Mountaineering course in the Ötztaler Alps in Austria

TREK REPORT 19-26 September 2020 I did a C1 mountaineering course with the Dutch Alpine club NKBV in the Ötztaler Alps in Austria. Our base was the Ötztaler Naturcamping in Huben and from there we made six day-trips in the Sölden area with our experienced guide, Bergführer Alexander Giacomelli from Alpinesport-Center. We practiced rope techniques, … Continue Reading

Ski touring in Vallée de la Clarée

TREK REPORT I did some ski touring 2-8 March 2019 in the French Alps with my friend Jasper de Vries, local mountain guide Murray Hamilton and four Dutchies from toerskien.org. After a day of off-piste skiing in Puy Saint Vincent and a practice tour in Crévoux, we did a 4 day hut-to-hut tour in Vallée … Continue Reading

Hot canoeing journey in Sweden

TREK REPORT 26 July – 1 Aug. 2018, I went canoeing in south Sweden with Leon Reteig, Lynn Sörensen and Alessio Sclocco. We started and finished at Tyngsjö Vildmark, a campsite and canoe rental place run by a friendly Dutch couple, about 300 km northwest of Stockholm. In 6 days we did a 71 km trek (43 … Continue Reading

Kayaking at the Vinkeveense Plassen

Only a 20-minute drive South of Amsterdam is the popular nature and watersports area the Vinkeveense Plassen. I went kayaking there a few times over the years with friends. We rented kayaks at Vinkeveen Haven (about €20 for 4 hours per kayak). They also have the convenient free map “Vinkeveense Plassen Recreatie- en Plassenkaart”. Here … Continue Reading

Ski touring in Queyras

TREK REPORT 7-17 Feb. 2018, I went skiing with Ottoline in Queyras, in the French Alps. We started with two days of warm-up skiing in Abriès and Molines-en-Queyras. Then we had two days of off-piste training with a Dutch group from toerskien.org and the local mountain guide Murray Hamilton. We finished with four days of … Continue Reading

Facing the elements on the Hardangervidda

TREK REPORT Who said a vacation in rain, wind and cold can’t be fun? Just returned from a 6-day trek (28 July – 2 Aug. 2017) on the Hardangervidda in Norway with my friends Rob Hofman, Jeroen Keultjes and Willem Hofman. It’s the country’s largest national park and located on an 1100 m high plateau, … Continue Reading