Classic Treks: The Haute Route

by Kraig Becker on

There is a misconception that all of the great treks of the world involve backpackers roughing it in remote backcountry in a distant third world country. While those treks do hold a certain appeal, there are plenty of other great hikes that don’t require that you give up all of your amenities, and rough it, just so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Take the Haute Route for example. The 110-mile trek runs along a variety of routes from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland and generally takes about 12 days to complete. The route runs through some of the most scenic sections of the Alps, beginning in the shadow of Mount Blanc and ending under the Matterhorn, quite possibly the two most famous mountains in all of Europe.

While the Haute Route, which is also known as “the High Route” or “the Mountaineers Route”, is non-technical, it can still be physically demanding. The easy to follow trail climbs through 11 high passes, but reachs heights of nearly 12,500 feet in the process, and even during the summer, the use of crampons and ice axes may be necessary.

While this may seem daunting, and at times it can be, trekkers can look forward to staying in excellent mountain huts at the end of each day. The comfortable huts are found along the trail at intervals equivalent to a day’s hike. When the travelers arrive, they can kick off their boots, gather round the fire and partake in some of the surprisingly good food and local wines before retiring to a warm, comfortable bed for the night.

The Haute Route is often described as “the most beautiful walk in Europe” and that reputation is well founded. It passes through lush meadows and around brilliant glaciers stretching down some of the most impressive peaks in Europe. The trail even finds its way in and out of sleppy little mountain villages, giving trekkers the opportunity to experience Europe from a different perspective, far from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities.

During the summer months, the Haute Route is a popular destination for backpackers, but that doesn’t mean it closes down in the winter. The route is open for cross country skiers, who cover its length in roughly five days, enjoying the same scenery, and staying in the same mountain huts along the way.

No matter if you go in the summer or winter, you can expect a great outdoor adventure, with stunning scenery, and wonderful accomidations at the end of the day. You’ll challenge yourself physically but be rewarded with fine meals and comfortable beds for your efforts, and you’ll get to see parts of Europe that most only dream of.

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.

Europe By Rail

by Kraig Becker on

For many, taking the train is still the most wonderful way to travel. It is a romantic throwback to a long gone era, before modern jets linked the world. For some, taking the train is just too slow, but for those that enjoy it, that is one its charms. It affords travelers the opportunity to see the countryside, often from a comfortable car filled with modern amenities.

The train system in Europe is well known as being an excellent way for travelers to explore the continent. Trains run on a regular basis to nearly every region, offering a convenient, affordable, and leisurely way to get to your destination.

The TImes Online has put together a list of four great European rail journeys offering up suggestions for those who would like to experience the very best that this mode of transportation has to offer. The routes they suggest include a tour through Eastern Europe, a ride through the Alps, a journey along the French Riviera and Italy, and an adventure that will take you to Gibraltar and beyond, into Africa. Each of the routes has multiple legs, and the article gives details on the best and most insteresting of them. It also has tips on how to book your train journey, complete with ideas on how to save money in the process.

There was a time when train travel through Europe was viewed as strictly the realm of students and backpackers. But recently there have been first class and adults only cars added, opening the trains up as a viable option for other travlers as well. With airfares to Europe at bargain rates, now may be a great time to go, and with cheap trains as an option, explore the continent like never before.

20 Great Mountain Huts

by Kraig Becker on

Looking for a great mountain lodge to book for you next ski vacation? Something that affords stunning views with limited crowds and great access to the backcountry? Then look no further than this list created by Eric Kendall for The Guardian.

The list is broken down into subcategories, such as “Gourmet/Luxury”, “Easy Access”, and “Glorious Isolation”. There are even suggestions for non-skiers who would still like to play in the snow. The vast majority of these lodges are found in Europe, although Canada and New Zealand are represented as well.

The mountain huts in the luxury category offer all the upscale amenities that you would expect, including gourmet restaurants, hot tubs, and private ski instructors. For example, the Rifugio Fanes in Italy, offers luxury beds, hot showers, and unrivaled skiing in the Dolomites.

On the other end of the spectrum are the lodges that specialize in isolation, which require a little more work to get to, but reward visitors with untouched powder and a hut all to themselves. The Club Alpino, also in Italy, is the perfect example of this type of lodge. It is the highest hut in the Allps, sitting at 4554m (14,940 feet) and requiriing a bit of acclimization before visitors settle in.

Winter is not over yet, and there is still plenty of great skiing to be had. So pack up your gear, wax the skis and head to any one of these great mountain huts to enjoy some of the best skiing on the planet, while relaxing in equally impressive settings.

Spring skiing un-Vailed

by Iva Skoch on

Before this weekend, all my best skiing experience had come from either the Alps or the Pacific Northwest (e.g., Whistler, Oregon). I had never skied in the Rockies before. How is skiing in Colorado different from skiing in the Alps? I had to find out.

I am happy to report I just got back from a 5-day “research trip” to Colorado. The highlight of the trip was, of course, skiing Vail. To really generalize, based on skiing only Vail, I would say that skiing the Alps is very comparable to skiing the Rockies in that both have great conditions, extensive slopes, sunny weather. There are, hoverer, some differences that could make or break the deal for some people.

Cost

A one-day Vail ski pass is $92. That is just ridiculously expensive. Not only that, the price is the same whether you start at 8 am or 11 am. All they do is half day, afternoon discounts. Contrast that with Verbier, a comparable mountain in the Swiss Alps. One day ski pass goes for $64 Swiss Francs ($63). Kaprun, a ski resort in Austria, sells their day passes for 35 Euro ($55) for adults and discounts for teenagers and kids. And that’s with the Euro being at its all time high.

I realize that skiing in the US is generally more expensive that skiing in Europe. Why? I am not sure. Less competition perhaps? All I am saying is that $92 for a day of skiing is excessive and makes skiing a type of elitist sport way beyond reach of an average American. A ski weekend for a family of four would be too expensive to even think about. That’s a shame, because–if you ask me–skiing rocks.

The good news is that there are people selling buddy passes and discounted tickets everywhere in Vail. I don’t know how legal it is, but it may, I hear, be possible to buy a day pass from a random person for about $40, which is much more reasonable than $92.

If you don’t own your own equipment, you have to add another $30-60 for a set of boots, poles and skis or snowboard. The Vail Sports center right by the ticket counter offers a special package for about $50, where you can try different kinds of equipment all day long, for only one run each if you want. This is a good way to test what skis you like before actually buying a pair. Equipment rentals are everywhere in the village and their prices are about the same. To get the best deal (but not the best equipment) the local Sports Authority rents packages from only $20/day.

Ski conditions

Like I said, skiing Vail is comparable to skiing in the Alps. Colorado is supposed to have 300 days of sun. I can’t confirm that because we only had one day of sun out of 5. I can’t really comment on the weather because I didn’t spend enough time in Vail.

This season was supposed to be one of the best seasons the locals can remember, with over 425 inches of snow. Usually, they get about 350. We did get about 10 inches of new snow just in the last few days, which made it amazing, especially if you consider it is April. In sunny weather, you almost need it to snow every night. The sun warms the snow and when it freezes, the slopes get icy immediately. If it doesn’t snow enough, sunny weather in the mountain is a bad thing. That is why spring skiing can be tricky.

The other problem with spring skiing in Vail is that they close the season so early. This year’s season will close this coming weekend although they have enough snow to last for a another month. Apparently, they must close it because the workers they hire have fixed-term contracts and don’t want to extend them at will (and don’t forget visa issues for the foreigners). The good news about skiing Vail this week is that they reduced the price of a day ski pass to $75.

Vail has some of the best bowls and moguls I have ever seen. I have to say the area that they groom in Vail is incredibly large. The lifts, on the other hand, could use an upgrade. There is only one gondola, from Lionshead Village. The rest are your typical quads, and not even the “bubbles,” where you get a clear plastic bubble over you to protect you from the wind and snow.

Ambiance

I never quite understand why so many Northern American ski resorts try to look like Alpine villages. It is kind of silly. Why not invent its own “mountain look”? I remember that I first learned the English word “contrived” when I was in Whistler village; it’s how Lonely Planet described the village.

“Contrived” is what best describes Vail, as well. Faux alpine-type buildings with pseudo-Bavarian window treatments. When I first walked into the square at Lionshead village, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was kind of like being in a Disneyworld version of Innsbruck. Everything is meant to look authentic, but it is a little too new to be authentic. (see photo)

That said, there are a few great little cafes and restaurants, both in Lionshead Village and in Vail Village (they are only about a mile apart). The French deli in the center of Lionshead square makes great coffee. People love the German place in Vail Village, Pepi’s, but I just couldn’t bring myself to actually eat German food (which is so similar to my native Czech cuisine) in Colorado.

Last, but certainly not least, the apres-ski possibilities are great. No need to say more.

Mountain photo: kw baker, Flickr