiza, you'll get more of it there, and with less hiking.

Usually the Labs offer little personal privacy because of shared bedrooms, shared sanitary facilities etc. If someone likes to sleep naked, they will not undress under the bedsheets, right? And the wellness-elements of the Labs (sauna, hot tub or whatever) are often used unclothed. ‘Clothing is optional’ means just that: clothing is optional. No one forces you to wear clothes and no one forces you to not wear them. It is unlikely that you will be surrounded by naked people all the time at a Lab.