Swiss say no to naked hikers in the Alps

by Scott Carmichael on

Voters in the Swiss Canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes got to have their say in a proposal put together to ban naked hikers in their region of the Alps.

The (primarily German) hikers had been prancing through the Alps without any clothes, much to the chagrin of the residents.

People caught in the buff will now receive a 200CHF fine (about $176).

Residents of the Inner Rhodes area have described the naked tourists as “thoroughly disturbing and irritating,”

Their neighbors in the Appenzell Outer Rhodes Canton are preparing a similar ban which will probably bring an end to the German web sites describing the activity as “a special experience of nature, free and healthy”.

Still, these German naturists could always check out this recently opened hotel in their own country.

Photo of the Day (4.19.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome back, sun! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Flickr user HazardousPaste could not have had better timing for this sun-drenched nature shot. The color contrasts here are fantastic – the warm yellows of the sunflower and crisp blues of the sky complement one another perfectly. Throw in the detail of two buzzing bees in the middle for extra interest and you’ve got the perfect photo to help us welcome the onset of Spring.

Have any travel photos you’d like to share with our Gadling readers? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Bargain Europe: Camping Across The Continent

by Kraig Becker on

In these economic times we’re all looking to find ways to save a little cash without giving up our travels. Airfares are more affordable than they have been in a long time, which means that we can at least afford to get to the places we want to visit. But what happens once we get there? Are there any affordable places to stay?

Most travelers making their way across the pond to Europe tend to stay in nice hotels. Some, looking to go on the cheap, will stay in hostels along the way. But the Times Online has another suggestion, one that often goes overlooked. They recommend frugal travelers consider camping their way across the continent.

In their first article on the subject, they recommend the best place to camp in Paris. Yep, that’s right, camping in Paris itself, within sight of the Eiffel Tower, on a small river island on the Seine, at a place called Paris Camping International. The place offers a quiet escape from the sights and sounds of the City of Lights, but is just minutes from the chic cafes and art houses that Paris is famous for.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Times followed up that story with a list of the 20 coolest campsites across the rest of Europe. The list has suggestions for Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, and more. The camp sites offer some amazing scenery, with backdrops ranging from the Swiss Alps to the Mediterranean Sea, and they are all rich in charm, but short on expense.

Looking for a bargain trip to Europe this year? Perhaps you should pack a tent when you go and take advantage of these unique places to camp.

Snowboarder Twitters For Rescue

by Kraig Becker on

The “micro-blogging” phenomenon known as Twitter has captured the attention of many, while confounding others. In a nutshell, the service allows users to send out brief messages to friends, known as “Followers” in twitter-speak, sharing news and information or simply the minutia of your day.

The service came in especially handy for Jason Tavaria recently when he and a companion were snowboarding in the Swiss Alps and became lost in a snow storm. Despite being stranded in a blizzard, Tavaria’s iPhone still had reception, and he simply used his Twitter app to “tweet” his location, which he determined using the phone’s built in GPS. Rescue teams were able to locate Tavaria, who was unharmed and in good condition.

Tavaria’s companion, Rob Williams, was not so lucky. It is believed that while lost, and blinded by the snow, he fell of a 60 foot cliff and died. His body was later recovered from a stream at the foot of the cliff he went over.

The entire search and rescue operation played out over Twitter as well, with friends of the duo sending out messages and updates from the lodge while they waited for word on their rescue. At one point they sent out a request for Williams’ phone number in an attempt to call the young entrepreneur, who had founded the online music equipment site Dolphin Music.

This story is just another example of how connected we’ve all become and how technology is changing the way we communicate.

Five Places To See Before Climate Change Ruins Them Forever

by Kraig Becker on

CNN.com has an interesting article naming the five places that everyone should see before they are forever altered by climate change, which is already having an indelible effect on our planet.

This list was compiled by Bob Henson, the author of The Rough Guide To Climate Change, who wants to give travelers a heads up on the best places to visit in the near future, as they are also the most likely to see the most drastic changes in the near future.

The list includes The Great Barrier Reef, whose coral reefs are now threatened by warming waters, causing them to die at an alarming rate. The GBR is a popular tourist destination and is considered one of the best places to SCUBA dive and snorkel in the world, which has hastened some of the damage. With so many people visiting, and the environment already fragile, the likelihood of causing harm is increased.

New Orleans, Louisiana also finds its way onto Bob’s list for obvious reasons. Hurricane Katrina made us all painfully aware that the city sits below sea level and is precariously protected by a series of walls and levies. As the planet warms up however, and the polar icecaps melt, the sea levels are going to rise, endangering New Orleans further. It’s possible that the city may not even exist at all in the future.

Of course, the ongoing debate is, should we rush off to visit these places, as well as the other three on the list, thereby increasing the chances of those places being altered forever. Or should we stay home, and limit our footprint? That is a question that all travelers will be wrestling with for years to come.