Swiss Igloo Hotels

by Neil Woodburn on

I’m not sure why no one has thought of this before; build a few igloos at the top of a ski resort, throw in some fur covered beds and some “hotel” staff, then rent them out to skiers who want to spend a night on the slopes.

It’s brilliant and simple.

Iglu-Dorf has constructed five “igloo villages” on five mountaintops across the Swiss Alps. Each village has a general sauna or whirlpool, a bar, and Swiss chefs who will prepare fondue for dinner.

Not all igloos are created equal, however. There are four levels of rooms; Standard, Romantic, Romantic Plus, and the top-of-the-line, Romantic Suite which includes a private bathroom and whirlpool for just 339 euros a night.

If you get the chance, check out some of the cool photographs and videos on the website. I’d love to try it out myself, but only for one night. I’m sure those babies get real cold inside!

Banff Mountain Film Festival – New York City

by Erik Olsen on

Although I’ve only been once…to the one in Santa Monica, CA…I think that the Banff Mountain Film festival is one of those must-do events for outdoors enthusiasts. The event tours the country and Canada, showing off the best independent climbing, skiing and adventure films made today. Of course, the best one to go to is the one in Banff itself, where you can hobnob with the filmmakers and adventurers…which I suppose you can still probably do at some of the more local showings. But you won’t be in Banff.

Anyway, I was very pleased to see that the festival is coming to New York City and I will do my best, dear gadling readers, to attend. The festival will take place in NYC on Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday March 7, 2007 at the Peter Norton Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp Theater at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York.

The film schedule can be found here. Most interesting to me are the films Asiemut, a film about a 2005 cycling expedition 8000 kilometers across Asia by Olivier Higgins and Mélanie Carrier and Patagonia – A Travel to the End of the World, a film with Børge Ousland about the first unsupported traverse of the Southern Patagonia Icecap. Gotta love anything about Patagonia.

If you’re curious whether there will be a showing near you, here is the Banff Calender

SteriPEN Water Purifiers

by Willy Volk on

Once, my bus broke down just east of Namibia’s barren Caprivi Strip. Though I was certain to begin any day’s travel with a full water bottle, the break-down occurred late in the day, and I had consumed most of my water already. As we waited for the “mechanic” (read: sweaty African guy with two tools to his name) to cycle to our remote spot and rebuild our axle, I drank my last drop. Parched, I soon succumbed to the pressure: I dunked the ladle into the communal gourd a village woman had brought, and slowly poured the water into my Nalgene, through my t-shirt, pretending it was a filter. I drank deeply and re-filled my bottle. Happily, I didn’t fall ill — and a passing vehicle picked me up soon thereafter — but I sure was nervous for a while.

Had I known about SteriPEN, a portable water purifier that uses ultraviolet light to destroy waterborne microbes, I might’ve bought one before heading to The Dark Continent. The 4-ounce Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier is fast (it only takes 48 seconds to sterilize 16 ounces), and fits easily into a backpack. The optional solar charger would’ve allowed me to drink over and over again without having to buy any of those crummy imported Chinese batteries. What a gip those were!

SteriPEN also makes an all-in-one set that includes the purifier and a special filter for all wide-mouth water bottles. Sure, $120 seems like a lot — until the first time your cracked lips are screaming for a drop of Aqua Vita.

Missing Tourist Found After 8 Days On Indonesian Mountain

by Jonathon Morgan on

Franz Resch, a 46-year-old tourist from Austria, left his hotel on January 23 to climb the Sibayak Mountain. 8 days, and one rescue operation later, he was found alive in a village in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province.

After Resch’s hotel declared him missing, rescue workers found his boots, soft drink cans, books and mattress, but couldn’t locate the lost tourist. When villagers finally discovered him, they reported it to local police, who immediately took Resch to the hospital.

According to local police, he “is very weak.”

Being lost alone in the mountains must be a harrowing experience. After surviving this long, we can only hope Resch goes on to make a full recovery.

Symbiot Sportback Review

by Erik Olsen on

Way back last summer I ruminated on the need for a decent backpack that doesn’t flop all over the place. And perhaps one that is comfortable to boot. This need comes not just from days paddling and having to reach into my cockpit for gear, but also when I’ve been mountain biking, skiing and hiking. And I called attention to the Symbiot Sportback, which I thought seemed to fulfill this need fairly well.

Well, the other day I got my hands on one of these gems and during the stretch of unseasonably warm days we had here recently, got a chance to try it out. My answer: very nice, with reservations. The pack is very well-designed and about the most comfortable pack I’ve ever worn. Instead of hanging over your shoulders, this pack has straps that wrap around your torso and then clip in front. The back is padded with the kind of meshy, well-architected padding you find on top end hiking packs. There are little pockets and storage areas around the pack, with a small pair of them upfront for a cell phone, GPS, flashlight or ipod (albeit probably a mini), and several larger, compartmental pockets in back, two of which zip and appear to be nicely water resistant. The pack is particularly suitable for paddling.

My main complaint is there is not THAT much room in these pockets and so carrying anything like a laptop computer or, say, the L-M volume of Encyclopedia Britannica is probably out of the question. But there is ample space for food, a notebook, GPS receiver and some other gear. In all honestly, there was plenty of room for my day paddle around the river, and I plan to bring along the Sportback when I head to Norway this summer.

So if you’re in the market for something different in the backpack arena, I highly recommend you check this out.