Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures

Have I Been Here Before?

2009-07-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

I love old postcards of the Alps, and this one is particularly appropriate because it captures a glimpse of the region that we’ll call home for the next few days. As I mentioned yesterday, we’re hiking our new Heart of Austria tour, and tonight we rest our feet in the village of Gosau, surrounded by the impressive peaks of the Dachstein.

The country home in this postcard is the Gasthof Gosauschmied, and although we’re not staying here, I know it well. This house is characteristic of the small homes that dot this enchanted countryside. This particular guesthouse celebrated its 310th anniversary in 2005, and the family that runs it is 5th generation. They continue to welcome weary travelers with warm meals and a comfortable place to sleep.

Old images like these stir something exciting my blood, and I feel like they rekindle deep-rooted memories of the past. I like to think that a person can actually remember their ancestral history because it would to help explain the reason that I’m drawn to images like this one, with its dark forests, clear running streams, and lonely mountains looming in the distance.

I can almost smell the hot soup bubbling on the open hearth. I can feel the smooth, well-worn and almost waxy texture of the long wooden dinner table. I can taste the cool mountain spring water and see my shadow dancing across the hand-hewn timbers in the flickering firelight. I can even hear the faint din of laughter and song from the hearty wayfarers that passed this way centuries ago.

I find this region enchanting. Do I have an ancestral memory of this place? I like to think that I do. People settled this region more than 7,000 years ago; maybe my ancestors walked their own paths through this mysterious land.

Check out more images of Gosau and the Dachstein by clicking today’s Twitter link, or visit gosau.org.

The Start of Something Spectacular

2009-07-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

This twittering thing has been interesting. On the one hand, I love writing concise messages. On the other hand, I feel like I want, and need, to say more.

Take today’s tweet for example. I mentioned that our Heart of Austria tour begins tonight, but what I really wanted to say was, “Yes! We’ve arrived at the doorstep of something truly spectacular.”

This week’s tour begins in the small market village of Bad Goisern. Bad Goisern doesn’t really see a lot of international travelers, other than Germans, which makes it a great, undiscovered stepping stone into the hills and mountains of the Salzkammergut.

The Salzkammergut’s history goes back to Neolithic days, as evidenced by various artifacts discovered throughout the years, but the first written record of Goisern as a settlement dates back to the 14th century. A document from 1325 mentions Bad Goisern as the village of "Gebisharn".

Bad Goisern became an official spa town in 1931, hence the word “Bad” or “bath” in front of the actual name, but today it’s known as a place where people and nature coexist in harmony. To prove this point, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, recognized the region around Bad Goisern for its distinct natural and cultural treasures. In addition, 76 different lakes throughout the region make this ground zero for people that love the mountains and water.

Tonight we’ll enjoy a warm welcome and a delicious dinner. Tomorrow we’ll step into the hills and go looking for a fairy tale.

NB: The guided Heart of Austria tour may have departed already, but there’s still time to organize your own self-guided version. This has been a popular tour this summer and for good reason. Please contact us for more details.

Basel Serves up Van Gogh

2009-07-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you like Van Gogh, and you’re looking for something to do following your hiking tour, then swing by the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland.

The Kunstmuseum Basel presents a major exhibition of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. The exhibition features a broad cross-section of paintings from every creative period of the famous master, with a thematic focus on landscapes from around the world. Helping to place the master’s work in a broader context, the exhibition also features examples from Van Gogh’s contemporaries Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Cézanne and Gauguin.

This exhibition runs from now until September 27, 2009

Location: Kunstmuseum Basel
Address: St. Alban-Graben 16
For more info: www.vangogh.ch

Let us know if you like to do this. We can help you with accommodations and great places to eat.

Image courtesy of vangogh.ch

Save Money and Receive a Free Alps DVD!

2009-07-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Don't forget. Book one of our special tours and save $200 per person PLUS receive a complimentary DVD featuring the IMAX movie The Alps. (Limited time only).

This special film follows mountaineer John Harlin III up the North Face of the Eiger as he attempts to honor the memory of his father who died on the same mountain 40 years before. The film beautifully captures one of Europe’s greatest mountain ranges and offers a stunning look at the landscapes that our signature tours explore. Click here to read more about the film, including behind the scenes, photos, and more.

Save money, get your free copy of the film, and see the filming locations in person by registering for one of the following guided tours.

The Eiger Trail
The Jungfrau Ramble
The Hiker’s Haute Route

Please contact us to register or for more details.

What about bugs?

2009-07-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran across an old article from Iowa State University concerning bug repellent research. The study concluded that catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET for repelling mosquitoes.

As an avid canoeist and explorer of backwoods waterways, I enjoyed this bit of woodsy info. The subject matter confirmed, however, just one more reason why I love hiking in the Alps. Bugs simply aren’t an issue over there. While it’s true that we might encounter them once in a while around humid areas or at lower elevations, in general, we just don’t have to deal with them.

We’ve had a number of guests ask about bugs on our hiking tours and our response is always the same. Leave the bug dope at home. You just won’t need it.

If you’re one of the consistently over-prepared, tuck a few sprigs of catnip in your hat and watch the alpine cats go crazy.

Cheers!

Quick Tip: Dry your trekking poles.

2009-06-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Pull your trekking poles apart and let everything dry following a particularly rainy hike. Performing this simple maintenance will help to prevent the barrel adjustment screw from corroding like the one in this photo.

Once the screw corrodes, the barrel adjuster freezes and your poles neither expand nor collapse. Some newer poles appear immune to this problem, but it never hurts to be on the safe side.

If you don't feel like completely dismantling your poles, at least expand them and give everything a quick wipe down before putting them away. Doing this, even with new poles, also affords the opportunity to visually inspect your sticks to ensure they're in good working order for your next hike.

See you on the trail!

Music is in the Air!

2009-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

If you happen to start, or finish, one of our hiking tours around Saas Fee, then be sure to check out the International Alpine Music Festival. Attention Hiker's Haute Route and Swiss Haute Route guests; THIS MEANS YOU.

This year’s 12th annual International Alpine Music Festival takes place in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, a mountain-ringed village also known as the “Pearl of the Alps”, from July 9-12, 2009.

The emphasis of this year's festival is "Folk music for, and by, folk musicians".
There will be dancing and entertainment evenings as well as different performances on the village square. The entire village of Saas-Fee becomes a stage, and different Swiss folk music bands will perform outside a number of restaurants from Friday through Sunday.

Do something fun and unique during your trip. Experience storybook Switzerland in a true storybook village.

Please contact us for more details.

Image courtesy of www.saas-fee.ch

Our 25th Year Officially Begins

2009-06-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's pictures like this one, of the people that we meet along the trail, that remind us of the many reasons that we do what we do.

Ryder Walker guides Ken Fuhrer and Mike Thurk sent me a celebratory message this morning. "Ryder-Walker's 25th anniversary guided hiking season has officially begun in Europe!"

Indeed it has. Our Italian Dolomites Trek departed this morning and marked the first guided hiking trip to depart in Europe this summer.

Please join us as we raise our glass to 25 extraordinary years of adventure both in the U.S. and abroad. We couldn't have done it without our guests, so to everyone that accompanied us throughout the years, we salute you.

Please drop us a note, and tell us about your most memorable moment with Ryder-Walker.

Here's to many more!

Photo by Ken Fuhrer

Using the iphone to curb Global Warming?

2009-06-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Using the iphone to help protect Europe's vast, melting Glacier System. What an interesting and modern world we live in. Click here to read more.

Photo courtesy of swissinfo.ch

Gear Review: Petzl TacTikka Plus

2009-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

I always feel like a secret agent when I don my TacTikka Plus headlamp from Petzl. It’s the red flip filter that separates this LED powered lamp from other conventional torches.

My wife originally gave me this headlamp so that I could hike, camp, and participate in other outdoor activities at night without drawing too much attention to myself. I quickly discovered, however, that the TacTikka Plus offers benefits to our hiking tour guests as well.

If you have any hut stays along your tour that require bunk style accommodation then you’ll love the red “secret agent” filter built into this lamp. We always recommend a head lamp for hut stays, and this one is perfect for fumbling around during the middle of the night without disturbing your sleeping neighbors. Originally designed for hunting, fishing, and sailing, the red filter ensures discreet lighting when you need it most. Just alternate between white or red light simply by moving the pivoting filter over the LEDs . This lamp is super compact and lightweight so it’s also easy to throw into a daypack. Be careful though, it’s so small that you might lose it in an obscure coat pocket.

Some of the features of this lamp include:

Four LEDs instead of three: Making it 80% brighter than the old Tikka and offering more even lighting without blank spots in the beam.

Compact size: Not much larger than the small batteries that power it; Tactikka weighs a mere 2.75 ounces.

3 brightness settings: Maximum, optimum, economy, and a blinking mode (for conserving battery power or for signaling the user's location).

Long light duration: Up to 150 hours

Lightweight and comfortable to wear.

Water-resistant for all-weather use.

Ergonomically designed, comfortable to wear elastic headband.

Pivoting light housing: Beam can be aimed where needed.

I’ve had my TacTikka for 5 months now and I’ve tested it while hiking, camping, snowboarding, cycling, and more. I’ve used it in rain, sleet, cold and snow, and it hasn’t failed me yet. Petzl upgraded the switch on this new TacTikka, and I like it much better than the old one. The entire unit also feels tighter and more durable.

The blinking option has been great when I forget my normal bike blights, and the red filter allows me to read until the wee hours of the morning without waking my wife. Interestingly, the red light also feels easier on my eyes. My only concern is that I might accidentally break off the red filter while it’s in the down position, but this hasn't happened yet.

In all, I give the TacTikka Plus two thumbs up, even if for those that aren't aspiring secret agents.

Suggested Retail: $44.95

Another Satisified Guest

2009-06-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

(One of our guests recently offered the following recommendation to a prospective customer.)

"Do you have an ELEVEN on your scale, because that is my rating of all of the trips I have done with Peter. He is an extremely knowledgeable individual in all aspects of mountaineering and taking impeccable care of his clients. He, and his incredible team of guides, have a knack for getting us to places that Americans just don’t get to. These adventures have been researched on foot and distilled down from a huge number of choices, so you’re getting the very best in terrain, accommodations, and a great balance between a good, solid day on the trail, and a 5 star experience at the end of the trail.

No, I’m not on the payroll, but I am enthusiastic about Peter and his operation and look forward to many more adventures with him in the future."

Cheers,
John

(John. Thank you from the entire staff at Ryder-Walker! You've been a pleasure to hike to with. We look forward to many more trips with you.)

Switzerland Tourism Honors One of Our Own

2009-05-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Switzerland Tourism recently honored Ryder-Walker’s own Chris Pranskatis with the Goldflower Award 2009. The Goldflower recognizes “Chris P.” for his “long lasting and ongoing passion for Switzerland, his outstanding support in promoting tourism to Switzerland, and his extraordinary achievements as a successful tour operator in the North American market.”

Switzerland Tourism awards the Goldflower every two years during their industry trade show, the Switzerland Travel Mart. This year’s travel mart took place in the lakeside city of Lucerne.

Recipients of the award also receive a new Bucherer watch, (for maintaining Swiss punctuality of course), and they enjoy the honor of wearing the coveted goldflower lapel pin. The Goldflower Award is the highest honor that Switzerland Tourism bestows its partners from the North American Market.

Congrats Chris P!

This is just one more reason to hike with Ryder-Walker, a true Switzerland specialist.

I want it all!

2009-05-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

I love mountains, but I also love water. Luckily I can have it all in Switzerland!

Photo: Taken last week by Chris P. while heading across the Waldstattersee, (Lake Lucerne).

Making a comeback?

2009-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have an old book titled The Alps, by Otto Siegner. It's filled with wonderful old photos like this one of the Tre Cime di Laveredo, also known as the Drei Zinnen in German, meaning three peaks. These three impressive peaks stand proudly in a much larger mountain range known as the Sexten Dolomites of Northeastern Italy.

These peaks originally formed part of the border between Italy and Austria, but now they lie on the border between the Italian provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Belluno. Today they form part of the linguistic boundary between the German and Italian speaking regions of this awesome mountain range, the Dolomites.

It just so happens that hikers on our Cortina and Lakes of the Dolomites Adventure get to spend a night in a comfortable alpine hut, (hiking access only), directly beneath these towering peaks. Even better, we're offering a special $300 discount per person for guests that register for this tour before May 25th, 2009. Click here to read more about our Spring Special.

It's too bad that our guests don't dress like this anymore, (although a few have come close). Nickers ARE making a comeback though, and I can only hope that argyle socks aren't too far behind.

Breathless

2009-05-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

It was above those cliffs in the distance, many years ago, that one of our guests turned to me and said, "It's not the number of steps in life that matter, but rather the number of steps that leave us breathless."

Incredible Views and Vistas

2009-04-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

MSN just listed the region of the Matterhorn and the Alps as one of 10 special places IN THE WORLD to enjoy incredible views and scenic vistas. This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but when listed along side other giants like Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China, it's still pretty cool.

Maybe we should rename our Hiker's Haute Route the Incredible Views and Vistas Adventure.

Photo: By Ken Fuhrer. Taken during lunch on last year's Hiker's Haute Route.

Living the good life.

2009-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Grenzlos, one of our house gnomes, likes to travel, and we never really know where he’s going to pop up next. We thought he was in Switzerland, until now.

The Walker family recently returned from a ski trip in Austria and shot this photo while they were there. It appears that Grenzlos is happily spending his time in a region known as the Silvretta, and I can’t say that I blame him. The Silvretta is a very special place.

Peter Walker said this about his recent trip. “We skied from Ischgl, Austria to Davos, Switzerland over the course of ten days. It was sunny throughout with high temperatures in the 60's each day. The slogan for Ischgl, Relax If You Can, barely hints at the number of possibilities in this adventurer’s paradise. The huts are incredible. They have private rooms and showers. One has an indoor climbing wall and also its own private access lift. It also has WiFi and a sauna. Really, it’s pretty deluxe.”

Deluxe indeed.

Please forward a photo if you happen to see Grenzlos during your travels abroad. And please let him know that we could use his help back in the office. He has a knack for slipping away undetected.

Swiss Hiking: Not So Free Anymore.

2009-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting topic lately.

Click here to read.

Don't wait too long!

2009-04-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Red Rock Tour is Sold Out, but we still have a few spaces available on our Italian Dolomites Trek and our Cortina & Lakes of the Dolomites Adventure.

Rooms go fast during this time of year. Don't wait too long!

Photo: The lakeside finish of our Cortina & Lakes of the Dolomites tour.

Switzerland: Ridiculously clean.

2009-04-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Please contact us if you'd like to volunteer with this group, either before or following your tour.

Where on the Planet?

2009-04-07T12:42:00.001-07:00

Our local newspaper, the Telluride Daily Planet, has a special section that they call "Where on the Planet?" The newspaper invites readers to photograph themselves while reading the The Planet in fun places across the globe. During the last few years, we've seen people reading the our newspaper while skydiving in Italy, touring the Taj Mahal, sunbathing in Antarctica, and more.

We have a similar thing going here at Ryder-Walker. Our guests occasionally photograph themselves with Ryder-Walker memorabilia in fun places around the world.

The latest photographs come from Aubrey Whitear, our friend, guest, and unofficial advisor for the Southern Hemisphere.

Aubrey writes, "Thought you guys might like to see a few photos from our recent treks on the Able Tasman and Queen Charlotte tracks in New Zealand.

In Ryder Walker style we felt obliged to rename them the Able Tasman Seaside Stroll and the Queen Charlotte Ridge Ramble. The Able Tasman is a very pleasant coastal walk of about 50 km involving some beach walking, small uphills and estuary crossings."

He adds, "The QC is a bit more serious - 71 km over four days with some decent climbs, around 800 metres in aggregate on the third day. Much of the time on the QC you could believe you were among the Swiss lakes. Anyhow, I'm claiming this as the furthest outpost trekked by a Ryder Walker cap! Now I'm looking forward to August!"

Aubrey claimed New Zealand as the farthest outpost trekked by a Ryder-Walker cap. Can anyone out there lay claim to something further?

Thanks Aubrey! These are great photos. That beach looks really nice following last week's snowstorm.

Global Warming Exposes Ancient Cliff Dwellings

2009-04-01T13:24:00.001-07:00

Ryder Walker Guide, Ken Fuhrer, shot this photo during last year's Hiker's Haute Route. Archeologists continue to conduct preliminary investigations of the find, though some experts believe that these structures belonged to the same people that inhabited the southwestern United States many centuries years ago.

Melting snow prompts border change between Switzerland and Italy

2009-03-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ryder-Walker Guide and Office Guru, Mike Thurk, forwarded me a wonderful photo yesterday. The object in the foreground is called a grolla, and it's an object that's unique to the Val d'Aosta region of northern Italy. The grolla is a drinking cup filled with espresso, grappa and secret Italian love. Friends come together and pass this thing around while drinking from one of the multiple wooden spouts.

You find these "friendship cups" in Courmayeur, but you also find them in the stores around Cervinia, directly opposite of Zermatt, which got me thinking about the recent article below. Will there a be a day when the grolla becomes a popular tradition in Zermatt? What about rösti and weizen bier in Cervinia? Check out the following article to see what I'm talking about. The affected area includes the region around the Matterhorn.

From the Independent:

Global warming is dissolving the Alpine glaciers so rapidly that Italy and Switzerland have decided they must re-draw their national borders to take account of the new realities.

The border has been fixed since 1861, when Italy became a unified state. But for the past century the surface area of the “cryosphere”, the zone of glaciers, permanent snow cover and permafrost, has been shrinking steadily, with dramatic acceleration in the past five years. This is the area over which the national frontier passes and the two countries have now agreed...read more.

Get in the mood.

2009-03-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Dim the lights. Set a pot of fondue on the stove. Pour yourself a glass of sparkling fendant, and then click the following link.

I like Männliflueh-Jutz from the Lötschberg region, but Fila-Fila from the Ticino is also nice.

Tschüss!

Photo: Taken on the Maennlichen (2343 m) in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. The Eiger, Moench, Tschuggen and Jungfrau peaks form a majestic backdrop for these alphorn players. Courtesy of Swiss-image.ch

Do you know the difference?

2009-03-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

…between a petroglyph and a pictograph? Here’s a hint, one is pecked, ground, incised, abraded, or scratched on the rock surface, and one is painted on the rock surface using mineral pigments and plant dyes.

Therefore, the following photo taken by Ken Fuhrer during last year’s Red Rock tour, is a fine example of a petroglyph.

And this photo of the Great Gallery, shot in the Canyonlands of Utah, represents a nice example of a pictograph.

Researchers estimate that some of the rock art found in this region dates to a few hundred years ago, while other examples go back 5,000 years.