Mid March: Italy, Switzerland, Austria, sunshine AND great powder snow - sounds impossible? Think again, as that’s exactly what we experienced on the Marker Dalbello Völkl Transalp tour!
Disclosure:This trip was made possible with the help of Marker Dalbello Völkl who invited me on this trip. This does not influence the article as I maintain full editorial control of the content published on this site. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
Last Monday was a travel day. Last Tuesday was a powder day. Life is good, right until when it is not good anymore.
The TransAlp sounded like an Event that was made for me: A traverse of three countries on ski, from Livigno in Italy to the Kleinwalsertal in Austria via Switzerland. It’s exactly the kind of trips I enjoy and look for, so the invitation to the adventure from Marker, Dalbello and Völkl was after a bit of pondering and some questions quickly decided upon.
What I couldn’t be aware of was that a flu I had decided to trouble me up at almost 3.000 m up in the Alps, and slow me down quite a bit in comparison with my more skilled tour partners.
The full story will follow before the season ends, if you can’t wait you should head over to Instagram and read between the lines on how the trip went.
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Building 2 has the perfect mix of condo residences to suit any homeowner. From efficient 536 sq.ft. studio suites to spacious 1245 sq.ft. corner units, Building 2’s condos have been meticulously designed to meet the needs and requirements of our buyers.
The Orchard is another exciting addition to the portfolio of towers launched nationally by Lamb Development Corporation (LDC) and Fortress Real Developments (FRDI). The project is planned to include two soaring 31-storey towers with a total of just under 500 units. Units range from about 500 sf to 2,000 sf and are priced from $250,000. Both phases include a ground floor retail component.
The project sits across from the Calgary Stampede grounds and will feature an apple orchard on the street level as a public space between two sleek towers. This is the 2nd collaboration in Calgary between LDC and FRDI; 6th and Tenth is now complete and occupied.
Red Maple Residences is coming to soon to Lower Lonsdale. This six-story concrete low-rise will feature fifty-seven, one, two and three bedroom condos and townhomes. Most homes feature large balconies, and the penthouses will have sky lounges.
Located on 3rd and St. Georges, Red Maple Residences is conveniently located in the heart of Lower Lonsdale, you are just blocks away with all that the neighbourhood offer
To be kept up to date with this development and many others like it, register with us today.
This is not an offering for sale. No such offering can be made without a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.
Spring Olive Developments is building Tatlow Homes, a small boutique building featuring 33 one, two and three bedroom homes. Each home will feature a spacious well laid out floor plans, expansive kitchens great for entertaining, open concept living and dining as well as large windows, and balconies maximize the light and views on all units.
Located along the Marine Drive Corridor in the heart of North Vancouver, you will enjoy the very best of what the North Shore has to offer. A short walk brings you to Park Royal with all its shop and services, Ambleside Beach, and the new up coming Lions Gate Village the hundreds of locations right at your doorstep. Tatlow is the perfect blend of North Shore living with the convenience of a modern city home.
For more information on Tatlow homes, register with us today.
Jumar in Squamish is a new mixed-use development located in the heart of downtown Squamish. This project will offer 101 mixture of 1- to 3-bedroom condominiums and townhouses. Imagine stepping out your door this morning to world-class mountain biking, kiteboarding, running, climbing and hiking. Or, for that matter, to fantastic dining, and great shops. Adventure on your terms, 7 days a week. That’s Squamish living. That’s Jumar.
Davie & Nicola in the West End by VivaGrand Developments is a new 22-storey high-rise with 4-storey podium development. This project will offer 104 market strata condominiums, 51 market rental units, 3 market townhomes and 9 rental townhouses. Davie & Nicola is ideally suited to those with an active lifestyle. Enjoy excellent access to the beach, park, seawall, watersports, and numerous community events, ranging from the annual Polar Bear Swim in winter to the Celebration of Light in summer.
The Sentinel by Darwin Construction is a new 26-storey residential development located at the most eastern point of West Vancouver. This project will offer 93 market condominiums and 4 three-storey detached townhouses. The Sentinel will be architecturally distinctive with an integrated approach to public art. LED lighting along the side and top of the tower, representing the image of a tree in the forest, will change colours with the seasons and for special events.
485 Commercial by Cressey is a new 4-storey mixed-use development located at the northwest corner of Commercial Drive & East Pender. This project will offer ten studios, 21 3-bedroom townhomes, and ten rental apartments. The site is well-served by several public transit lines along Commercial Drive and Hastings Street and is within walking distance to shops and restaurants along both of those arteries.
With Osprey offering two (four if you include the female models!) lightweight backpacks which share a similar construction the Question arises: Which backpack should I get? With this wee article I’ll try to help you answer that question!
Disclosure:This article has been supported with gear from Osprey. As you know: I’m keepin’ it real and tell you how it is - I maintain full editorial control of the content published on Hiking in Finland. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
If you’re a fan of lots of details and video, just go take a cup of ☕️ and maybe even some 🍫 and then watch this video:
The Exos and Eja (the Eja being the Women’s Model) have been for many years super popular lightweight backpacks from Osprey. As the original Exos came out some six or seven years ago a big Roar went through the Ultralight community (it was more Niche back then =) and there were those that liked them & used them and those who thought they’re too heavy. In 2018 the Exos is a well-established and liked pack, and as I said in my Osprey Levity Review: With Osprey packs hanging in stores around the globe it’s a lot easier to try on a pack and see if it fits you. I still think it is the perfect pack to introduce people to lightweight rucksacks and ultralight backpacking, so I’m really happy that these packs exist.
But there are several features which set these two packs apart (Dear Women: Please excuse that I refer now only to the male packs. The Eja and Exos have all the same features but the Eja has a Women’s Specific Fit. Everything I write about the Exos also applies to the Eja, I’m just lazy writing Exos & Eja the whole time! =). Lets look at them via this easy Table I made:
I think besides the weight and price, which are easy to see in this table, it’s also to remind oneself that the Exos will likely be a tad more durable than the Levity and should carry a few kilogram more in comfort, due to the thicker shoulder straps and the longer & more cushioned hipbelt. The Exos also has a plethora of options to attach and carry gear externally on the pack, something that the Levity is missing.
The Levity on the other hand has it’s light weight going for it - it’s after all 421 g lighter than an Exos. I also found it a plenty comfortable pack for a week of backpacking, but that’s me. I also really liked the simplicity of the pack - not a lot of extra straps and things, stuff which I generally don’t use and so don’t need.
Generally however I think that with the lower price, light weight and rich features of the Exos and Eja the majority of people are better off with these packs than the Levity. With 90€ cheaper than an Levity it’s a much easier investment into a new pack (and lets be honest, it’s nice to buy a high-quality piece of kit and not spend over 200 or 300€ for it!) and gives you some money to go on a weekend trip. If only the lightest Osprey pack will do, however, then it’s obviously the Levity one should go for!
Support this blog for no additional costs to you and buy your pack via one of these links. In North America order your Exos, Eja or Levity at these retailers, while in Europe you can buy your Osprey packs at Bergfreunde: Exos, Eja and Levity.
Questions? Hit me up in the comments underneath or ask on Twitter or Facebook!
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this article to help finance the website. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
4575 Granville is a new townhouse development located in Vancouver’s upscale Shaughnessy neighborhood. This project will offer 21 stacked townhouses in two buildings with a rooftop deck and a private patio. 4575 Granville is ideally suited for young families who wish to raise their children in a more traditional residential area. Prestigious private schools, shops, restaurants, and parks are just a few steps away. Downtown Vancouver, YVR Airport and most parts of the city can be reached within 15 minutes.
The Hollywood Residences by 4184 Investments is a new 6-storey mixed-use concrete development located at 3133 West Broadway in Kitsilano. This project will offer 4,423 sqft of new ground floor retail space and 40 condominiums. Part of the development plan is the restoration of the adjoining 1935 Art Deco Hollywood Theatre into a state-of-the-art performing arts centre. Once a cinema, programming for the Hollywood will be diversified to include musical performances, live theatre, comedy, festival events, seminars and lectures, and events organized by non-profit groups, as well as independent film screenings. At The Hollywood, treasured memories will continue to be created.
Woodstock by Nexst at Oakridge is a unique development of 15 townhomes ranging from 1,100 to 1,600 square feet, and from 2 bedroom + den to 3 bedroom + den layouts, is perfect for new and move-up families, downsizing couples, and anyone looking for a home more spacious than a condo and lower maintenance than a single-family home. Located on West 41st Avenue, 3 blocks from Oakridge Mall, this distinctive residence has direct access to the main arteries to downtown, both via car and transit, and is located within steps to everything a family would need.
Not far away from the busy streets of Munich you can find Austrian hospitality, empty mountains full of powder snow and warm Saunas to relax in after a day of skiing. After the ISPO I went to the Salzburger Lungau region with my brother and enjoyed a few relaxed days in this hidden gem of Austria, enjoying an untracked experience.
Disclosure:This trip was made possible with the help of Salzburger Lungau Tourism who arranged accommodation and activities for us. This does not influence the article as I maintain full editorial control of the content published on this site. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
The Salzburger Lungau Region is a mere couple of hours away from Munich, and unless you try to drive there on the start of some German holiday you can be in as little as one and half hours by car from Munich in the Lungau - in our case we stayed in the picturesque village of St. Margarethen in the Grizzly Resort Sport Hotel, which is located at the base of the ski slopes. The Hotel staff expected us much later and was surprised when we walked in a bit before 20 o’clock! We checked into our rooms, had a quick shower and then it was down to the restaurant to enjoy some tasty Austrian food.
After Dinner I went out to photograph the stars, but soon I was so cold that I wanted to only get back inside and sleep! And as we had a long day in front of us, that’s what I did!
Ski-touring to the Seeköpfl
The next morning Albert Essl picked us up at the Hotel. We met Albert already two years ago when we were visiting the Salzburger Lungau in 2016 and enjoyed his guiding and company, so it was great to meet him again and go for a ski tour together.
Albert picked for us an easy tour for our first day, to the beautiful Seeköpfl summit. We started at a parking lot where we left the car and after a few hundred meters of walking we were stepping into our bindings and beginning to skin up. Over a narrow road we ascended deep into the forest. I really like the skinning up part of ski-touring, it’s relaxing and enjoyable for me to skin up through the forest, observe how the trees get fewer and fewer and then coming out into the open, with wide, majestic views in all directions. We were very lucky with the weather, too: Sunshine and a blue sky - it was a perfect day.
After a couple of hours we stood at the summit of the Seeköpfl, the sun shining down on us. We were happy, it was a beautiful day, we were outside in nature, and now a nice descent waited for us - or so we thought! The ride down was pretty icy with only a few patches of good snow, and at the end there were the dreaded narrow and icy forest roads back to the car. Ah well, there was snow in the forecast so it will be better soon!
After the skiing part of the day my brother and me quickly developed a good routine: Chilling on the rooms for a bit‚ then down to the Sauna, then getting dressed and off to Dinner. It was a pretty good Sauna at the Hotel, and it’s nice that in the Southern countries they often have a wee Bar with juices, water, nuts and tea where you can drink & eat a bite during Sauna turns.
Skiing on the Katschberg-Aineck
The next morning I looked out of the window and it was grey and white. The clouds were low and it was snowing a little, but the snow should really start dumping in the afternoon. Hence my brother and me decided to ride the Katschberg-Aineck ski slopes, and with a chair lift in front of the hotel we didn’t have a long way to get there, either! It’s a big ski region with 70 km of slopes and 16 lifts, and you can have days and days of fun here. We enjoyed the A1 slope the most, as it offers some superb views on the valley, as you’ll see from the photos. A benefit of skiing on the slopes is also that you can eat in one of the huts, and it is something I always like to do, with the tasty Germknödel being my lunch of choice! Another benefit of skiing on the slopes is that you just ride down to your hotel and then can be in the Sauna in a matter of minutes 💦🔥👍
Exploring Schönfeld and the Nockberge
The next morning it indeed was still dumping snow, and the forecasted 80 cm of fresh powder seemed very realistic. After a tasty breakfast we went outside to clean the car, and boy was it snowed in! After we almost dug out the car we took off towards the Nockberge, a truly hidden gem of the Salzburger Lungau.
Even when the road was cleared that same morning by the time we were on our way to the Dr. Josef-Mehrl-Hütte another 5 cm of pow ❄️❄️❄️ was on the street and my brother was concerned if we’d actually make it back - there was a rather steep road to get up on the way back. But that was none of my worry right now, I just loved the truly white and snowy surroundings we were in.
We made it to the beautiful Dr. Josef-Mehrl-Hütte, parked the car and stepped into our bindings. Our goal was the Matehanshöhe, another easy tour, and given that there was a high Avalanche Danger with the fresh snow we wanted something that was safe and easy. The ascent went for the first part via the closed ski slope and then along a ridge till the summit, though as my brother is not used to so deep powder we decided to cut the tour a bit short, not make for the summit and head back down and enjoy the powder!
After the trip we enjoyed a lunch of Kaiserschmarrn at the hut before safely making it back to the Hotel in the afternoon, with plenty of time to pack, go to the Sauna and enjoy Dinner. Alas, this was our last evening together, and our short trip to the beautiful mountains of Austria were almost over again. I guess we’ll return again, as there’s still so many powdery summits and beautiful views we’d like to see!
How to get there and where to stay
You can travel by train and bus to the Salzburger Lungau to it is the most easiest to arrive by car. A rental car for a week can cost around as little as 120€ and allows you to get around really easy in the region, which is almost mandatory if you want to go ski-touring.
There’s over 700 accommodation options in the Salzburger Lungau, with something for every budget level (It makes sense to check out the Package Offers where you often can safe quite nicely). We stayed at the Grizzly Resort Sport Hotel, a very relaxed and high-quality 4 ⭐️ Hotel right next to the ski slopes. We can completely recommend the hotel with its tasty breakfast buffet, relaxing Spa & Sauna, comfortable and spacious rooms and delicious 3-Course Menus in the evening.
If you want to go ski-touring and don’t want to go on your own give Albert Essl a call and let him show you the best powder stashes and most amazing views. Albert is a superb Guide and skier who also can give you great tips on how to improve your powder skiing. If you prefer the slopes then ski the Katschi slopes - with 70 km of slopes you’re busy for a day or seven to explore them all!
Cedar Ridge by Allaire Living is coming soon to the ever evolving city of Port Moody. Cedar Ridge will offers 28 Three & Four bedroom executive townhomes and will offer high-quality, open living spaces big enough for the entire family. Each Townhome at Cedar Ridge will feature natural colour palettes and west coast modern design inspired by the cedar trees native to the region,
Centrally located on the top of Port Moody at 70 Seaview drive (at Clarke Road), Cedar Ridge will be located near all the modern amenities young families desire today, including minutes away from a full service grocery store, access to the Evergreen Skytrain line and an eclectic cluster of shops and restaurants just minutes from home.
To be kept up to date on this development and many others like it, please take a moment and register with us today.
This is not an offering for sale. No such offering can be made without a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.
Coming soon to Moody Centre neighbourhood is George by Marcon. George by Marcon developments will consist of 73, Three and Four Bedroom townhomes and 179, one, two and three bedroom condos spread out over 11 buildings
George by Marcon will be located on the 3000 block of Saint Georges street at Bueller Street. The central location puts George right in the heart of the revitalization of St. Johns street, within a short walk to Moody Centre Station, Rocky Point Park and of course, the now infamous Brewery Row.
More information on George by Marcon is coming soon, register with us today to be kept up to date on this development and many other like in in Port Moody and the Tri-Cities
This is not an offering for sale. No such offering can be made without a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.
Formwerks Boutique Properties is bringing a design-driven collection of 24 townhomes coming to North Vancouver’s Moodyville Neighbourhood. Located on the 500 block of East 3rd, Toppen Ridge, consisting of 24, 2 & 3 Bedroom townhomes, will be located just a short walk away from the best of Lower Lonsdale has to offer.
What make Toppen Ridge unique compared to the other townhome developments in Moodyville, due to its zoning, Toppen Ridge offers a live-work option of a home-based business to be conducted with separate entry and lock-off capabilities, encouraging a local business opportunity.
To be kept up to date with Toppen Ridge and other townhomes like it, register with us today.
This is not an offering for sale. No such offering can be made without a disclosure statement. E.&O.E.
4138 Cambie by Pennyfarthing is a new 6-storey residential building with two detached 2-storey townhouses development. Centrally-located at Cambie & King Edward. This project will offer 22 studio, two-, and three- bedroom condominiums and 2 three- bedroom townhomes. 4138 Cambie aims to present a well-proportioned, timeless appearance in a contemporary manner. A well-articulated building form dominated by brick and Hardipanel, with window bays and corner glazing components, combine to achieve this vision.
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.” - Dieter Rams
How much did you spent on your last piece of outdoor gear? And how much did you support your favourite blogs in the last months? If you enjoy The Week in Review & other articles buy me a coffee - I work Full-Time on Hiking in Finland to bring you inspiring trip reports, in-depth gear reviews and the latest news from the outdoors. You also could subscribe to the rarer-than-ever Newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter and Youtube for more outdoorsy updates!
Yama Mountain Gear has launched their first backpack, the Sassafras 20. If you want one, be quick as there’s 25% off on the first 25 orders of the pack!
And Six Moons Designs comes out with a new backpack, The Minimalist.
I’m proud to announce that I am a Drobo Explorer. Stay tuned for a video on why I like the Drobo 5D3. And if you are going to the Photography Show at NEC in Birmingham you can take £3 off your ticket with the code “DROBTPS18”.
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this article to help finance the website. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
SOLO District, will be releasing Phase 3 early this Spring. This highly anticipated third phase is the newest addition to the SOLO District neighbourhood, an already established master-planned community located in the true heart of Brentwood. Residents at SOLO District currently enjoy world-class shops, services, and amenities at their doorstep, including Whole Foods, Starbucks, BC Liquor Store, and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Earl by Vicni Home is a collection of six spectacular 3-bedroom Vancouver townhomes, just steps away from Slocan Park and 29th Ave Skytrain Station, surrounded by park amenities including the vibrant Slocan Park, Renfrew Ravine Park and Still Creek Community Garden. At 1,450 sf, the homes at Earl feature an open concept layout with chef-worthy kitchens and a large flex space for your growing family. The fabulous master retreat includes a spa-like ensuite, vaulted ceillings, and private decks with stunning North Shore mountain views.
