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raymondjpirrellojr · 6 months

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Skiing Sensation: Discovering the Globe's Top Ski Resorts

As the temperatures drop and snow blankets the earth, ski enthusiasts around the world eagerly anticipate the start of the winter season. For those who love the thrill of gliding down snow-covered slopes and the charm of cozy mountain villages, the world's best ski resorts offer the perfect escape. From the majestic peaks of the Alps to the rugged beauty of the Rockies, ski resorts come in all shapes and sizes, each with its unique allure. In this article, we will embark on a tour of some of the world's most remarkable ski destinations, exploring what makes each one special.

The Swiss Alps: St. Moritz - Luxury on Ice

Our journey begins in the heart of the Swiss Alps, where St. Moritz reigns as the epitome of luxury and elegance in the world of skiing. With its long-standing reputation as a playground for the rich and famous, this alpine gem does not disappoint. St. Moritz boasts pristine slopes, guaranteed snow, and a vibrant social scene.

Slopes: St. Moritz offers a variety of terrains, making it suitable for skiers of all levels. From gentle beginner slopes to challenging black runs, there is something for everyone.

Luxury Amenities: The resort's opulent hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, and high-end boutiques cater to visitors with discerning tastes. In St. Moritz, apres-ski is an art form, and the nightlife is as lively as the slopes.

Polo on Ice: If you need a break from the slopes, don't miss the annual St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Ice. This thrilling event combines the excitement of polo with the charm of a frozen lake, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.

The French Alps: Chamonix - Adventure Awaits

Heading west to the French Alps, we arrive in Chamonix, a haven for adventurous skiers and mountaineers. Nestled in the shadow of Mont Blanc, Chamonix offers breathtaking scenery and adrenaline-pumping terrain.

Off-Piste Paradise: Chamonix is famous for its extensive off-piste opportunities. The Vallee Blanche, a legendary off-piste route, takes skiers on a 20-kilometer journey through awe-inspiring glacial landscapes.

Mountaineering: Beyond skiing, Chamonix is renowned for mountaineering. Climbers from around the world come to conquer Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak. The town itself exudes a vibrant, bohemian atmosphere that appeals to adventure seekers.

Cosmopolitan Charm: Chamonix's picturesque streets are lined with cozy cafes, stylish boutiques, and alpine chalets. The town's blend of cosmopolitan charm and rugged outdoor adventures make it a must-visit destination.

Austrian Alps: St. Anton - A Snow Lover's Paradise

Nestled in the Austrian Alps, St. Anton is a charming resort town that is famous for its excellent snow conditions and lively après-ski scene.

Snow Reliability: With an average annual snowfall of over 7 meters, St. Anton is a snow lover's dream. The resort's extensive network of slopes is impeccably maintained, ensuring that you'll always find pristine conditions.

Après-Ski Culture: St. Anton's après-ski scene is legendary. Skiers and snowboarders gather in cozy huts and lively bars to celebrate a day on the slopes. The Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh are two iconic après-ski spots not to be missed.

Ski Circus: St. Anton is part of the vast Arlberg ski area, which connects several resorts and offers nearly 300 kilometers of slopes. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll find a multitude of options here.

The Canadian Rockies: Banff - A Wilderness Wonderland

Leaving the European Alps behind, we journey to the Canadian Rockies, where Banff stands as a testament to the untamed beauty of North America's wilderness.

Natural Beauty: Banff is set in a national park, offering stunning views of emerald lakes, jagged peaks, and vast forests. The surrounding landscape is an adventure playground, making it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.

World-Class Skiing: Banff is home to three world-class ski resorts: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Norquay. Together, they offer an impressive array of slopes, catering to skiers of all skill levels.

Year-Round Delights: While Banff is best known for its winter activities, it's also a year-round destination. In the summer, you can explore the hiking trails, go wildlife watching, or simply relax in the pristine natural surroundings.

Rocky Mountains, USA: Aspen - Where Glamour Meets the Mountains

Our journey through the world's best ski resorts wouldn't be complete without a visit to Aspen, Colorado. Known for its glitz and glamour, Aspen combines world-class skiing with a sophisticated mountain town.

Skiing for Everyone: The four mountains in the Aspen/Snowmass area offer a range of terrain suitable for beginners and experts alike. From wide-groomed runs to challenging backcountry, Aspen has it all.

Cultural Richness: Beyond the slopes, Aspen is a cultural hub with a vibrant arts scene. The Wheeler Opera House and the Aspen Art Museum are venues where you can enjoy world-class performances and exhibitions.

Après-Ski Elegance: In the evenings, the town comes alive with a multitude of upscale restaurants, trendy bars, and exclusive clubs. Aspen's après-ski scene is an unforgettable blend of mountain charm and cosmopolitan elegance.

Whether you seek the glamour of St. Moritz, the adventure of Chamonix, the snow reliability of St. Anton, the wilderness of Banff, or the sophistication of Aspen, the world's best ski resorts offer something for every winter enthusiast. Each destination has its unique character, blending breathtaking landscapes with diverse activities and experiences. So, when the snow begins to fall, pack your ski gear and embark on a journey to explore these winter wonderlands, where the magic of the mountains awaits. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a novice, these resorts promise memories that will last a lifetime in the enchanting embrace of snow and slopes.

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dustedmagazine · 2 years

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Dust Volume 8, Number 4

OHYUNG

Is this normal? After two years of upheaval, the world seems to finding equilibrium again, at least if you squint to avoid looking too hard at what’s going on in Ukraine. So we’re going out again on the regular, wearing masks (and you should, too), but otherwise like always, and oh my, are a lot of bands out on the road these days. A lot of them are putting out records, too, and as usual, we make an attempt to catch up with Dust, our monthly collection of short reviews. Read here for our take on country covers and Italian punk, crusty black metal and cosmic metal, improvisatory collaborations and fresh interpretations of music from farflung cultures. Contributors this time included Tim Clarke, Justin Cober-Lake, Jonathan Shaw, Bryon Hayes, Bill Meyer, Jennifer Kelly and Chris Liberato.

Caleb Dailey — Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings: Beside You Then (Alien Transistor / Moone)

Warm Evenings, Pale Mornings: Beside You Then by Caleb Dailey

Moone Records boss Caleb Dailey worked on this collection of covers of old country songs with some notable musicians, including Deerhoof’s John Dieterich, Nicholas Krgovich, and Kyle Field (Little Wings). At eight tracks clocking in at just over half an hour, it’s a short and lovingly rendered collection that rambles charmingly, featuring songs originally written by a range of country-rock luminaries, including Gram Parsons, Gordon Lightfoot and Blaze Foley. Even if you’re not familiar with the originals, all the songs sound appropriately well-worn and comforting, giving the listener space and reassurance to nestle in their melancholy. Dailey keeps things at a woozy, syrup-thick tempo, his low voice sounding like a 45rpm record accidentally played at 33 1/3. Though the songs unfurl slowly and simply, there’s plenty of space to weave hypnotic details into the mix. Early standout “Brass Buttons” swirls with lap steel, banjo and harmonium behind Dailey’s lackadaisically strummed acoustic guitar. “Dreaming My Dreams With You” features sparkling vibraphone over thick beds of organ and bass, and “If You Could Read My Mind” pulses with distant cosmic synths. Then, on closer “If I Could Only Fly,” featuring plaintive lead vocals from The Notwist’s Markus Acher, the album achieves lift-off amid a storm cloud of distortion, followed by a restatement of the song’s theme on piano by Dailey’s mum. Lovely.

Tim Clarke

Deaf Lingo — Lingonberry (Lövely)

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Italy's Deaf Lingo returns for their second album with as much energy as ever. The punk rockers add some increased melodicism to Lingonberry compared to their initial releases, but they haven't slowed anything down. After a heavier intro, single “Push It” has drifts toward skate punk as vocalist Sandro Specchia rants in favor of laziness. The track's irony lies not just in its decidedly not-lazy tempo, but also in its resistance. While the cut might ostensibly be about doing nothing, it considers that inaction as a form of resistance. Much of the album follows in this line, pairing a few different punk and alt-rock styles with concerns about disaffection or alienation. The group sounds its best when it leans into its poppier influences, but it would benefit — especially on its brighter tunes — from more separation in its production. The sound gets just a little muddier than suits the songs. Even so, Deaf Lingo feels like a band on its way up, catching its songwriting groove and finding its way with growing assurance.

Justin Cober-Lake

Feral Light — Psychic Contortions (I, Voidhanger)

Psychic Contortions by FERAL LIGHT

At its best, Feral Light’s new LP Psychic Contortions recalls the tuneful, crusty black metal of that terrific demo from Loss of Self that circulated about a decade ago, or the most blackened and melodic moments in Nux Vomica’s epic crust anthems. All of which suggests — accurately so — that Feral Light isn’t writing or playing anything particularly ground-breaking on this record, but the Minneapolis-based duo does this sort of thing quite well. See “Wells of Blackness,” which may have a title that’s just a little bit on the nose; it also has a riff with just enough roil, and crusty production that coats the music with just enough grime. The band has been kicking around since 2015, and Psychic Contortions is by far the best record they’ve released. “Self Disavow” might be the band’s best song, yearning and crunching in equal measure, and given over to intemperate spells of blasting intensity. If you like some blackened ash in your crust, give this a spin.

Jonathan Shaw

High Alpine Hut Network — 727/16 (Ansible Editions)

727 / 16 by High Alpine Hut Network

The Toronto-based Idée Fixe imprint has spun off a sister label. With a name originating in science fiction, Ansible Editions is true to its mission to explore the jazz cosmos and adjacent sonic galaxies. The imprint launched with an introductory batch of three editions, and this pair of tracks from High Alpine Hut Network is certainly the most cosmic of the lot. Comprising multi-instrumentalists Christopher Shannon, Benjamin Pullia and Jason Bhattacharya, this trio explores the intersection of Berlin school kosmische, deep house and jazz-infected hard funk. For this, their debut effort, HAHN enlisted the help of friends. The collaborative roster includes pianist Robin Hatch, Tobin Hopwood on guitar, percussionists Lauren Runions and Nathan Vanderwielen and the lush reeds of Joseph Shabason. “727” is a voyage that originates in the cosmos before strutting into electric Miles territory and eventually landing in the club. The snaky “16” is a bass-forward affair, bolstered by Hopwood’s limber guitar exorcisms and a propulsive percussive pulse. Overall HAHN keeps it exciting and extraterrestrial, a winning combination.

Bryon Hayes

Instruments Of Happiness — Slow, Quiet Music In Search Of Electric Happiness (Redshift)

Slow, Quiet Music in Search of Electric Happiness by Instruments of Happiness

Sometimes, the times catch up with you. Tim Brady of Montreal has been working with guitar ensembles of carrying sizes for nearly forty years, culminating in a production in 2014 entitled, Instruments of Happiness — 100 Guitares Électriques. Four years on, he had an economizing notion: why not put four guitarists in a large, reverberant space, and let the room do some of the work? Brady and three other guitarists — Jonathan Barriault, Simon Duchesne, and Francis Brunet-Tucotte — presented the first performance of this four-piece sequence of roughly quarter hour-long, commissioned pieces in a Montreal church in February, 2020. Obviously, follow-up performances were not an immediate option, but what better year than 2020 to record a small number of spread-out musicians? It’s kind of a shame that the music couldn’t be made immediately available, because folks enduring cabin fever might have found comfort in the quartet’s evocations of expansiveness. E-bow elongations and a seven-second digital delay, which duplicates the original space’s echo, impart a sonic experience that corresponds to the album cover image of the eventual meeting of ocean and cloud cover.

Bill Meyer

Interesting Hobbies Club — Spring Cleaning (Self-Released)

Spring Cleaning by Interesting Hobbies Club

It's not entirely clear what would qualify as an interesting hobby, but I’m guessing that day drinking, buying too many records on Bandcamp Friday and jogging the occasional 5K would not. Perhaps forming a florid, emotionally stirring indie rock band would make the cut, perhaps not, but these four LA musicians have been at it, regardless, for two albums now. And why not? Their second, Spring Cleaning (the first was recorded as Zero Degree), spins in indolent circles, a slow rock jangle lit up by the near-operatic tenor of front person Jules Caspole, who swoops and wails and roars in a volatile, vibrato-laced timbre. The songs this time are tinged with reminiscence, the best “One Year Ago Today,” a country-rocking lament for the girl that got away. Caspole sings ruefully of finding an old photograph of a live-in lover, prompting memories of domestic pleasures: cooking together, planting a garden, dancing in the backyard. The band twangs and rollicks in two-stepping time, and the whole thing puts a gloss on ordinary life that seems a little brighter, a little more meaningful than it usually is. “Middle of the 110” likewise throws a bolt of electricity into an indie rock shuffle, letting concentrated feeling lift it out of the ordinary.

Jennifer Kelly

Kostnatení — Ohen Horí Tam, Kde Padl (Mystíkaos)

Oheň hoří tam, kde padl by Kostnatění

We are told that D. Lyons, sole member of Kostnatení, has created this record by adapting traditional Turkish folk songs for dissonant, lush and very effective black metal arrangements. Knowing nothing about Turkish folk music, this reviewer cannot comment on the veracity of the claim, nor can he opine on the nature of the tribute or obscenity these musical renditions have brought into the world. But taken on its face, this is a terrific record. The playing is supple and forceful, the tunes are weirding earworms, the sensibility and scale of things somehow mystical and grand. To be sure, there’s something interesting, if perverse, about using black metal to interpret the folk traditions of a nation that has experienced such volatile relations to religious faith — to say nothing of black metal’s more customary deployments by seriously pale dudes with even more serious investments in the lore of northern whiteness (Viking metal, anyone?). This, by marked contrast, is the black metal of the Global South, played by a guy last located by the internet in Tennessee. Say what? Beats me. Play the music.

Jonathan Shaw

James Krivchenia — Blood Karaoke (Reading Group)

Blood Karaoke by James Krivchenia

Though you can hear clear links between the music of Big Thief and recent solo albums by frontwoman Adrianne Lenker and guitarist Buck Meek, drummer and producer James Krivchenia’s solo music is another matter altogether. Like having dozens of internet browser tabs open at once and switching randomly between them to sample whatever music might happen to be playing at the time, Blood Karaoke is a disorientating, bewildering and occasionally very funny listen. The easiest comparison is probably Oneohtrix Point Never, as the sounds of experimental electronica, vaporwave, and nu-metal collide, occasionally derailed by daft passages of yacht rock, smooth jazz or easy listening. It’s all very cleverly put together and can, at times, introduce moments of unexpected beauty and tenderness. However, as a front-to-back listening experience, it’s likely to leave you feeling a little frazzled and insane.

Tim Clarke

Nyles Lannon — Pressure (Badman)

PRESSURE by Nyles Lannon

Nyles Lannon played with Film School in the early aughts and has made several highly regarded solo albums, including Chemical Friends, named best folktronica album of 2004 by SF Weekly. Pressure was originally released in 2007; here Badman celebrates its 15th birthday with an expanded, remastered version with the tracks remixed to Lannon’s specifications (he never liked the original version). Not having heard Pressure the first time around, it’s hard to say how much the alterations helped, but this is a very good album of mostly acoustic indie folk-pop. Lannon’s voice is high and gentle, not too different from Elliott Smith, the mood bittersweet and the guitar/electronic accompaniments unassumingly pretty. “Better with Nothing” eddies and swirls around a melancholic melody, its pace quickened by scratchy, shaken percussion, its contours defined by bright, lucid guitar lines. A little bell rattles at the bridge as fuzz guitars spin off into psychedelic inquiry, the drama flares, then Lannon pulls it all back into the kind of tune you sing to yourself on rainy days just because.

Jennifer Kelly

OHYUNG — imagine naked! (NNA Tapes)

imagine naked! by OHYUNG

Asian-American artist OHYUNG generously presents the receptive listener with nearly two hours of sparse, reflective ambient music on imagine naked! Mostly conceived and created across a single 72-hour period, the album is book-ended by 15-minute opener “my torn cuticles!” and 37-minute closer “releases like gloves!” Based on its duration alone, the album does feel like quite a commitment. However, step inside these welcoming musical environments and feel time slip away as the album’s unifying aesthetic becomes cumulatively transportive. Occasionally there are hints of Aphex Twin’s early records (“to fill the quiet!”), Satie’s minimal piano works (“yes my weeping frame!”), and Eno’s process-based experiments, such as Discreet Music. The album certainly fits Eno’s specification that ambient be “as ignorable as it is interesting” — play imagine naked! in the background, and let it gently color your mood, or don some headphones, listen closely, and become lulled by the music’s hypnotic repetition and deeply grained textures.

Tim Clarke

Sote — Majestic Noise Made in Beautiful Rotten Iran (Sub Rosa)

Majestic Noise Made in Beautiful Rotten Iran by Sote

Iranian producer Ata Ebtekar composes in two different modalities. His electroacoustic constructions incorporate sounds from the traditional instruments of his homeland. Alternatively, he eschews acoustic instrumentation to focus on electronic synthesis itself. Majestic Noise Made in Beautiful Rotten Iran falls into the latter category, although the sheer physicality of the music belies its purely electronic origins. Mined from the same vein as 2020’s MOSCELS, this album is full of highly visceral, almost aggressive sounds modeled in clouds of electrons. Opener “Forced Absence” features the assault of machine gun percussion and collapsing clockwork mechanisms on unsuspecting string arpeggios that resemble harp strums. The urgent, almost video game-like rhythm of “I’m Trying But I Can’t Reach You Father” appears to originate from an orchestra of baroque instruments. That track’s successor, the gentle yet emotional “Life,” emulates a string quartet robbed of all its bows. Majestic Noise Made in Beautiful Rotten Iran is Ebtekar’s most personal collection of material thus far. He’s asking us to endure both the majesty and the noise that lie at its core. This is a challenge that’s worth accepting.

Bryon Hayes

The Web of Lies — Nude with Demon (Wrong Speed)

Nude With Demon by The Web of Lies

For better — and, in one instance, for worse — on Nude with Demon, Edwin Stevens and Neil Robinson pull moves that you don’t quite expect them to pull. The Scottish duo let their garage groove swing like a pendulum on “Receiver,” summoning the spirits of LAMPS and A-Frames, but they gussy the sound up with sly, folk-rock half-licks. Now we know what that sounds like, you’ll catch yourself thinking, and you’ll be damned: it works. As does “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” which chugs along like Spacemen 3 towards a tunnel through which it doesn’t quite fit. When someone finally yanks the emergency brake, it’s already much, much too late, and the track scratches, scrapes and squeals towards a comically slow halt lasting a full couple of minutes. It’s not the metaphorical train driver I want to go back in time and shake awake, then, given the chance; it’s whoever voted the throwaway “Best Friend” onto the album’s track list. Batting in the cleanup spot, the otherwise innocuous Silver Apples-style ditty stops the record’s momentum dead in its, ahem, tracks, as one bestie answers the other’s mumbled monotone call by repeating the title phrase, ad nauseam, in a cartoonish car horn voice that’s frankly exhausting. Luckily, the one tune is not enough to derail the album as a whole, which nonetheless has the potential to become a favorite of the year, for those who like to smile and nod along to the sounds of loud, off-kilter guitars and humans doing their thing.

Chris Liberato

Wet Tuna — Warping All by Yourself (Three-Lobed)

Warping All By Yourself by Wet Tuna

Matt Valentine’s space grooves take on more of an organic texture in Warping All by Yourself, at least compared to the wigged-out electronics of 2019’s Water Weird. “Raw Food” arises out of the sound of waves, then shuffles off in a twilight meadow hum, electric guitars sparking wild sprays of sonic color into a lulling haze. “Ain’t No Turning Back,” is funkier, faster and more playful, a bit of Zappa in its out there zings and blurts and pulses, a touch of Royal Trux in its nodding, dissolving choruses. “Sweet Chump Change,” bumps and rolls like a 1970s jazz-funk-fusion epic transported somehow to the fertile hollows of rural New England. Everything spirals in a dizzying, cosmic way, but nothing rushes. You could be here all week without moving. Valentine works mostly alone, bringing in acid folk compatriots like Samara Lubelski, Mick Flower, Doc Dunn and (his partner) Erika Elder for communal touches, but essentially following his own spirit through classic rock, soul, kosmiche music and funk. The whole experience seems like one of those changling folk tales, where if you eat the food, even a little bit, you’ll stay in the enchanted woods forever.

Jennifer Kelly

Joe Williamson / Dennis Egberth — The Great Escape Plan (Tilting Converter)

Joe Williamson Dennis Egberth - The Great Escape Plan by Joe Williamson Dennis Egberth

When escape is the plan, it behooves the planner to avoid notice. This runs counter to the motivation for many musicians, which is to make sure that the audience’s neck and ears are craned in their direction. The tension between this intentions is the crux of encounter between two Stockholm-based musicians, percussionist Dennis Egberth and double bassist Joe Williamson. It is a studio recording, so the players’ needs for attention had to be met by each other. Their readiness to listen is evident though-out the album’s two vinyl-sized sections (titled, appropriately, “Plan A” and “Plan B”), and it contributes to the complementarity of these performances. Each muted cymbal tap, sizzling brush strike, thwack of the bass’ body or rustle of its bow is the punctuating gesture that completes what the other man plays. Hints of melody and rhythm arise discretely from constellations of mutating sound, like departing parties sticking their heads up to see if the coast is clear.

Bill Meyer

Eri Yamamoto, Chad Fowler, William Parker, Steve Hirsh — Sparks (Mahakala)

Sparks by Eri Yamamoto, Chad Fowler, William Parker, Steve Hirsh

These four musicians had never played all together before, and they made no plans about where their collaboration would go or what it would sound like once they convened in a room, post-COVID, in New York City. Yamamoto, the classically trained pianist steeped in improvisatory jazz, had worked with bassist Willam Parker before. Chad Fowler, the reedist and proprietor of Mahakala records, has played in a variety of configurations with drummer Steve Hirsh. They call what they’re doing “improvised folk music,” but, really, it’s four skilled practitioners listening hard, finding synchonicity, then careening away from that accord into a wholly new set of considerations. It’s a wild ride, sometimes pensive and beautiful, with sweet, well-considered piano chords framed by bowed and plucked bass reverberations, sometimes turbulent and quick, drums kicking up furious eddies of swirling dust, saxello blowing wildly over the top. None of these principals are averse to finding the still, beautiful center, in long haunting sax tones or vibrating throbs of bass, but nor are they afraid to catch the exhilarating edge of chaos, hammering, squealing, thumping, pounding to stay on top of the wave. How beautiful is it then, when Yamamoto’s clear liquid runs of piano tumble over the rough tumult of Hirsh’s skittering, striated layers of percussion in “Taiko” or when Fowler’s saxophone swaggers across a punch-drunk melody in “Sparks,” peeling back a pristine tone to see what’s raw and ugly underneath. Sparks fly, indeed.

Jennifer Kelly

Young Guv — Guv III (Run for Cover)

GUV III by Young Guv

Radiant power pop a la Teenage Fanclub, Guv III careens in trebly sweet tunefulness over spiked and raucous guitar work. Guv proprietor Ben Cook wrote this first of two COVID-era albums in the New Mexican desert, surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Yet the songs burst like Sour Patch candies with acid-sweetness. Guitars slash with New Wave swagger in “It’s Only Dancing” and pace with coiled Nick Lowe-ish tension in “Only Want to See U tonight,” as giddy pop vocals swirl and eddy around their contours. I’ve been listening to Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend lately for no reason whatsoever, and this is in the same power pop family, soft and hard, yearning and joyful at the same time.

Jennifer Kelly

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businessweekme · 6 years

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Mountaineering in Slovenia

The first time I met Slovenian mountaineer Ales Cesen, we were snowshoeing across an ice cap in Iceland, about 2,000 miles from his native country.

It was only October, but winter had come early that year, and the climate was particularly dour, even by local standards. Unhindered by the mist and hail, Cesen made just one noise: a rhythmic slooping sound as his feet dragged along the glacier. Perhaps it was his hiker’s stoicism. Or maybe he was just peeved about the weather.

I’d been in Reykjavik on business when an old friend and seasoned expedition leader, Siggi Bjarni Sveinsson, invited me to explore the country’s southerly expanse of volcanoes and glaciers. I was lured by the promise of new adventures but unprepared to share them with such a veteran climber. I could barely keep up.

We paused when the wind subsided, and Cesen’s wife, Polona, exhumed a plastic package from her rucksack: a bag of hermetically sealed doughnuts, like the ones you find at the gas station that will survive the apocalypse, and we qualified our shared sweet tooth indulgence as “cultural exchange.” Cesen abstained, and as he blazed ahead to explore a fissure forged by the cataclysmic eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull back in 2010, Sveinsson signaled for me to pause. He leaned in and said in his aspirated Icelandic accent: “You know, Ales is—how do you Americans say it? Ah, yes—a ‘big f—ing deal.’ ”

This was 2016. Cesen was on a survey mission in Iceland hoping to understand what sparked the country’s tourism ascendancy and figure out how to replicate it back home. In many ways, the Slovenia of today bears striking similarities to the Iceland of a few years ago: There are vast expanses of uncorrupted nature to explore, freshly farmed meals to enjoy, a population of kind and indomitable souls, and a paucity of visitors.

That’s why Cesen decided to create Midgard Experience, a customised trekking outfit and mountaineering academy for all levels that opened in June. His goal is twofold: first, to devise a series of technical courses that can initiate hikers into the impenetrable-seeming world of alpinism. And second, to turn his native Slovenia into the latest must-visit adventure destination—the next Iceland.

A view of Slovenia’s Julian Alps from Jasna Lake

In Slovenia, Cesen, 36, could best be described as climbing royalty. His father, Tomo Cesen, is an acclaimed mountaineer known for his solo ascents of several perilous peaks in the Alps and Himalayas in the 1980s. The southeasterly passage to the summit of K2—the world’s second-highest mountain and a significantly more difficult climb than Everest—is called the Cesen Route in his honour.

Ales has since become the torchbearer for his family’s shared climbing passion. Polona, also 36, is an accomplished climber in her own right; they’ve even named their eldest son Rok. In 2015, Cesen won a Piolet d’Or—the Academy Awards of alpinism—for completing the first ascent of the north face of Hagshu in the Indian Himalayas with fellow Slovenians Luka Lindic and Marko Prezelj. And, among other honours, the Alpine Association of Slovenia, a conglomeration of 285 smaller climbing and hiking societies, recognised him as mountaineer of the year in 2017.

The next time I see Cesen, it’s one year later to the day. He’s working out the final logistics of his adventure climbing outfit and has invited me to spend some time in Slovenia to give his new alpinism product a trial run. As I touch down amid a sharp crown of peaks near Ljubljana, the country’s capital, I realise that the small international airport is positioned on what must be the country’s only strip of flat terrain. The craggy geography explains the cult of climbing that exists in Slovenia—think of it like California’s branded surfing lifestyle but at 8,000 feet above sea level.

The Alpine Association of Slovenia is the country’s largest nongovernmental organisation. An affiliate of the Olympic team, it has more than 57,000 registered members. That’s roughly 2.9 percent of the nation’s 2 million inhabitants. Each year the association leverages a margin of its profits, and about 29,000 volunteer hours, to maintain 10,000-plus kilometres of trails and a network of 181 bivouacs and mountain shelters. Last year it collected €21 million ($24.4 million) from guided hikes, canteen purchases, and bunk accommodations, not including the taxes and revenue from private enterprises such as Cesen’s.

In his new role as founder and private expedition leader for Midgard Experience, Cesen is an unofficial ambassador for the Julian Alps who’s memorised each crest and crag of the range, similar to the way we intrinsically know every wrinkle and scar on our own bodies. He’s not ebullient by American standards, but he’s warm and welcoming during an introductory hike along the shores of Bled, a glacial lake famed for the spire of the Church of St. Martin that seemingly floats in its middle.

As we stamp our way up to lookout points and hidden waterfalls, I prod for insights about what physical challenges we’ll tackle in the days ahead, but really it’s Cesen who’s sussing me out, gauging my abilities and interests to tailor a mountaineering experience that will push me just far enough outside my comfort zone. At the end of the day, Polona, who came on the hike, insists on a group selfie before popping open the trunk of their Peugeot and unveiling some cultural exchange—a tray of intricate, homemade petits fours, which we inhale.

The next day, Cesen leads me on my first technical climb. He chooses a towering rock face in the nearby Kamnik Alps, a sparsely visited collection of ridges along the Austrian border where he and his alpinist peers ready themselves for Himalayan expeditions. The look of it is daunting for a beginner like me: It’s 8,000 feet high and fully vertical to the naked eye, with teeny ledges to rest your legs spaced 30 feet apart.

With little ado, harnesses are latched, helmets adjusted, and ropes unfurled; then we steadily hoist ourselves from ledge to ledge, inching farther above the Technicolour tree line. Each lift of the leg is a riddle that needs solving. Finding suitable footholds and finger grips in a sheer cliff is like putting together a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Cesen leads the way with ease, a loose rope connecting the two of us like a mobile belay—or the mountaineering equivalent of training wheels. Exerting little or no effort at all, he inserts spring-loaded cams into stone crevices to create a system of hooks for our safety ropes. His first lessons come quickly and cover three critical skills: spotting unlikely grooves and fissures in the stone, trusting one’s instincts, and learning to play the mountain like a game of chess. With the latter, I realise that mountaineering is as much a feat of mental endurance as it is physical exertion. You have to appreciate the gravity (literally) of each move while setting yourself up for a successful path ahead. Gradually, Cesen loosens our link, creating distance between us and testing my newfound ability. Slowly and carefully I build a sequence of steps and grips together—a “rock ballet,” as Cesen calls it. And as the ground rapidly peels away from me, I realise this isn’t merely a guided climb, but a master class led by the Daniel Day-Lewis of mountaineering.

We reach our first crest around midday and follow a thin dragon’s tail of stone toward a second, higher peak. By the end of the afternoon we reach the summit, a craggy moonscape freckled by snow puddles and alpine moss. Our reward is an extended overnight break at a small but surprisingly modernist bivouac cabin—it’s almost Scandinavian in style, built from blond wood and geometric panes of weatherproof glass. Inside, five ergonomically designed beds extend from the walls, each lined with a thin, yoga mat-like pad. A weathered journal sits on the table by the door containing the scrawled signatures—Slovenian, mostly—of other tired climbers who’ve overnighted in the hut.

With the warm setting sun still gleaming, we enjoy our packed provisions on the smooth shale outside: creamy farm cheese from a dairy near Bled, homemade prosciutto cured along the Italian border, and morsels of a decadent chocolate cake that (unsurprisingly, by now) Polona had packed for us. Cesen briefly breaks the silence between chews: “I can tell that you belong in nature,” he says. His words, though characteristically succinct, feel like the most gratifying compliment I’ve ever received. Exhausted but beaming with pride, I stare thousands of feet down the valley and take in my accomplishment.

Cesen doing what he does best.

Today, Cesen’s exclusive adventure outfit is fully operational. The private three-day, two-night itineraries are custom-tailored and start at €980 per person including overnight accommodations and instructional guiding. Whether he’s taking guests on advanced ascents along the north face of the Julians, setting on multiday treks through the Valley of Seven Lakes, or practicing rock climbing techniques at the arcing walls of Crni Kal, Cesen imbues each trip with a sincere passion for nature and sport. Intentionally or not, he’s also succeeded at something the travel industry often struggles to achieve: bridging authenticity and adventure.

“Why is it that when it comes to conquering a mountain, most travellers sign up for factory-fare treks like the Kilimanjaro parade or the overcrowded Inca Trail?” I wonder aloud to Cesen, recalling when I visited Machu Picchu and witnessed a zombielike flood of hikers pouring through the legendary ruin’s Sun Gate.

“It’s a bit like faking romance in a brothel,” he replies, deriding the prevailing trend of these so-called checklist climbs. If he’s successful, Cesen says, he’ll supplant travellers’ desires to summit Everest with the gratification of mastering an intimidating (but surprisingly accessible) adventure sport.

Currently, Bled and its sister lake, Bohinj, get the lion’s share of Slovenia’s international traffic—mostly from tourists who trundle through on bus tours and assume the twin lakes are the country’s only drawing card. Holidaying Slovenians, however, take to the Alps, where Cesen’s operation is based. Ascending Triglav, the country’s highest peak, is like joining these locals on a rite of passage; roughly 60,000 nationals overnight in the scatter of mountain huts there each year.

Being an alpinist and being Slovenian are two sides of the same coin. Undoubtedly, this propensity for fitness and nature has played a role in the country’s high standards of living. (Slovenia regularly ranks toward the top of the Global Peace Index.) It certainly explains why Slovenia claims 759 registered professional climbers—the highest number per capita on the global competitive circuit—and 13 of the coveted Piolet d’Ors awarded in the last 26 years.

It turns out that Slovenia, much like Ales, is—how do you say it?—ah, yes, a big f—ing deal.

The post Mountaineering in Slovenia appeared first on Bloomberg Businessweek Middle East.

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#Travel #mountaineering #Slovenia #vacations

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jakecarson90 · 3 years

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⁣ Canon EOS 250D | 24mm | 1/60s | f/18 | ISO 100⁣ Taken on 09/07/2020.⁣ ⁣ A world of lofty peaks, snow, sunshine, green fields and flowers—Mother Nature has been extraordinarily generous with the Aosta Valley!⁣ ⁣ There is often a tendency to mention only the region's highest peaks – Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and the Gran Paradiso – thus giving the impression that this is an area reserved for expert climbers only.⁣ ⁣ But in fact, the Aosta Valley offers a whole host of opportunities for those who enjoy hiking in the mountains. An extensive network of paths and mule-tracks link the adjoining valleys, allowing hikers to reach the numerous alpine lakes, mountain pastures and mountain huts, as well as to visit the Gran Paradiso National Park – where I took this superb photo 📷 – the Mont Avic Regional Park, nature reserves and botanic gardens.⁣ ⁣ Hiking through the Gran Paradiso National Park allowed me to enjoy the wonderful fresh air – especially in the summer when temperatures can reach unbearable levels in the plain – and the spectacle of a magnificent natural landscape.⁣ ⁣ Of course, the 300 or so kilometres of the Aosta Valley's Alte Vie high mountain trails are perfect for discovering everything the mountain environment has to offer: walking along the ancient paths that cross the region with your rucksack on your back is a thrilling adventure!⁣ ⁣ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:⁣ ⁣ You can get to Aosta from Turin, Chivasso and Ivrea by train. Then catch the 'SVAP' bus to Cogne from the bus station in Aosta.⁣ ⁣ Valnontey is around 45 minutes from Cogne on foot, though there are free shuttle buses running during the peak ski season and summer months.⁣ ______________________________________⁣ ⁣ #Valnontey #Cogne #Aosta #ValledAosta #MountainsAreCalling #GranParadiso #NationalPark #Italia #Italy #Forest #ValléedAoste #IgersAosta #VolgoAosta #VolgoItalia #Raw_Italy #Italy_Illife #IgersItalia #WeWillTravelAgain #LonelyPlanet #AostaImmagina #RoadToValledAosta #Aosta_Valley_Pics #AostaImmaginiEmozioni #LoveVDA #ItalyTravel #TravelGreen #NationalGeographic #ItalianSummer #PositiveVibes #LiveLifeToTheFullest (at Valnontey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVAswTlKRq/?igshid=4vsifzj0ry29

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architectnews · 4 years

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University of Stuttgart builds prototype thatched Alpine hut

The University of Stuttgart has designed SkinOver Reed, a thatched hut in the Austrian Alps, as part of its research into renewable materials that can be used in high-altitude Alpine regions.

A team from the university's institute for building materials (IBBTE) developed the hut, which has been shortlisted in the small building category for Dezeen Awards 2020, for the German Alpine Club (DAV) as an experiment to test the capabilities of thatch as an alternative building material to typical Alpine structures.

Top: the hut is located in the mountainous Vorarlberg region. Above: thatch was used for both the roof and sides

"We found out that building skins in Alpine architecture are either stone, concrete, metal or wood," architect and lecturer Anke Wollbrink told Dezeen.

"DAV asked us if we could research or imagine an alternative, renewable material to meet their standards and especially their climate goals."

The material can be "almost analog to concrete"

It built the hut in Vorarlberg, Austria in August 2019, after two years of research and project development, on top of an existing stone foundation.

"We rediscovered the material thatch, which allows for a very three-dimensional design, almost analogue to concrete," Wollbrink said.

"This fascinated us right away and led to further research and the idea of building a prototype thatched envelope. We also researched contemporary thatch architecture and found beautiful strong examples in France, Denmark and Sweden."

Students and craftsmen built the hut together

Reed was used for both the facade and roof cladding of the SkinOver Reed hut in Vorarlberg, Austria, creating a monolithic design that was built by craftsmen and students working together.

The IBBTE team chose to work with thatch, as it is a traditional and environmentally-friendly way of building houses that uses reeds to waterproof and insulate roofs.

"It is a sustainable, renewable, carbon-neutral resource and seems to be a perfect alternative renewable material for the building envelope: rapid growth, short process chain with low energy demand and emissions, perfect life cycle, no pollutants, and proved over generations," Wollbrink said.

"At the end of life reed is compostable and closes the material life cycle."

SkinOver Reed is located at an altitude of 2,600 metres

The hut is used to supply water to the nearby Mannheimer Hut, a restaurant and rest stop for hikers, and the IBBTE team is recoding how the material copes with the harsh local conditions.

"Weather conditions on 2,600 metres altitude are challenging, and the small building has been covered with snow for about nine months, but generally the material looked good after the first winter," Wollbrink said.

"In the long term, we plan periodic and permanent measurements to gain more knowledge of appropriateness and ageing."

Other recent architectural projects in the Alps include Network of Architecture's Ötzi Peak 3251 viewing platform and Studio Seilern Architects' restaurant perched on the top of Mount Gütsch.

Project credits:

Project partner: Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Baustofflehre, Bauphysik, Gebäudetechnologie und Entwerfen (IBBTE) Bundesverband des Deutschen Alpenvereins (DAV), Ressort Hütten und Wege Sektion Mannheim des Deutschen Alpenvereins (DAV) Weichert Reetbedachungen & Ökobau, Berlin Zimmerei Müller, Brand CUBO Architektur & Baumanagement, Thüringen Project team: IBBTE – Armin Kammer, Anke Wollbrink and students of the seminar course SkinOver Technical support reed: HISS REET Schilfrohrhandel, Bad Oldesloe

The post University of Stuttgart builds prototype thatched Alpine hut appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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j0sgomez-blog · 5 years

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Anna Garofalo on the final day trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps.

By Michael Lanza

Can travel “change your life?” How many experiences have such an enormous impact? I can name several that shifted my perspective, or expanded how I view the world and other people. Exploring the surreal landscapes of Iceland and Patagonia. Walking among Earth’s highest mountains in Nepal, through remote villages where people live much as their ancestors did for centuries. Immersing myself in the mountain culture on hut treks in the Alps like the Tour du Mont Blanc (photo above). And seeing unforgettable places like Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, Italy’s Dolomites, and Alaska’s Glacier Bay through the unclouded eyes of my kids.

Our earliest and sometimes most inspirational experiences usually happen within our own national borders, and often close to where we grew up or live. (That was the case for me on a bicycle tour with two buddies in our home state when we were 19.) And without question, several U.S. national parks deserve a spot on any list of the world’s must-see destinations, among them the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, Zion, and the Everglades—not to mention several parks in Alaska, where you can see the breadth of wildlife that once existed all over the planet.

But there’s something about traveling abroad that puts everything you see, hear, and touch under a magnifying glass. Everything is exotic. People talk and think differently. Culture is alien, history a refreshingly new collection of stories.

Blend those elements into a hike through mountains you’ve never seen before, or paddling pristine waters, and you have the formula for an experience that does alter our perception of the world and our place in it. Take a child on a trip like that and you may actually reroute the trajectory of a young person’s life—very much for the better.

Click on any photo in the gallery below to scroll through the photo viewer.

This article describes 15 international adventures I’ve taken from Europe to Asia and New Zealand, plus a couple of “bonus” trips in the U.S. and Canada: sea kayaking Alaska’s Glacier Bay and backpacking the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park, in the Canadian Rockies—a total of 17 trips to add to your list. These short descriptions provide links to feature-length stories about each trip at The Big Outside that include many images and information for planning those trips yourself.

Setting off on a life-changing experience requires some planning and self-motivation. Get started now.

Bon voyage.

Find your next adventure in your Inbox. Sign up for my FREE email newsletter now.

Hiking toward Courmayeur, Italy, on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc

Look at any list of the world’s greatest hiking trails, and the Tour du Mont Blanc almost invariably occupies a spot at or near the top of it. The first reason is the sheer majesty of this roughly 105-mile (170k) walking path around the “Monarch of the Alps:” Crossing several mountain passes reaching nearly 9,000 feet, it delivers views of glaciers, pointy peaks and “aiguilles,” and the snowy dome of Mont Blanc. But there’s also the rich cultural experience of passing through three nations—France, Italy, and Switzerland—as well as some of the best food I’ve eaten on any international trip. Plus, the abundance of scenic mountain towns and villages and availability of public transportation allows hikers to customize their trek, choosing which sections to hike depending on difficulty, weather, and how they feel.

See my story “Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc at an 80-Year-Old Snail’s Pace.”

Click here now for my e-guide “The Perfect, Flexible Plan for Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc.”

Jeff Wilhelm in Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile’s Patagonia region.

Trekking a Patagonian Classic: Torres del Paine National Park

Undoubtedly one of the most prized trekking destinations in the world, Torres del Paine National Park is Chile’s Yosemite. In the vast region known as Patagonia, it is a place of severely vertical stone monoliths thousands of feet tall; imagine looking at Yosemite Valley stacked atop one of the deep valleys of Glacier National Park. Cracked glaciers stretch many miles long and wide, calving into emerald lakes, and the wind will knock you off your feet. Hiking hut-to-hut or camping on the roughly 31-mile (50k) “W” trek, on the south side of the mountains—where the weather is often better than the north side—takes in some of the park’s finest scenery.

See my story “Patagonian Classic: Trekking Torres del Paine.”

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Subscribe now to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip. Please follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

Hiking the Alta Via 2 in the Pale di San Martino, Dolomite Mountains, Italy.

Trekking Through Italy’s Dolomite Mountains

On a weeklong, hut-to-hut trek through one of the world’s most spectacular and storied mountain ranges, Italy’s Dolomites, my family hiked a 39-mile (62k) section of the roughly 112-mile (180k) Alta Via 2 (AV 2), or “The Way of the Legends.” An alpine footpath famous for scenery that puts it in legitimate contention for the title of the most beautiful trail in the world, the AV 2 is also known for comfortable mountain huts with excellent food—and a reputation for being the most remote and difficult of the several multi-day alte vie, or “high paths,” that crisscross the Dolomites. On one of my family’s biggest adventures, we discovered that it was all of those things and more.

See my story “The World’s Most Beautiful Trail: Trekking the Alta Via 2 in Italy’s Dolomites.”

Want to explore the world’s most beautiful mountains? Do it on one of these trips to the Dolomites.

Hiking Blahnukur, in Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland.

Adventuring in Iceland

Steam from hot springs and other geothermal features issues from scores of points stretching to a distant horizon. Mud pots bubble and burp, and the landscape is a kaleidoscope of color—paint-can spills of ochre, pink, gold, plum, brown, rust, and honey against a backdrop of purple pumice and electric-lime moss. An old, hardened lava flow pours down one mountainside in a jumbled train wreck of razor-sharp black rhyolite. Chattering streams carry the runoff from July snowfields smeared across the highlands. And that’s just the first day on the Laugavegur Trail. A 33.5-mile (54k), hut-to-hut trek in the remote Fjallabak Nature Reserve of Iceland’s Central Highlands, it belongs on any list of the world’s most beautiful paths.

See my story “Earth, Wind, and Fire: A Journey to the Planet’s Beginnings in Iceland.”

Iceland will change your life. Take one of these 21 top trips in Iceland.

Hikers at the rim of Mount Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand.

Hiking Active Volcanoes in New Zealand

Tongariro National Park looks like a place devastated by a very big bomb—which is sort of what happened. On a 12.1-mile dayhike over three of the main craters of Tongariro, you’ll summit one mountain that erupted 45 times in the 20th century and stand at the edge of another that last erupted little more than a century ago—an eye blink in geologic time. A third, just a few miles to the south, ranks among the world’s most active. But beyond its prolific volcanism, Tongariro is known for its strikingly stark, Technicolor moonscape painted in vivid shades of burnt red, orange, brilliant white, gray, deep black, yellow, and brown.

See my story “Super Volcanoes: Hiking the Steaming Peaks of New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park.”

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Subscribe now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

Jasmine and Jeff Wilhelm trekking across Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park.

Trekking Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park

Jotunheimen—which means “Home of the Giants”—contains the highest European mountains north of the Alps, starkly barren peaks rising to more than 8,000 feet. In this rugged, Arctic-looking landscape, vibrantly colorful with shrubs, mosses, and wildflowers, cliffs and mountains look like they were chopped from the earth with an axe, braided rivers meander down mostly treeless valleys, and reindeer roam wild. My family’s 60-mile (96.6k), hut-to-hut trek across Jotunheimen combined pristine wilderness with the most luxurious huts I’ve ever stayed in, a trail network that allows for flexibility in route options, and side hikes to summits with mind-blowing views of mountains buried in snow and ice, including the highest peak in Norway.

See my story “Walking Among Giants: A Three-Generation Hut Trek in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park.”

Click here now to plan your next great backpacking adventure using my downloadable, expert e-guides.

Kayaking Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Sea Kayaking New Zealand’s Milford Sound

The Milford Track in Fiordland National Park has earned a reputation as one of the great multi-day hikes on the planet in part for its views of Milford Sound. It’s also one of the hardest treks in the world to book hut reservations on. Instead—or in addition to trekking the Milford Track—spend a day paddling sea kayaks in Milford Sound, soaking up views of cliffs wearing a thick fur of rainforest rising to over 5,000 feet straight out of the sea, and waterfalls plunging hundreds of feet into the ocean. You may spot bottlenose dolphins and Fiordland crested penguins. Plan it for a day of clear weather—something of a rarity in Fiordland—and it will be a highlight of any New Zealand vacation.

See my “Photo Gallery: Sea Kayaking New Zealand’s Milford Sound.”

I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life. Find out more here.

Trekking the Dientes Circuit, Chilean Patagonia.

Backpacking Unknown Patagonia: The Dientes Circuit

Billed as the southernmost trek in the world, the 22.7-mile (36.5k) Dientes Circuit around the jagged, rocky peaks of the Dientes de Navarino, or “Teeth of Navarino,” certainly qualifies as one of the most remote: At 55 degrees south latitude, the Dientes, which rise up from the edge of town and reach almost 4,000 feet in elevation, lie just 60 miles from the tip of South America and a short flight from the Antarctic Peninsula. While renowned treks in Patagonia, like those in Torres del Paine (see above), attract thousands of international trekkers every year, you may not see anyone else in four days on the Dientes Circuit—giving you a sense of what Patagonia was like before it became a darling of the international trekkers’ set. That’s not only because of its remoteness: This is a very strenuous, mostly off-trail hike that demands expert backcountry skills—all part of the challenge and reward of this unique backpacking trip.

See my story “Unknown Patagonia: Backpacking the Dientes Circuit.”

Stay dry, warm, and happy. See my reviews of “The 5 Best Rain Jackets For the Backcountry.”

The summit of Mount Luxmore, Kepler Track, Fiordland National Park.

Trekking New Zealand’s Kepler Track

One of New Zealand’s Great Walks, the three- to four-day, approximately 37-mile (60k) Kepler Track delivers a grand tour of Fiordland National Park’s diverse landscapes, from moss-blanketed beech forest to the tussock-carpeted high country. It ranks among the most scenic and varied hut treks in a country blessed with a crazy wealth of gorgeous trails. More than that, though, the Kepler presents a relatively mud-, flood-, and hassle-free, hut-to-hut hiking experience. Its hiker-friendly construction, and the relative ease of securing hut reservations compared with hugely popular tracks like the Milford and Routeburn, make it one of the most accessible hut treks in a land where everything from weather to logistics can mess with your adventure plans.

See my story “New Zealand’s Best, Uncomplicated Hut Trek: The Kepler Track.”

No time for a big trip this year? You need to read my “10 Tips For Getting Outside More.”

Kayaking past the Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.

Sea Kayaking Alaska’s Glacier Bay

On a five-day, guided sea kayaking trip in Southeast Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, my family probed deep into one of the most pristine and largest wildernesses left on Earth. Surrounded by snowy peaks smothered in more than 50 glaciers, some of which explosively calve icebergs into the sea, Glacier Bay is a 65-mile-long fjord that opens a window onto what North America looked like when the last Ice Age drew to a close 10,000 years ago. A short list of the many critters you may see includes humpback whales, orcas, brown bears, Steller sea lions, and birds like black-legged kittiwake, pigeon guillemot, bald eagles, two kinds of puffin. Few trips in America are this wild.

See my story “Back to the Ice Age: Sea Kayaking Glacier Bay.”

Hiking to Cascade Saddle on a trek of New Zealand’s Rees-Dart Track.

Trekking the Rees-Dart Track in New Zealand’s Mount Aspiring National Park

Although just spitting distance from the popular Routeburn Track, with scenery copied and pasted from the same Southern Alps template, the longer and more rugged Rees-Dart remains largely overlooked by the armies of international trekkers. But that’s not due to an inferior experience. The 37.2-mile (60k) Rees-Dart, most of which falls within Mount Aspiring National Park, goes from lush forest of twisted beech and ferns to treeless sub-alpine terrain carpeted with tussock grasses and the dagger-like fronds of speargrass. You’ll get sweeping views of glaciated mountains from 4,747-foot (1,447-meter) Rees Saddle and on the trail to 5,000-foot (1,524-meter) Cascade Saddle, including the striking pyramid of Mount Aspiring looming above the green Matukituki River Valley.

See my story “Off the Beaten Track in New Zealand: Trekking the Rees-Dart in Mount Aspiring National Park.”

Use The Big Outside to find your next adventure. Subscribe now and get full access to all stories!

Dawn light on Dhaulagiri, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal.

Trekking Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit

The tiny mountain kingdom of Nepal has long held an exalted status in the minds of international trekkers, and the Annapurna Circuit stands beside the trek to Everest base camp as Nepal’s most popular and accessible. Over roughly three weeks, you’ll walk about 150 miles from village to village, below some of the world’s tallest peaks, glaciated giants so unfathomably big that, at times, they can seem drift farther away even as you approach them. You eat and sleep in teahouses while following an ancient trade route over the Thorung La, a mountain pass at 17,769 feet. After three decades of adventures all over the world, this remains one of the most culturally fascinating and beautiful trips I’ve ever taken.

See my story “Himalayan Shangri-La: Trekking Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit.”

Discover the enduring magic of Nepal on one of these trips to the Annapurna region.

Sea kayaking Doubtful Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Sea Kayaking Doubtful Sound in New Zealand’s Fiordland

Doubtful Sound, a remote, roughly 30-mile-long fjord in Fiordland National Park, awes you with its scale. For two days, we paddled sea kayaks below cliffs up to 4,000 feet tall plunging straight into the sea, and so thick with rainforest that you rarely see the rock. The cliffs display lighter-green streaks of newer vegetation growing in the wake of a “tree avalanche,” which occurs when root systems can no longer bear the weight of the forest sprouting from a cliff. Native crested penguins nest on a small, densely forested island in the fjord. The often mirror-flat sea reflects soaring cliffs choked in jungle. And unlike Milford Sound, reaching Doubtful Sound entails complicated logistics or a long journey by boat—meaning relatively few people see it.

See my story “Into the Mystic: Sea Kayaking Doubtful Sounds in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park.”

I’ve learned a few things from traveling all over the world. See my “10 Tips For Doing Adventure Travel Right.”

Backpacking the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park, Canada.

Backpacking the Rockwall Trail in the Canadian Rockies

Within the first few hours of our four-day family backpacking trip on the 34-mile (55k) Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park, we stared up at what looked like a pair of El Capitans standing shoulder to shoulder, then saw one of the tallest waterfalls in the Rocky Mountains, Helmet Falls, which drops 1,154 feet (352m). But that was a mere sampler of what was to follow. Backpackers on the Rockwall follow the base of a nearly unbroken, 18-mile-long (30k) limestone escarpment in Kootenay’s Vermilion Range, plastered with glaciers and towering as much as 3,000 feet (900m) above the trail. It’s no exaggeration to liken it to dozens of the tallest cliff in Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, lined up in a row stretching for miles.

See my story “Best of the Canadian Rockies: Backpacking the Rockwall Trail.”

Get the right pack for you. See my picks for “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs” and 7 favorite daypacks.

Whanganui River, North Island, New Zealand.

Canoeing New Zealand’s Stunning Whanganui River

It’s not hard to imagine why the native Maori people of New Zealand believe that the Whanganui River possesses a mauri, or “life force.” Paddling a canoe on its gentle waters, you descend a gorge of 200-foot-tall sandstone and mudstone cliffs draped with jungle-like foliage and cut by ribbon waterfalls. Cicadas buzz almost deafeningly. The 54-mile-long stretch of the Whanganui from Whakahoro to Pipiriki, mostly within Whanganui National Park, hits a rare trifecta: unusual natural beauty, fascinating human history, and easy enough for people with basic paddling skills, including families. The Whanganui River Journey is the only water-based trip listed among New Zealand’s vaunted Great Walks. It’s considered so special that in 2012 it became the first river in the world granted the same rights as a citizen.

See my story “River of Many Stories: Canoeing New Zealand’s Stunning Whanganui.”

Protect your expensive gear when traveling. See my “Review: The Best Gear Duffles and Luggage.”

Trekking past castle ruins in Spain’s Aitana Mountains.

Adventuring in Spain’s Aitana Mountains

Rising above Spain’s central east coast in the province of Valencia, a chronically sunny mountain range of soaring limestone cliffs and razorback ridges sits within sight of tourist-flooded Mediterranean beaches—but remains so obscure that the peaks lack a unifying name, and are known only informally as the Aitana Mountains, for the area’s highest summit. Over the course of two weeks there, I took a 60-mile trek from village to village, mountain biked to a hidden castle, scaled a via ferrata up an 800-foot cliff, and scrambled along a wildly exposed, knife-edge ridge that Euro climbers compare to the headiest traverses in Scotland’s Highlands. And in good Old World style, I feasted every evening on Spanish delicacies, washing it all down with enough vino to float a Spanish galleon.

See my story “Conquistadors of Adventure: Discovering Multi-Sport Gold in Spain’s Valencia Region.”

Trekking the Dusky Track, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.

Taking on New Zealand’s Hardest Hut Trek: The Dusky Track

When a friend and I set out to hike a four-day, 23-mile section of Fiordland’s 53-mile Dusky Track, we were primarily motivated and intrigued by its reputation as the hardest hut-to-hut trek in New Zealand. But we saw beyond that superficial description to the promise implicit in it: the chance to see New Zealand’s biggest wilderness the way it must have looked centuries ago. Compared to popular tracks, the Dusky can feel all but deserted—which means having its glacier-carved valleys and mountain passes with panoramas of rainforest-shrouded mountains almost all to ourselves. It also turned into quite possibly the hardest hike, step for step, that either of us has ever done.

Watch for my upcoming feature story about backpacking New Zealand’s Dusky Track.

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See all of my stories about international adventures and family adventures at The Big Outside.

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g9trip · 4 years

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A Guide to the 10 Great Walks of New Zealand

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Of all the many reasons to visit New Zealand, adventurous travel and indulging in the stunning nature draws most of the tourists. The government of New Zealand acknowledges its dazzling landscapes and has organized an extensive network of marked trails, from easy walks to strenuous tramping adventures.

Ten of these tracks are called Great Walks; they’re all multi-day routes that lead through a variety of scenery, from coastal cliffs to alien-like volcanic landscapes. In this article, we give you an overview of the 10 most legendary paths New Zealand has to offer.

Rakiura Track

Walking is not just great on New Zealand’s South and North Island. This is proven with the Rakiura Track, which connects the natural highlights on Stewart Island. This 32-kilometre route is one of the few loop tracks among the Great Walks and is particularly enticing for bird-watchers. Stewart Island has plenty of beautiful species, such as the kaka, tui, and also several types of penguins. The Rakiura Track shows hikers the best of the island. The trail leads along beaches and through dense forests, where you might even encounter an elusive kiwi at night.

Accommodation: The Rakiura Track has 2 huts and 3 paid campsites where you can spend the night.

Kepler Track

By walking the Kepler Track, you’re entering one of the most significant hiking domains in the country: Fiordland National Park. This is in the southwest of the South Island. The Kepler Track is an excellent example of the beauty, and variety Fiordland offers. The 60-kilometre route leads hikers through beech forests, over mountain ridges near Lake Te Anau, and through gorgeous wetlands.

Some brilliant bonuses are the short detours to the Luxmore Caves and the Iris Burn Falls. Despite its impressive length, the Kepler Track isn’t as demanding as some of the other Great Walks and can be tackled in 3 to 4 days.

Accommodation: Along the route, you’ll find 3 huts and 2 paid campsites to sleep and break the journey.

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Milford Track

The lush greenery and fjords are quite overwhelming, and the Milford Track certainly delivers when it comes to scenery. The track cuts through the iconic Fiordland National Park and winds between the massive mountains of this pristine part of New Zealand. You’ll be surrounded by fertile forests, that flourish as a result of the 200 days of rainfall that Fiordland receives each year.

While you’re tramping you’ll see plenty of rivers and scenic waterfalls through the alpine environment and will be in some of the country’s most untouched parks. Be prepared for the climb over Mackinnon Pass, which is quite challenging. However, everyone with reasonable fitness should be able to complete the Milford Track.

Accommodation: The Milford Track has 3 huts, but no campsites.

Routeburn Track

The Routeburn Track might be one of the shortest Great Walks (33 kilometres), it is undeniably one of the most diverse routes as well. Mountain lakes, the snowy peaks of the Southern Alps, mossy forests, thundering waterfalls, and wetlands in valleys all come on your path when completing this traverse in Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Park.

You can start from either The Divide or Routeburn Shelter, but the latter is the better option as the start here is easier. A detour worth exploring is the short track up to Key Summit, where you get an awe-inspiring sense of the surrounding mountains. Besides that, Key Summit has amazing wetlands and ‘moss carpets’ with unique flora.

Accommodation: On this route, 4 huts and 2 paid campsites are available.

Paparoa Track

If you’re a fan of tramping in forests, the Paparoa Track can’t be recommended enough. With the expanded woodlands, meandering rivers, and towering rock formations, you’d almost feel like walking on the set of Jurassic Park. Visitors are treated with walks over suspension bridges, and through forests with the typical fern plants on all sides.

Paparoa Track is the only Great Walk that can be tackled by mountain bikers as well, which gives you an alternative if you’re after a change. With its 55 kilometres, Paparoa is quite a long Great Walk, but incredible fitness isn’t required.

Accommodation: You can use 3 huts to stay overnight.

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Heaphy Track

The Heaphy Track crosses a very remote area in the northwest of the South Island that in a way feels like a tropical paradise. The 78.4-kilometre mammoth track introduces the walker to palm forests, mossy bushland, native birds, and some sections even cover the coastline with its golden beaches. Keep an eye open for the massive carnivorous snails, that make their way over the forest floor at night.

With a maximum elevation of 915 meters, reached during the first day of hiking, this track is suitable for less-experienced adventurers. Unlike the alpine trails further south and on the North Island, Heaphy Track is accessible throughout the entire year.

Accommodation: The Heaphy Track has 4 huts and 6 paid campsites along the way.

Abel Tasman Coast Track

If you’re into beaches and dramatic cliffs backdrops, the Abel Tasman Coast Track is the one for you. The main features of this trail in Abel Tasman National Park are its golden beaches and native bushland. Also, you’ll find beautiful streams, the peaceful Cleopatra’s Pool, and, with some luck, some curious seals exploring the coastline.

The difficulty level of the Abel Tasman Coast Track is low, which makes walking here a family-friendly endeavour. If you don’t want to conquer steep mountain passes but still want to experience the diversity of New Zealand’s nature, this route is an excellent choice.

Accommodation: There are no less than 4 huts and 18 paid camping grounds.

Whanganui Journey

Oddly enough, the Whanganui Journey isn’t a walking track. This epic quest mainly traverses over the Whanganui River, a scenic waterway in the west of the North Island. Still, the government decided to add the Whanganui journey to the impressive list of adventures on land. You can travel by kayak or canoe, between low grassland, high rock walls and lush forests. The longer you’re on the journey, the more intimidating the mountains that encircle the river get. The recommended daily routes range from 22 to 38 kilometres but prepare for lots of paddling if you’re planning to complete the whole 145-kilometre trip.

Accommodation: Along the route, you can find 2 huts and 11 paid campsites.

Tongariro Northern Circuit

Tongariro Northern Circuit (also the first image) stands apart from all other Great Walks when it comes to landscapes. Alien prospects of red soil, steaming hot springs, turquoise lakes, crater valleys, and staggering volcanic cones make this tramp in the middle of the North Island exceptionally beautiful, but also unforgiving at the same time.

Despite the length of ‘only’ 43 kilometres, the Tongariro Northern Circuit has some tough climbs, and treacherous descends. It’s worth every drop of sweat though; the landscapes of Tongariro are so out-of-this-world, that the makers of The Lord of the Rings movies used them as an inspiration for the dark land of Mordor.

Accommodation: You can stay overnight in 3 huts and 4 paid campsites.

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Lake Waikaremoana

As the name suggests, this northernmost Great Walk mainly revolves around the idyllic Lake Waikaremoana. The 46-kilometre trail goes in a circle around the lake and includes woodland, climbs to stunning mountains, and stops at quiet beaches. The unspoiled view from Panekire Bluff is a highlight, and so is the thundering Korokoro Falls. This trip offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy photography; the mirror-like reflections in the lake, the panoramic vistas, and the mountainous backdrops are merely spectacular.

Accommodation: Along the way, there are 5 huts and 5 paid campsites.

Season

All Great Walks can be done from October to April when the trails are generally snow and ice-free. Routes in lower altitudes are usually accessible year-round, such as the Heaphy Track and Abel Tasman Coast Track.

Currently, the Milford Track and Routeburn Track are temporarily closed due to flooding in early 2020. We recommend checking the New Zealand parks websites (links with suggestions above) when planning your route.

New+Zealand

Huub Lakerveld

Writer and Traveller

Huub travels around the world as a digital nomad since early 2018, while working as a travel writer. His passion for travel is driven by connecting with locals and searching for different landscapes. Always joined by his favourite travel companions: a camera and notebook. [Read full bio]

Credit: Source link

The post A Guide to the 10 Great Walks of New Zealand appeared first on G9Trip.com - Everything in 9 Global Trips.

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kathleenseiber · 5 years

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Sensors watch the Matterhorn for crumbling rock and cracking ice

A network of wireless sensors on the Matterhorn’s Hörnli ridge has been constantly streaming measurement data on the condition of steep rock faces, permafrost, and prevailing climate for the past decade.

The summer heatwave of 2003 triggered a rockfall that shocked both researchers and the general public: 1,500 cubic meters of rock broke away from the Hörnli ridge—a volume roughly equivalent to two houses. The fracture event exposed bare ice on the surface of the steep scarp. Experts soon realized that the record temperatures had warmed the rock down to such a depth that the ice contained in its pores and fissures had melted. This effectively caused a sudden reduction of the bonding holding the rock mass together.

The unpredicted rockfall sparked PermaSense, a consortium bringing together experts from different engineering and environmental research disciplines. They launched the project in 2006 with the initial goal of making measurements and observations that had not previously been possible. Using state-of-the-art technology, the researchers were looking to obtain in situ measurements in steep bedrock permafrost of unprecedented quality and quantity.

The team beat their goal, as they report in the journal Earth System Science Data. The study describes a 10-year record of high-resolution data scientists have captured on the Hörnli ridge of the Matterhorn, 3,500 meters above sea level. A total of 17 different sensor types positioned at 29 distinct sensor locations in and around the 2003 rockfall zone delivered 115 million separate data points.

“This data set constitutes the longest, densest, and most diverse data record in the history of alpine permafrost research worldwide,” says Jan Beutel, senior researcher at the computer engineering and networks laboratory at ETH Zurich.

Monitoring Matterhorn

Using cutting-edge wireless sensors, the researchers have managed to make large volumes of high-quality data available almost in real time, and closely monitor and control the running experiments.

“The combined analysis of long-term monitoring obtained from different types of instruments lead to a better understanding of the processes that can lead to the destabilization of steep rock,” says Samuel Weber, co-leader of the project and now postdoctoral researcher at TU Munich.

The sensor network also comprises an automatic high-resolution camera that takes photos of the fracture site every two minutes. “Crackmeters” measure the widening of the fissures and the displacement of boulders. Temperatures are measured at various depths in the rock face, as well as on the surface. Inclinometers and GPS sensors permanently measure how much larger rock partitions as well as the whole mountain ridge are deforming and gradually tilting towards the valley. In recent years the researchers have added equipment for measuring acoustic emissions and microseismic data.

The data are relayed via WLAN from the Hörnli ridge to the summit station of the cable car of the Klein Matterhorn nearby, from where they are transmitted in real time via the internet to ETH Zurich’s data center. Here researchers continuously capture, analyze, and assess them—and have been doing so for the past 10 years, around the clock, whatever the weather.

“Over the past three years of our project, the incorporation of more complex seismic data have been particularly useful in helping us to quantify what we were keen to research from the start: the destabilization leading to rockfall. This has helped us identify patterns in the signals from the mountain that enable us to capture such events,” Beutel says.

Hidden cracks

The use of seismic sensing systems made it possible to detect many different signals—such as the formation of cracks initially invisible and hidden in the rockface—which the previous sensors were unable to capture.

“Seismic sensors capture much more data, and offer us unprecedented information density and analysis opportunities,” says Beutel, an electrical engineer. But these sensors have several drawbacks: they need cables, more power, and deep bore holes, which researchers first have to drill. And they also record signals which have nothing to do with the mountain, such as the footsteps of climbers on their way to the Matterhorn summit.

The researchers first had to remove all the ambient noise from these data using machine learning and smart algorithms which doctoral students programmed directly into the wireless sensors. In order to test against ground truth they also fed the algorithms with data recorded at the Hörnlihütte, an alpine hut where mountaineers climbing the Matterhorn spend the night. The number of people staying overnight and climbing each serve as an indication when people climbing the mountain are creating interference.

Analysis of the filtered seismic data provide an interesting picture for Beutel: “The resonance frequencies that occur in the rocks vary considerably over the course of the year.” This phenomenon is linked to the freezing and thawing processes on the mountain. Many micro-cracks and fissures are filled with ice and sediment, and this mix is frozen rock-hard in the winter. When this thaws in the summer, the bonding in the fissures changes. The freely vibrating rock mass enlarges, and as a result the resonance frequency decreases. The reverse is happening in winter: the resonance frequency of the rock mass increases.

“It’s the same principle as on a guitar—the tone depends on where you grip the strings creating different length vibrating elements,” Beutel explains.

“Very abrupt changes in the pattern of these resonance frequencies would indicate that the stability of part of the rockface has changed,” Beutel says. If the frequencies drop, it may mean that existing fissures have deepened or opened up possibly indicating an emerging rockfall of a sizeable mass.

“Using seismic and acoustic data, combined with measurements of crack widths and photos of the investigation site, we can identify quite precisely how the permafrost is changing and make predictions about problems starting to develop,” Beutel says. “I consider this to be one of the best achievements to date of the PermaSense project.”

Predicting disasters

The measurement project on the Matterhorn is ongoing. While it is still running, Beutel is keen to transfer the know-how gained from the “Horu,” the local name for the iconic mountain, to other projects and sites.

The technical and geological expertise acquired can now be applied to the forecasting of natural hazard event. Beutel says one possible use might be at Piz Cengalo in the Bregaglia valley. In the summer of 2017 a massive rockfall of several million cubic meters killed a number of people and the resulting debris flow destroyed parts of the village of Bondo below. Experts agree that further rockfalls will happen on this mountain and are now monitoring conditions around the clock using radar but in-situ measurements are missing to date.

Additional researchers from ETH Zurich and several other institutions, including the Universities of Basel and Zurich, contributed to the work.

Source: ETH Zurich

The post Sensors watch the Matterhorn for crumbling rock and cracking ice appeared first on Futurity.

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wayneooverton · 5 years

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The Matterhorn: an adventure around Switzerland’s most perfect peak

Last year, I spent a week exploring Switzerland in June hiking the trails, wandering historic villages, and partaking of all the delicious local cheese.

Perhaps there are few places on earth that have a mountain as iconic as the Matterhorn. Lording over the quaint and charming town of Zermatt, deep in the heart of the Swiss Alps, it’s just about as picturesque as you can imagine.

Topping out at an impressive 4,478 meters (14,692 ft), the Matterhorn is a magnet for alpinists and mountain-lovers alive, and definitely lives up to its name “the peak in the meadows” in German. This mountain IS STUNNING!

25 photos that will make you fall in love with Switzerland

Arriving on a fine early summer’s day by train from Täsch to Zermatt, the perfect snow-covered Matterhorn almost doesn’t seem real.

Hopping off the train, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised to find that this endearing Swiss village is car-free and full of charm.

Wandering amongst the narrow historic laneways and beneath the eaves of wooden chalets, you’d be hard-pressed not to be wooed by a part of Switzerland so quintessentially Swiss you almost have to laugh.

How is this place even real?

Zermatt is stunning any time of year, tucked away in the southwest of Switzerland, somewhat out of the way by Swiss standards.

Easily accessed from the main airport hubs of Geneva or Zurich via the incredible fast, efficient and reliable train network in Switzerland, I instead drove down, and was mildly surprised when Google Maps took me on a route that included an car train in the mountains on the way to Täsch, where you catch a short train up to car-free Zermatt.

After a bit of confusion, I realized you pay the toll and drive your car onto the open-air train carriage before heading off through the mountains.

Straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy, the Matterhorn is the most distinctive of all the alpine peaks in Europe, jutting up alone about the skyline like a shark’s tooth.

Finally tackled by British climber Edward Whymper in 1865, many mountaineers make the trek to Zermatt to tackle the Matterhorn, best climbed from July to September. Though perhaps more impressive was that less than a decade later Lucy Walker become the first woman to climb the Matterhorn, and she did it in a long flannel skirt too!

Go girl!

Over 400 km of hiking trails in summer and 360 kilometers of pistes in winter are right on your doorstep in Zermatt, with plenty of cable cars and mountain railways shaving off time to access higher parts of the mountain for hikes and walks, and most have incredible views of the Matterhorn.

After the massive winter snowfalls in 2018, even by June some of the trails weren’t open and were still covered in snow.

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is the largest and highest summer skiing region in Europe, topping out at 3,883 meters, with a cable car station, restaurant and even ice palace, the perfect day trip from town. And you can ski on the Theodul Glacier from there 365 days a year.

Perhaps what makes the area around Zermatt so unique to us in New Zealand, is the vast incredible network of railways and gondolas that connect the terrain high above the town of Zermatt. We don’t have anything like that here.

Open both in winter and summer, along with an endless amount of hiking trails of all levels, with little chalets, restaurants, hotels and well-appointed mountain huts at your disposal.

Journey up by cogwheel train to 3,089 to Gornergrat from Zermatt for the best views of the Matterhorn with plenty of trails at your disposal. Stay the night at the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, and have the mountain to yourself once the day trippers head back home.

Known for being one of Switzerland’s glitziest and glamorous resorts, Zermatt doesn’t disappoint and has something for all types of travelers on every budget.

The 5-star Mont Cervin Palace is an incredible splurge for those on holiday in Zermatt, and looks like it would fit right in in a Wes Anderson film.

No matter where you travel around Zermatt, you will find everyone spellbound and captivated by the sheer beauty and impressiveness of the Matterhorn, a mountain you just can’t seem to stop looking at.

Have you seen the iconic Matterhorn? Is Zermatt on your bucketlist? Share!

Many thanks to My Switzerland for hosting me on my adventures – like always I’m keeping it real – all opinions are my own – like you could expect less from me!

The post The Matterhorn: an adventure around Switzerland’s most perfect peak appeared first on Young Adventuress.

from Young Adventuress http://bit.ly/2GzAdtV

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travelworldnetwork · 6 years

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To the farming families of Switzerland’s Engelberg region, cable cars aren’t built for ski holidays and scenic views. They’re vital to daily life.

By Larry Bleiberg

9 May 2018

After two hours of mountain hiking, my first destination came into sight, and it hardly seemed worth the trip. The wooden shelter was barely noticeable in the mist, but when I slid open the door, all doubts disappeared. A tiny blue cable car was waiting inside, it seemed, just for me.

I settled inside the vehicle, and picked up a clunky phone attached to the wall. Through the static I heard a woman’s faint voice answer in German. “Hi,” I said. “I’d like a ride down,” wondering if this was really going to work.

My answer came 20 seconds later, as machinery buzzed to life and the car glided out of the open side of the shack, floating above a spruce forest and looking out over emerald-green pastures. I felt like a feather slowly descending to Earth.

View image of In Switzerland’s Engelberg Valley, cable cars are used as basic transportation (Credit: Credit: Adina Tovy/Getty Images)

To the farming families of the Engelberg Valley region, which lies about 35km south of Lucerne in the Swiss cantons of Nidwalden and Obwalden, cable cars aren’t built for ski holidays and scenic views. They’re basic transportation, used to haul supplies and run errands. But the Buiräbähnli (German for ‘farmers cableways’), which are concentrated in the region, also welcome hikers, who can pay a small fee to hop aboard, like an Uber of the Alps.

“We call this the Valley of the Cable Cars,” said Linda Schmitter, 22, who uses one of her family’s small gondolas on her work commute to Engelberg. Her family runs a dairy farm in the hills above the village of Wolfenschiessen, and two dormitory-style mountain huts, offering room and board to visitors like me. I met her after a day of hiking that had included four cable-car rides zig-zagging up and down the Engelberger Aa River valley.

Linda’s father, Ueli Schmitter, a third-generation farmer, helps neighbours keep their gondolas in proper repair. The cableways must pass an annual government inspection, and every five years undergo a complete safety assessment, using X-rays to reveal stresses to cars and cables.

Ueli admits to an obsession with the vehicles. “I pimp my cable car,” he said in heavily accented English. “I clean it every evening. I say to it ‘I love you’.”

View image of Engelberg Valley residents use cable cards to haul supplies and run errands (Credit: Credit: Larry Bleiberg)

Although the family’s cars are 38 years old, they look brand new, with gleaming royal blue and lime-green paint jobs and a playful decal of a cow hanging from a cable car on the door. It’s not artistic license: occasionally Ueli attaches a basket to the bottom of his cars to transport his small-sized Dexter cattle down to the valley.

Farmer cableways developed after World War I as an efficient way to bring supplies to high Alpine fields and a cheaper alternative to building roads. Because of the hilly topography and reliance on agriculture, many developed in the canton of Nidwalden, which boasts one of the highest concentrations of cableways in the world. They’re particularly prominent in the Engelberg area, which has a third of the country’s remaining farmer’s cableways.

The cableways soon became quasi-public, with neighbours sharing them for deliveries and transportation. Eventually some were opened to hikers, who would pay owners a small fee for rides. But since it was difficult for visitors to learn details and plan outings, in 2016 the local tourist board began promoting a package ticket for a multi-day hike using cars around the Engelberger Aa River valley.

For me, it’s natural: when I go outside for work, for school, for anything, I take a cable car

It was that hike that led me the next morning to the compact village of Oberrickenbach, where three cable cars promised an easy ascent to the looming peaks. Two were commercial operations, but my ride was hidden around the corner, where a farmer lifted bales of hay onto a platform hanging from a cable.

When I requested a lift, he stepped inside a storage shed to press a button, and a second cable started to move. A few minutes later, a faded red vehicle glided into view. Again, I clambered aboard and a few minutes later found the farmer’s son, Daniel Durrer, unloading the hay his father had just sent up.

Durrer, who had taken a day off from his job as a chef, grew up with aerial transportation. “For me, it’s natural. When I go outside for work, for school, for anything, I take a cable car,” he said. “When I was a child, I used one every day.”

View image of Farmer Ueli Schmitter admits to being obsessed with cable cars, and helps his neighbours keep theirs in good working order (Credit: Credit: Larry Bleiberg)

This stop was only a waystation. After a few minutes of chatting, he pointed to an open-air vehicle that looked like a cable-car version of an antique pickup truck, with an open bed ringed with removable wooden guards. I piled in, and as the vehicle began to climb, Durrer waved goodbye.

At the top of the hill, a winding forest path led to a cheesemaker’s rustic studio and cafe, where owner Barbara Wismer seemed eager for company. She served a plate of nutty, creamy cheeses and freshly baked bread, and recalled how she left her banking job in Zürich to join her boyfriend. They live here from spring through autumn, and generate electricity with a wood-burning stove. Supplies come up by cable car.

It’s a simple life, but one under threat.

In the last 10 years, the Engelberg Valley has seen the number of cableways drop from about 100 to just more than 40 as the government began to remove cable cars from communities served by roads, Ueli Schmitter told me. The lines crisscrossing the valley were deemed a hazard to helicopters and paragliders, and expensive to regulate.

View image of In the last 10 years, the number of cableways in the Engelberg Valley has dropped from around 100 to just more than 40 (Credit: Credit: Larry Bleiberg)

Progress maybe. However, early in the trip I had seen why locals want to keep them.

Walking down the valley floor the previous day, I’d spotted a blue, four-seater gondola attached to cables leading up a mountain. It looked too enticing to pass up, so I hopped aboard. I was greeted by a couple, their two grandchildren and a dog who were waiting for the cable car at the top of the ridge. My plan had been to turn around and take the car with them back down to the valley floor, but the family suggested I might enjoy trying another gondola 20 minutes along the ridge path, and pointed the way.

Eventually I found the second cableway – and a cryptic handwritten sign with bright red letters scrawled across the top. ‘Achtung!’ it read, followed by a brief note. After a moment, its meaning sank in. The line was closed for repairs.

My destination, Wolfenschiessen, lay nearly 365m below. I was going to have to walk.

A path led across a field, and suddenly corkscrewed down a deep gorge. It was getting dark and starting to rain, and the trail grew rocky, steep and slick, forcing me to grab at tree limbs to slow my descent.

Experience Engelberg's cable cars

The Engelberg-Titlus tourism bureau has designed a three-day hike called the Buiräbähnli Safari using privately owned cableways. The hike, which takes around 20 hours and includes two overnight stops, starts and finishes at Engelberg railway station. Shorter hikes can also be planned easily.

When I finally arrived on the valley floor, I was muddy and soaking wet. What would have been a five-minute ride had taken nearly an hour. And like the farmer Schmitter, I was ready to declare my love for a cable car.

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movby-blog · 6 years

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New Post has been published on http://travel.movby.org/latest-travel-blogs/the-6-most-beautiful-regions-for-your-next-hiking-holiday/

The 6 most beautiful regions for your next hiking holiday

Best hiking regions around the globe

Do you love extensive hikes and adventurous trekking tours surrounded by fantastic nature and would like to pursue this passion on your travels? Therefore, right now you are also looking for unique destinations for your next hiking holiday – the most beautiful regions, countries and areas for individual trekking tours or guided hiking holidays in small groups? Then take a look at our list below, in which we have listed some of our favorite destinations for unforgettable trekking and hiking trips. We also have lots of tips on the most beautiful hikes and trekking tours in the featured regions, as well as some additional links with additional information and renowned providers for guided hiking holidays.

We ourselves, as “long-term travelers” and globetrotters, travel all year round on trips, camping trips and long hikes, giving up our permanent residence within the EU many years ago in order to be able to fully pursue our great passions. Therefore, we have in terms of life “out there” in the wild and hiking, just in recent years accumulated a huge wealth of experience, we like to share here on our Active Travel & Outdoor blog like to regularly with you and today’s in this Frame once our best recommendations for individual hiking holidays and guided hiking tours … Guided hiking tours or rather individually on the way First of all, you have to ask yourself, of course, if you prefer to organize your hiking holiday completely individually and go off on your own or if you prefer to go into the professional hands of a renowned tour operator for outdoor group travel, which is about the complete organization of your trip so that you can fully focus on hiking and trekking tours. Which of the two types of travel is now the “better” is not ultimately lump sum, but usually depends on the conditions in the travel region, your personal experience and of course with your preferences together. Guided hiking tours are especially the right decision if you want to get to know like-minded people in your hiking holiday and the social aspect of a trip plays a big role for you. In addition, a guided hiking holiday can also be the ideal introduction to a new travel region in order to gain initial experience, so that you can start your own hikes and trekking tours on your next trip. Individual hiking tours always require certain knowledge of the area to the region, which you can acquire but through a detailed research without problems in advance of your trip. It becomes difficult with an individual hiking trip whenever the regions are difficult to reach or you have a special permit for hiking in e.g. National parks need – even in such cases, it can sometimes be much easier with an organized hiking trip. How you finally decide is therefore entirely up to your personal preferences and needs – the important thing is that you do not hesitate and always try something new, because life is short and there “out there” countless fantastic adventures and a unique nature to you of you… We are fans of individual and guided hiking holidays. Hiking holidays, Top10 regions for nature lovers No question; In fact, almost every country in the world has great hikes and scenic regions where you can go on long trekking tours, and which are really the “best” countries or regions for hiking or trekking, so everyone can go it alone decide on individual ideas and requirements. Therefore, our list below is of course completely subjective, tailored to our personal experiences and preferences, but maybe there is still one or the other “hot” tip with you, which is just the right destination for your next hiking trip …

01. The outback of Australia

This continent is simply huge and offers numerous hiking opportunities both along its shores and inland – from short and relatively easy day hikes to long-distance trails where you can hike for weeks. The landscape is so varied that you can find the right terrain for every taste in Australia. More information, tips and the most beautiful routes for your hiking holiday in Australia – you can find here:

We have already visited Australia, but have not been there on long hikes. Of numerous stories from the circle of friends and acquaintances, however, we know that Australia has so much to offer and therefore it is with us for the next hiking trip very high in the course and we are sure that there are some worthwhile hiking destinations can be found. The diversified southwestern United States is ideal for walking holidays.

02. Colorful Southwestern United States

The United States, and especially the Southwestern United States, has taken a personal approach to us – in terms of long hikes and extensive backpacking trips. From deserted deserts, to fantastic canyons, to the breathtaking mountain scenery of the High Sierra and the Rocky Mountains, the Southwestern United States has the right hiking adventure for every taste. Here are some examples of our favorite hikes in the Southwest of the USA – you can find here:

Lonely hike through the Leprechaun Canyon On the Bright Angel Trail in the depths the Grand Canyon

In addition to many day hikes for a varied hiking holiday, the southwest also offers some beautiful long-distance hiking trails, such as. the “Arizona Trail” and the world-famous “John Muir Trail” (JMT), which is also part of the “Pacific Crest Trail” (PCT) that runs from the Mexican border to Canada.

03. Trekking paradise in Peru’s Andes

It is known, Peru, located on the northwest coast of South America, Peru, especially through his hikes to the remote ruins of the Incas “Machu Picchu”, but Peru also offers many highlights for extended hiking and trekking tours. Especially for those who travel to South America for the first time, it is also worthwhile for Peru a guided hiking holiday to get started. An established provider for hiking holidays in Peru and many more exciting trips and trips – you can find here:

On foot visiting the Andes with Inkatrotter

For all those who have already gained some experience with traveling in South America and prefer to travel on individually organized hiking tours, you will find a lot of useful information for the first trekking tour to Peru. A detailed report on the hike down into the Colca Canyon – you can find here on our blog:

Rice report on the Colca Canyon Tour in Peru

Even more information on hiking in Peru and the many different trails – you can find here:

Trekking Guide Peru

Whether you decide for an individual hiking trip or a guided hiking holiday, the mystical Andean world of Peru is always worth a trip and can be combined really well with other great destinations in South America. Encounters with bears are not uncommon on walks in Canada.

04. Canada’s wild northwest

Just last year, we spent a few months at a stretch in the lonely northwestern part of Canada exploring the wild nature of British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories on long hikes. We particularly liked the very active wildlife, which can be discovered everywhere without a guide – so especially in spring and autumn encounters with bears and moose are the order of the day.

Just like the other destinations in North America, Canada is also very suitable for individual hiking trips, but it takes for longer trekking tours through the wild national parks, not least because of the bears and the few infrastructure, already some experience. Therefore, especially for beginners, guided hiking tours are worthwhile by professional tour operators, who can advise you extensively on suitable hiking routes. The offer of guided hiking tours of CRD, a special tour operator, with which we have always had good experiences – you can find here:

Hiking tours & active tours with CRD

Many of the remote regions of Canada’s northwest can only be reached by plane or a 4 × 4 Jeep for hiking and trekking tours, so it is a great advantage for individual travelers to have a reliable contact person for individual services at hand to have. The Alps are an ideal beginner destination for hiking trips.

05. Europe’s well-developed Alps

Although we have meanwhile made some longer hikes in the Alps and among other things also the majority of the Munich to Venice route over the Alps walked, we are personally the Alps simply too frequented. Although there are certainly many lonely and natural regions, but by and large, the Alps are touristically very strong. While much hustle and bustle personally scares us off a bit, this well-developed infrastructure in the Alps is an ideal way for beginners to get into the subject of hiking and long-distance hiking – even without great dangers. If you are looking for a very special challenge for your next hiking holiday in the Alps, why not take a look at the OMM Alps Event – a two-day trail running event that leads through the most beautiful regions of the Alps. All information and the possibility to register for the annual event – you can find here:

OMM Alps 2018 event

Many tips and information about hiking in the Alps and a packing list for my Munich to Venice hike on the “Traumpfad” – you can find here:

Website German Alpine Club Packing list Traumpfad Munich to Venice The most beautiful paths through the Bavarian Alps

Many of the common challenges of longer trekking tours and long distance walks, such as The overnight stay in the open air or the sufficient supply of drinking water and provisions are no problem at all in the Alps thanks to the tourist infrastructure and numerous mountain huts.

06. Northern Scandinavia

All of Scandinavia is of course a worthwhile and beginner-friendly destination for long hiking holidays and long trekking tours, because the “Everyman’s Law” is “wildcampen” when hiking in the wild in most regions expressly allowed and there’s also a dense network of managed accommodations and simple Cabins for self-catering. From our point of view, however, the north of Scandinavia is especially beautiful, as in many places you can still find the wild nature and solitude that we personally seek on our hiking tours. For enthusiastic long-distance hikers and trekking friends, the high north offers many hiking trails, some of which are easy to master even for beginners. Starting with the European long-distance hiking trail E1, which starts at the North Cape in Norway, over the two-part Kungsleden (Royal Trail), which leads through the beautiful Lapland, up to the Finnish Bärenrunde there is the right hiking terrain for every taste. Further information about the most beautiful hiking trails in northern Scandinavia – you can find here:

Information about the long distance path E1 Hiking on Finland’s Bärenrunde Fjällräven Classics on the Kungsleden Hiking in Norway

But do not worry, in the north of Scandinavia, of course, there are not only popular long-distance hiking trails, but also numerous great day hikes, which make the region ideal for relaxing hiking holidays. Especially for beginners, for example, guided hiking tours to the most beautiful corners of Lofoten, as there thanks to the Gulf Stream from spring to autumn a very pleasant climate prevails. Here on our blog you will always find the latest tips & reports on our hikes. Even more tips for your next hiking holiday So that’s what they were, our personal favorites for a guided hiking trip or a very individual hiking holiday, where you can discover your travel region on your own. If you have already gained experience in the mentioned regions or if you would like to share more tips for wonderful hiking regions with us, then we look forward to your feedback below in the comments on this article.

Incidentally, here on our outdoor & travel blog you will find constantly interesting articles around the topics of hiking, camping, outdoor, diving and traveling – with lots of tips and tricks from our wealth of experience.

#Travel

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architectnews · 4 years

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University of Stuttgart builds prototype thatched Alpine hut

The University of Stuttgart has designed SkinOver Reed, a thatched hut in the Austrian Alps, as part of its research into renewable materials that can be used in high-altitude Alpine regions.

Top: the hut is located in the mountainous Vorarlberg region. Above: thatch was used for both the roof and sides

"We found out that building skins in Alpine architecture are either stone, concrete, metal or wood," architect and lecturer Anke Wollbrink told Dezeen.

"DAV asked us if we could research or imagine an alternative, renewable material to meet their standards and especially their climate goals."

The material can be "almost analog to concrete"

It built the hut in Vorarlberg, Austria in August 2019, after two years of research and project development, on top of an existing stone foundation.

"We rediscovered the material thatch, which allows for a very three-dimensional design, almost analogue to concrete," Wollbrink said.

Students and craftsmen built the hut together

Reed was used for both the facade and roof cladding of the SkinOver Reed hut in Vorarlberg, Austria, creating a monolithic design that was built by craftsmen and students working together.

The IBBTE team chose to work with thatch, as it is a traditional and environmentally-friendly way of building houses that uses reeds to waterproof and insulate roofs.

"At the end of life reed is compostable and closes the material life cycle."

SkinOver Reed is located at an altitude of 2,600 metres

The hut is used to supply water to the nearby Mannheimer Hut, a restaurant and rest stop for hikers, and the IBBTE team is recoding how the material copes with the harsh local conditions.

"In the long term, we plan periodic and permanent measurements to gain more knowledge of appropriateness and ageing."

Other recent architectural projects in the Alps include Network of Architecture's Ötzi Peak 3251 viewing platform and Studio Seilern Architects' restaurant perched on the top of Mount Gütsch.

Project credits:

The post University of Stuttgart builds prototype thatched Alpine hut appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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urbany01-blog · 6 years

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Urbany

5 Things to Know about Colorado’s Amazing Backcountry Huts!

Visit to backcountry huts Colorado, it is a breath-taking experience and you will be bowled by the marvellous beauty, serenity of the place and amazing huts with all the basic amenities and comforts. If you wish to find solace away from hustles of city-life and wander among the high mountains in Colorado, plan an itinerary to Colorado Rocky Mountains. Check in at the non-profit 10th Mountain Division huts which has a network of 34 huts stretching along the 350 miles of alpine trails and routes. 10th Mountain Division huts name came into prominence since the US army were trained here in the 1940’s and these huts offer special veteran programmes. In summers, you can enjoy trekking and biking and in winters, you can indulge in skiing and snowshoeing and enjoy playing with snows.

If you are first timer to the Colorado Backcountry huts, you need to be keep yourself abreast ahead of the trip and plan your itinerary accordingly.

Advance Booking of Huts

Due to over popularity of the place, it is tough to acquire the accommodations in huts in short span of time. You require advance planning especially if you are planning to visit during winters and holidays. One year advance booking will help you to procure the desired location. Option is there for online advance booking and it is always better to book in advance. The rates are reasonable for the reason that they are been managed by non-profit organisation but the payment is upfront upon advance booking of backcountry huts Colorado.

Huts are not Easily Accessible

Huts are located in the remote areas of Colorado backcountry so it is not easy-going to locate. No sign boards or names are displayed on way to avoid hooliganism and unwanted trespassers. The maps are available to verify the location of the huts or you can prepare yourself to be familiar by visiting hut websites.

Open All Around the Year

Huts are open throughout the year. In summers, people land with kids to take leverage of hiking and mountain biking and it is best season to catch up with the children as winters are intolerable for children. Peak season for the huts is the winters to enjoy skiing and shoe snowing. If you are there in winters, be careful to return to huts before getting dark, else it will pose difficulty to locate the remotely placed huts. Biting cold too can be intolerable for you.

Huts are Comfortable Cabins

Don’t guess huts by the name, they are comfortable cabins loaded with amenities and luxuries. There are two storied huts too and it is available in impressive sizes which can easily accommodate up to 16-20 person in huts. You require clothing and equipment as per the season. There are provision for lights through solar panels, generous wood supply for fire, cutlery and kitchen with propane burners, water source and composting toilets. Water processing is difficult in winters as you require to use snow melted water or fetch from nearby stream and care is to be taken to filter or boil water before use.

Comfortable Clothes & User Friendly Equipment

As per the season, carry comfortable clothes and footwear eligible for mountaineering, hiking, snowshoeing or motor biking. Pack sweatpants, pullovers, caps, sleeping bag and equipment’s that you require for hut trip. You should familiarize yourself with the use and packing of equipment before starting the trip.

Conclusion

While planning a trip, familiarize yourself with the location of the Colorado backcountry using map and appoint a guide who can help you on your tour and sightseeing. Remember, you need to be fit health wise to withstand the rough climate of the place and can walk on steep hikes as there are locations where cars are not accessible. Pets are not allowed in these places to manage your pets before you step out for backcountry huts Colorado. Plan your errand and enjoy wonderful trip to Colorado with your group of friends and family.

#backcountry huts Colorado #location of the Colorado backcountry

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fabulousport · 6 years

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Skyway Monte Bianco is a cablecar in the Alps, linking the Italian town of Courmayeur with Pointe Helbronner on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif. Taking over three years to construct, it opened in 2015 at a cost of 110 million euros, and is considered to be the world’s most expensive cablecar installation.

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From the cablecar base station at Entrèves (at an altitude of 1,300 meters above sea level), the Skyway Monte Bianco rises to a mid-way station at Pavillon Du Mont-Frety at an altitude of 2,173 meters.

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It takes six minutes to reach this point, during which time the 80-person cabin make one complete rotation, giving visitors all-round views into the Aosta valley and along both Val Veny and Val Ferret, as well as improved access to the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif and a link via the Vallée Blanche Aerial Tramway to the Aiguille du Midi, from where a separate cable car descends to the town of Chamonix in France.

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The half-way station of the Pavillon contains a restaurant and conference centre, plus one of the highest botanical gardens in the region, containing some 900 alpine plant species, as well as access to a network of trails. Visitors can continue upwards via a second cable car which also slowly revolves, and takes ten minutes to reach Punta Helbronner (known as the Eagles Nest) at an altitude of 3,466 meters.

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Le Dent du Geant is so close..

360 degrees windows at all levels

Tourist facilities and scenic viewpoints provide close views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille d’Entreves and the Vallee Blanche, but also views further out towards the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. A tunnel and lift system provide access from the cable car terminus to the Torino Hut, a high-altitude mountain refuge offering accommodation both to tourists and to climbers intending to access the mountaineering routes of the range.

(Content Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyway_Monte_Bianco )

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Views from below the top platform

Window looking west

Looking east

The cablecar runs from 7:30/8:30am to 16:30/17:30 in the afternoon, check on the Funivie del Monte Bianco website http://www.montebianco.com/it/orari.html On this occasion we’ve been lucky enough to be able to admire a beautiful sunset just before having to make our way back down.

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Sunset view from the platform at the top

The sun sets behind the mountains

Thank you for passing by and reading this post, you’re welcome to subscribe and follow, and I really recommend you to pay a visit to this stunning place. Remember to Get Out More as it’s..

Fabulous Outdoors!

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A visit to Skyway Mont Blanc – Fabulous Outdoors Skyway Monte Bianco is a cablecar in the Alps, linking the Italian town of Courmayeur with Pointe Helbronner on the southern side of the Mont Blanc massif.

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years

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Skiing in Lech Zürs am Alberg – The Darling Winter Slopes of Austria

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg is at the very heart of the Vorarlberg winter, and it is only right to take this rite of ski passage at least once, even as a beginner. Its mountainous altitudes of over 2000m are at the very heart of Austrian ski, with Arlberg being the home of the country’s very first ski course over 100 years ago.

If you haven’t tested the slopes here, in what now constitutes Austria’s largest continuous ski area that connects with neighbouring Tyrol, then one might say you haven’t really skied in Austria at all.

While Vorarlberg and its six regions are dotted with a variety of ski areas, the Lech Zürs am Arlberg region is the place to start, or aspire to, as the darling of them all.

With pristine carved pistes, Lech is considered one of the finest ski resorts in the world and is a favourite with the Netherlands Royalty, with many a tale of the Queen being on the very first run of the day. The Lech Zürs am Arlberg ski area and its 200km of descents hold onto this title in one part due to its vast nature. Since 2013, it has been connected to the one in Warth-Schrocken with the addition of a huge cable car circuit, which means you can now ski across two major areas in one easily accessible resort.

The winter ski season in Lech Zürs am Arlberg opens on 30th November 2017. Click here for a full list of winter ski opening times throughout Austria.

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg. What’s it like as a newbie?

Over three days I covered this circuit, enjoying Lech Zürs on the first day and then gradually increasing the distance where by day three, we skied to Warth. From here I would continue onto my next Vorarlberg destination – in the nearby village of Damüls-Mellau of the Bregenzerwald to catch a glimpse of the ski trails there.

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg means upping the ante. Vorarlberg’s location on the northern rim of Europe means fresh snow is in abundance every year and the slopes present more variety and may often require a slightly more advanced skill set and confidence.

Following a short foray in the ski world in Tirol, cutting some fresh skills on the winter powder, I was challenged more in Lech Zürs am Arlberg with the harder, crunchier spring snow in March. Lesson one learnt – right now I am not a spring snow kind of athlete. It is a completely different feel and one that requires a lot more competence. Here in Lech Zürs, I was also faced with slightly harder obstacles on the blue run, like steep downhill-to-uphill runs and narrower paths, where your adrenalin runs super high in par to extreme concentration.

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg means skiing in style. While I often felt a little out-of-place as a beginner and without the air of grace of a slightly more upper-class ski vibe (it’s more expensive and thus attracts a slightly more aspiring clientele), I wouldn’t have missed the chance to experience Lech.

This distinct air of pride and air of grace all owes to the place itself – it’s spectacularly magical and immaculate, and deserving of such high esteem.

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg means feeling as if you are part of an exclusive club where hidden beauty is available to you. I remember travelling over a cloud-like setting when on a cable car, thinking: “Coffee foam, marshmallows or meringue?” and how this giant area was simply one huge mountain dessert. You are lucky if you get to indulge and should do so at least once in your ski lifetime.

Even the rest stops and mountain huts perched a little up high in are picturesque and retain an air of seclusion. It’s the top end of ultimate ski luxury and the resort ensures to keep it this way. There’s something about its size and accessibility that keeps this delicate balance in check.

The slopes of Lech Zürs am Arlberg are a network of dreamy power trails against a crisp blue sky, but that’s not to forget that down below the alpine village packs quite the buzz. While I reached for the peaks, it’s also fun at the bottom of the mountain.

Lech’s cool, contemporary vibe adds to the mix of what progressive Vorarlberg is known for. Bars within the village are as buzzing as the atmosphere up high, and in such a small village that’s mixed with seasonal returnees, you can easily jump on board with the homely feel where everyone is welcomed.

The Next Ski Season in Austria? My Journey Continues…

I’m still perfecting my ski skills, and I am nowhere near where I want to be yet. While Lech was literally a snow-laden dream, the challenges set me back a little in my own self-imposed quest for perfected ski skills and in finding a 100% match in an instructor (so far I have one in Tyrol). This bit is essential, but also can be difficult. As are the choice of ski seasons (winter vs. spring snow).

I never grew up in a land of peaks so large that it’s almost otherworldly. I never knew if snow would ever arrive in the winter season, and very often it didn’t. It left me with a wild curiosity to explore such landscapes, which I do today with childlike wonder. I got to Everest Base Camp, reached the summit of Kinabalu, scaled smaller mountains for unforgettable sunrises and now am pushing myself to perfect my ski in Austria so I can conquer the mountains another way…

…To ski in Austria.

There are times when I still can’t believe I live in one of the most beautiful countries in the entire world. One with a mountainous backdrop that will never stop making my heart skip a beat. Ski will always be a part of that, even if I am still trying to find my way.

And Lech is absolutely, most certainly back on my list.

Things to Know

Skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg and Beyond

When do ski resorts open in Austria for winter?

For the full list of winter opening dates in all of Austria’s ski resorts, click here. All regions celebrate their winter opening with big parties.

The ‘My Lech Card’

The ‘My Lech Card’ grants you access to all operating cable cars (during the particular season) in Lech and Warth, the blue village buses, entry to some museums, public pools and activity centres, as well as being able to join themed hikes and excursions. Full details can be found here.

A three-day card costs €24, seven days €40 and two weeks €68. The ‘My Lech Card’ is also free for those booking at least a one-night stay in a local accommodation.

Travel in Lech, Vorarlberg

For more information on the Lech Zürs am Arlberg ski season and on the Lech region of Vorarlberg, visit the region website for seasonal holiday planning and packages, activities, and destination insights.

Inspiration on travel in Vorarlberg and beyond in Austria can be found on the official site for Austria Tourism.

Skiing in Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg

You can also ski in Damüls-Mellau – the largest in the northern Bregenzerwald region of Vorarlberg with 268km of runs, which I got a sneak peek at. With spring snow requiring a different skill-set I was unable to complete any kind of circuit, instead I went up in the cable car to watch the colourful thrill seekers head down.

A highlight is to stand before the ‘Midday Mountain’ since the sun sits directly above it at this hour, illuminating it for all to see, high and low. Midday Mountain in Vorarlberg’s Mellau-Damüls calls you with its sharp arrow to the sky… and all you can do is follow.

If you want to explore further afield, the 3-valley ski pass is valid for 29 skiing areas in the Bregenzerwald, in the Große Walsertal, in the Lechtal, in Balderschwang (in Allgäu) and on the ski buses.

Skiing in Wider Vorarlberg

Despite Lech Zurs am Arlberg dominating the famed ski space, Vorarlberg is a haven for ski generally and there are many smaller areas where you can find your feet as a beginner too.

Other ski areas include Brandnertal, Bodensee-Vorarlberg near Lake Constance, Kleinwalsertal (a ski area spanning Austria and Germany) and peaceful Montafon, where you can cross into Switzerland on a ski tour.

Lech Zürs am Arlberg in the Summer

Curious to know what the region looks like in the summer? Planning a return in a different season? I was skiing the famous slopes of Lech Zürs am Alberg in March at the end of the ski season and by July I was hiking in Lech to see it clocked in multi-layers of green. It was a chance to see the region from a different perspective.

My time skiing in Lech Zürs am Arlberg was a part of my ‘Year in Austria’ project, as the UK ambassador for the Austrian National Tourist Office, and my own personal professional ski dreams. I will continue to be travelling all around the country from my home base of Vienna (for a total of 12 months), showcasing a variety of destinations and activities. Continue to follow #YearInAustria for all stories.

The post Skiing in Lech Zürs am Alberg – The Darling Winter Slopes of Austria appeared first on Borders Of Adventure.

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