Tag Archives: Wander

Lauterbrunnen: A Magical, Majestic Swiss Valley

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When the Life Bus took Todd and me to Switzerland, there was one place we had to see above all others – Lauterbrunnen.  There aren’t enough adjectives to fully explain the beauty of this Swiss jewel.  Lauterbrunnen, in the Bernese Oberland, is situated in one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in the world.  This valley boasts more than 70 waterfalls, the most famous, Staubbach Falls, plunges more than 300 meters to the valley below.  The valley itself is only about 1 kilometer wide and all around has imposing, granite walls rising straight out of the valley floor, at heights of thousands of feet.  The valley floor is dotted with picturesque farms and their grazing cows, sheep, and goats.  Many of these farms sell their own homemade dairy products.  Running through the center of the valley is the glacially fed Weisse Luetschine river.  The green of Lauterbrunnen valley is some of the most intense green you will ever see.  [slideshow]

There is so much to do in this area.  Todd and I enjoyed a beautiful run on a gravel footpath that runs most of the length of the valley.  This gravel path hugs the river for quite a ways.  It is a relatively short run but probably one of the most scenic I have ever done.  The tiny, serene hamlet of Stechelberg lies at the end of the road in Lauterbrunnen valley.  From here, you can access many hiking trails of all levels.  The Swiss have hiking down to a fine art and have great trail signage.  Look for the yellow and red plastic trail signs that are frequent and well placed.  For those seeking even more adventure, there are via ferrata options in this area.  BASE-jumping is also huge here.  While we were on our run, we would hear the sounds of parachutes unfurling.  Looking up we could see people in brightly-colored squirrel suits descending into the valley.  Of course, Lauterbrunnen is also the gateway to some of the best known excursion destinations in the Jungfrau region. A railway links Lauterbrunnen with Wengen, perched high above Lauterbrunnen, and the Kleinen Scheidegg, the station where you change trains for the ride to the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region.

Todd and I ate outside at the Hotel Restaurant Stechelberg in the shadow of the Jungfrau.  We had great typical Swiss food and great service.  Hotel Restaurant Stechelberg  We did not stay at the Alpenhof B&B in Stechelberg but it looked like a great, simple, peaceful place to try next time.  From Stechelberg, you can also catch the cable car ride up to one of the area’s biggest attractions, the Schillthorn.

You definitely go to Lautrbrunnen for the scenery, not the lodging.  We stayed at the Hotel Staubbach primarily for its proximity to the Staubbach falls and views of the valley.  On that note it did not disappoint.  We had a front-facing room with great views of the falls and some surrounding mountains.  Do not expect any type of luxury, however from this hotel.  It was basic and no-frills. We pretty much knew this going in and, therefore, weren’t unhappy with it.  Given the Lauterbrunnen location, however, who wants to stay in their rooms anyway?  Hotel Staubbach

Bears and the Gore Creek Trail, Vail, Colorado

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One good thing about being a consultant is the fact that there are occasions when you have a little bit of down time in between gigs.  Earlier this year in June, I had one long, luscious week to catch up on errands and doctor’s appointments and more importantly, to get outside and explore.  I chose to spend a few days solo in Vail, Colorado and hike a trail I had never done before.  The trail I picked was the Gore Creek Trail (GCT).   The GCT is located in the pristine Eagles Nest Wilderness in the Vail Valley area.

Many trail guides I found on the GCT mention an approximate 6.2 mile hike – please keep in mind, this means 1 WAY to Gore Lake.  They don’t seem to be consistent with distance measurements.  The best trail guide I found on the topic is the ProTrail Review which gives an in depth review of mileage points, and a detailed description of the trail and what to expect when.

The ProTrail review rates this hike strenuous and I have to agree, it is not for the faint of heart or couch potatoes. The trail is steep and rocky in some areas so if it is raining, it can be slick.  In summary, it is about a 3,200 foot elevation gain up to the lake.  Of course you don’t have to go that far. Even if you hiked a mile or so in, it would still be enjoyable as the trail loosely follows the Gore Creek for about 4 miles and much of that 4 miles takes you through dense forest.   If you decide to make it to the lake, I understand the opportunity for trout fishing is outstanding.  The challenge I had getting to the lake was there were several fallen trees I had to maneuver around.  If you are not careful, you can easily get off trail and lost, so stay aware and alert.

Overall, this is one of my favorite hikes in the Vail area.   It is gorgeous, challenging and the chance of seeing wildlife is fairly high. The day I hiked the GCT, I saw a total of 8 people and one bear, a very large cinnamon colored bear.  As I was approaching a small ridge, about 15 feet away, I saw the beautiful, fluffy creature scouring the ground for food, smack dab in the middle of the trail.  I completely froze in my tracks.  I could either jump into the river that was about 20 feet below on my left, turn around and head back in the other direction, or hike up the steep hill on my right.  Either way, I was toast if this bear was female with a few cubs in tow.  Thankfully, no babies were involved and as soon as the bear saw me, he (assumption on my part) high tailed it out of there.  Although I nearly crapped my pants, it was by far one of the BEST days of the summer.

Key Tips:  Wear sturdy hiking shoes, bring a lot of water and snacks and carry hiking poles if you have a tendency to lose your footing or need to fend off attacking wild animals.

Last but not least, if you are hiking alone, please make sure you let someone know where you are going.  We don’t need any Aron Ralston stories on the GCT.

The Awesomeness that is St. John’s USVI

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Who knew that you could find quiet beaches, secluded hikes, pristine snorkeling, and an environmentally friendly resort in the Caribbean without shelling out hundreds of dollars a night? Todd and I certainly didn’t until we happened upon St. John’s USVI and the Concordia Eco Resort.[slideshow]

On a whim, Todd and I decided to go to the Caribbean over Christmas. Not exactly the cheapest place to visit that time of year! Just as we thought it wouldn’t work out,  without a huge financial commitment, we came upon an article I had torn out about snorkeling Waterlemon Cay on St. John’s and the Concordia Eco Resort.  We called immediately and, as luck would have it, they had one room left for the nights of our trip.

We couldn’t have imagined a better Caribbean experience.  Even at the busiest time of year in the Caribbean, we found ourselves frequently alone on hikes and on beaches.  Thanks to philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, approximately two thirds of St. John’s is preserved as a US National Park.  This means that for most of the island there are few roads, mega resorts, mobs of sunburned tourists, or drunk cruise ship passengers over running your paradise.  Cruz Bay, despite being a port town,  is remarkably laid back and retains it’s charm.  Coral Bay, on the opposite side of the island, is even smaller and more laid back than Cruz Bay.  It does have amazing dining, however.  (See Food Finds post on restaurants here).

So, what to do while you are on this paradise?  The options are numerous but here are some of the things we did which turned out to be fabulous!  Waterlemon Cay surpassed our expectations for snorkeling.  To get to Waterlemon Cay, you hike along a beautiful trail around Leinster Bay.  You can snorkel all the way around Waterlemon Cay but be mindful that with strong winds, the far side can be a bit rough for a novice swimmer.  Be sure to bring a picnic lunch and sunscreen.  Combine this with a hike up to the Anneberg Ruins for an amazing day of sun, snorkeling, views, and sheer Caribbean beauty.

The Reef Trail hike was a beautiful hike where you can get some good exercise.  Todd and I started at Little Lamshur beach and hiked up.  There was actually a decent amount of elevation gain on this hike.  We made it to the old plantation ruin, covered in a beautiful pink vine, before it got too late.   Little Lamshur is in the national park, it is a rather quiet beach.  At dusk, when Todd and I found ourselves alone on this beach, we threw caution to the wind and skinny dipped!!  The road to the beach is a bit bumpy but well worth the ride.  (4×4 may be advisable.)

Then of course there is Trunk Bay, Hawksnest, Cinnamon, and Maho Bay.  These have all been written about extensively and rightly so.  Beautiful, beautiful beaches.  FYI – Trunk Bay does get a lot of day-trippers from the cruise ships.  We went here later in the afternoon and had the beach all to ourselves.  No skinny dipping this time.

Driving is of course a small thrill unto itself on St. John’s.  You drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is also on the left.  Not too bad getting used to.  The roads are narrow two lane roads with sharp turns and 20% grades.  Nothing scary, just fun.  4×4 totally the way to go.

Last but not least, is our awesome hotel the Concordia eco resort.  Concordia is not for someone seeking a luxury 5 star Caribbean hotel experience. Concordia is a special place for so many other reasons. The location of this resort is unbeatable. Concordia is near Coral Bay.  Even though it’s only approximately 12 miles across this island, the steep, narrow, curvy roads make it hard to drive faster than 10 mph. Most people don’t even venture over to this side of the island.  The Coral Bay side of St. John’s is so much quieter you feel almost like you are alone in the Caribbean. The USVI National Park lies between the two sides of the St. John’s.  www.concordiaeco-resort.com/

Todd and I stayed in Premium Eco Tent #19.  A permanent canvas tent with everything a happy camper could want.  Full pan and dish set with 2 cooking burners, a sink for washing dishes, a cooler chest for food / beverages, a separate smaller building with solar shower / WC, and endless beautiful scenery. Potable water stations are located everywhere.  The way the tents are situated it is almost impossible to have any of your neighbors get a glimpse of you unless they are really motivated to do so.  Given the secluded setting of each tent, you can (and should) unzip all of the walls of your tent and let the amazing breezes blow through your tent along with the sounds of the sea and the glimmer of the stars.    In the event  you don’t feel like leaving this great place, the food here is very good as well.

St. John’s was a serendipitous, spur of the moment Life Bus experience.  One I could repeat year after year!  Enjoy this Caribbean jewel.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to keep a look out for the donkeys and sheep that roam the island freely.

Glow Worm Caves in New Zealand

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In 2005, I left a job that was toxic to my soul.   This is one of the rules of the Life Bus – under no circumstance is it ever acceptable to stay at a job that nearly pushes you to the brink of insanity.    As part of the healing process from this ordeal, I decided to go on a 3 week solo road trip around New Zealand (NZ).  One thing to note, I was not a photographer back then, so the only photo I could find to attach to this post is one of Jersey cows meandering on the side of the road.   Jersey cows = glow worms.

Lexi had been to NZ a few times to visit an old boyfriend and mentioned the Waitomo Glow Worm caves…sounded interesting to me so I looked into it.  Waitomo is about a 3 hour drive South of Auckland and is known for the infamous Glow Worm caves.   Visually it looks like something out of the Lord of the Rings – very ‘shire-like’. The tour Lexi took included a repelling component – I happily skipped that part and found an option less terrifying.  I booked a tour with the Blackwater Rafting Company and buckled my seatbelt for a pretty cool adventure via the Black Labryinth Tour.

Once my comrades (4 other tourists) and I paid the fees and filled out the necessary legal paperwork, we took a small bus to a shack to gear up.  And by that, I mean don some VERY heavy wetsuits with extra padding on the knees, butt and elbows.   I made the mistake of not pulling up my wetsuit appropriately and had a saggy crotch for several hours – not recommended.   We were also given some very attractive white booties and a hard hat with a headlamp attached.

We then all lined up like ducks, walked across ‘the shire’ in our getups to a mysterious crack in the earth and climbed down into the darkness.   Once we were situated in the cave, our guide Nikki tested our ability to handle the adventure – i.e., were we claustrophobic and going to have a panic attack?   We were asked to crawl, twist and turn through a VERY small ‘test’ cave – I think we had our photo taken – perhaps to see the potential terror (or not) on our faces.

I am proud to say, we all passed with flying colors and moved on to start the tour.  The first thing we saw was a 3 foot eel – it had to have been a plant (at least that is what I told myself).   The next 2 to 3 hours were spent swimming, climbing, and tubing through the immense cave system under the earth.  The water was about 10 degrees Celsius so it was definitely chilly at times.

After what felt like eternity, we stopped on a large rock and turned off our headlamps – we finally got to see what we came for – the glow-worms – they literally covered the roof of the cave.   Contrary to their name, they are not really worms but larvae that grow long, sticky tendrils.  Insects get trapped in the tendrils and are subsequently eaten.   When the glow-worms are excreting toxins, their light shines from an organ which is the equivalent of a human kidney.  The light is what ultimately attracts the insects as they believe it is the light shining at the end of the tunnel and is perhaps, a chance to escape from the cave.

I have to say the caves were cool, but I was 100% ready to see the light at the end of the tunnel.   It was pretty evident I was a little stressed down under as my wetsuit reeked of B.O. when I stripped it off.   All in all, the experience was truly amazing and I am glad I did it.  The world we live in is an incredible place with new adventures around every corner in the most unexpected places.

If the thought of crawling down into a crack in the earth makes your skin crawl, then this trip is not for you.  I believe they have boat tours that may suit you better and would still be amazing.   If you are remotely excited about the thought, jump on the Life Bus and give it a go, you will not be sorry!

The Journey to the Top of Kilimanjaro

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First things first, I have to say this was the most physically and emotionally challenging journey of my life …It is also a difficult experience to describe as you had to be there to witness the people, the process, the conditions and the chaos of the climb to fully understand. The trip was filled with so many highs and lows – all the way up to the last minute of reaching Denver after about 40 hours of unbelievable, issue free travel (ha).

Our trekking group was 11 total, but our core traveling group was my hubby Greg, 16 year old daughter Emy, Lexi and Todd.   Coincidentally, this was Lexi and Todd’s honeymoon – as you read on, you will find this to be an interesting way to spend a romantic post-nuptial trip with your new spouse!  We took the Marangu route up the mountain which is supposed to be the easiest route, I think because you sleep in huts along the way – I am not convinced there is an easy route – but if I had to do it again, I would sleep in a tent and dig my own toilet.

Days 1 and 2 – We spent the first 2 days in an old coffee plantation on the edge of Arusha called the Moivaro Coffee Lodge. The place was gorgeous and lush – our cottages were situated back in the “jungle” of the property. We were able to relax and soak in some of the African vibe. It really didn’t mentally prepare us for things to come, but gave us a chance to get over our jet lag from roughly 30 hours of travel.   A few of us got massages – if you have no issue lying butt-naked on a massage table without the security of a cozy, warm blanket to cover up unsightly body parts, this is the perfect experience for you.

Key tip:  When you do a trip like this, bring your hiking boots and some clothing with you on the plane (in case your luggage gets misplaced) – else you may end up having to wear some raspberry pink hiking pants loaned to you by a porter.

We took a tour of Arusha one afternoon – the amount of poverty and poor living conditions in the area was pretty unbelievable. One thing that was AMAZING to me was that although most people lived in houses with what appeared to be dirt floors, all of their clothing was impeccably clean.   They also appeared to be content and living in the moment – and guess what?  They didn’t have an iphone or an ipad in their hands! (I personally could not live without mine – I shudder to think about it).  We went to the central market, which I thought was incredible – you could buy anything from used underwear – holes, stretched elastic and all – to exotic spices, fruits, vegetables and live chickens.

The women were beautiful – I would kill to have their perfect, smooth skin. Women in Africa are expected to work and raise the children but are, of course, considered lower on the totem pole of society and less educated than men. The amount of weight they carry on their heads is unbelievable.  I get a neck cramp just thinking about it.

After a few days of R&R, we began our journey to the trailhead to Mt. Kilimanjaro (‘Kili’) which is at roughly 6,000 feet. The waiting time to start seemed to last for eternity – our guide Peter was busy checking us all in and weighing our bags. The weighing exercise was to determine how many porters we needed for the 11 of us. In the end, we had 44 people physically carrying our gear, food and water for 6 days. What these men did for us was incredible – they bent over backwards to make sure we were as comfortable as possible – our bags were at camp ahead of us, they cooked amazing meals for us, offered support when we needed it and delivered hot chocolate, tea and coffee to us in bed every morning!  The daily post hike popcorn was the best EVER.

Before we began our trek – all 44 porters lined up and sang traditional African songs to us to ensure we felt comfortable and welcome on the mountain.  It was one of the sweetest gestures I have ever seen.  If I remember correctly, we all had to do some humiliating solo dance in front of everyone – not one of my finer moments in life.  After the ceremony, we began our trek through a pretty dense rainforest. We climbed  about 3,000 feet to our first hut. When we got there, there were hundreds of people milling around to and fro in what appeared to be organized chaos.

All 11 of us went to our living quarters for the night – essentially an army bunker/dorm room with solar powered lighting….yes, 8 of us piled into one room – tit to elbow – with 4 sets of bunk beds – the other 3 slept in the room next door with a Japanese couple (bunking with 11 loud Americans was probably a nightmare for them).

This was the official introduction to my favorite – the pit toilet – this became the bane of my existence for the next several days of the trip – not a fan in the least (I have since discovered the ‘Sani-Fem Freshette Feminine Urinary Director’ – I affectionately call mine ‘Mimi’.)  The rain started that day so our clothes we had on were nice and wet – a sign of things to come. We did see our first (and actually, only) glimpses of wildlife with the Black and White Colobus monkeys …I have to say, it was pretty cool to see them swinging to and fro in their natural habitat – a million times better than a zoo.

Day 4 and 5 – Every day we were expected to be up and about by 6 or 6:30 so we could make it to the next destination in time for some R&R and preparation for the next day’s activities. We climbed another 3,000 feet to the next hut – Horombo (~ 12k) where we stayed for 2 days for acclimatization. Along the way, the guides threw down a picnic blanket and placed an amazing spread of food down for us – soup, pasta, potatoes, rice, beef, etc. The meals always included some sort of fabulous soup to make sure we met our quota of liquids throughout the climb. They seemed to get saltier and saltier as the days passed – it was good for our kidneys – I am sure of it.  Overall, given what we were doing and where we were – the food was excellent.  The sunsets from this hut were magical.

The Horombo hut was a bit better than the last. Greg, Emy, Lexi, Todd and I were able to get a hut together. The hut was the size of a small (very small) dorm room with no heat but with solar electricity – it was pretty cool for us to all be together.  Unfortunately, our dreams of a warm, sunny Kili trek did not come true – none of our clothes ever seemed to want to dry – this is not a good thing – as Todd says, “Wet pants will give you butt crickets.”  Not only that, but full-blown hypothermia is not a very enjoyable experience and can be quite deadly.

The bathrooms were pretty disgusting with the pit toilets and a few hundred of our ‘closest’ friends all sharing together. The floors always seemed to be wet from rain and whatever bodily functions that went astray.  I saw the biggest poop pile of my life sitting right on the edge of the toilet – in the women’s bathroom – I think it was the handy work of a man.  Greg kept wearing his camp shoes in the bathroom and then crawling back into his sleeping bag – WITH THEM STILL on.  I can assure you – there was no cuddling going on.

Our group of 5 took Diamox which is supposed to help prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) – studies have not absolutely concluded this is necessary, but we took it as a precaution as several of our other friends took this on their high altitude climbs with success. This little drug was a blessing and a curse…it makes you urinate like a racehorse – so several times during the night, we had to get up and hit the bathrooms….and you know how I feel about those….The jury is still out whether this was a good idea.

Key Tip:   I would do some major research the topic of ‘to Diamox or not’ before taking on a high altitude adventure.

Day 6 and 7 – We got up early and performed our daily routine of repacking our clothes, searching for dry clothing, and eating a big breakfast. The key on this trek is to drink a ton of liquids and EAT as you need every ounce of hydration and energy as possible. At high altitudes, it’s tough to maintain a good appetite so sometimes you have to force it whether you like it or not. Another 3k feet up to the Kibo hut (~15k) – our final destination before we hoofed it to the summit of Kili. The climb at this point, is through the Alpine Desert so you can see for miles – pretty cool.   The only bad thing about this part – one of our wonderful hiking colleagues had the African 2 Step BAD – poor guy had to find a boulder when he could – in the desert, there are just not a lot of options.

The Kibo hut is quite the place. Once again, all 11 of us piled into a cold, damp bunker. I was so tired and feeling the effects of the altitude, I nearly stepped right into a pit toilet – Slumdog Millionaire style.  I would have flung myself off of the nearest cliff had that actually happened. This was Day 5 without a shower or any kind of clean running water – my hair was slowly turning into a helmet and I was becoming quite cranky. Our fabulous guides did boil water for us every morning so we could wash our face and do some spot cleaning (at least the pits).

After we had dinner later that afternoon, we were told we had to sleep from 6 to 10 pm – be up by 10 pm for ‘breakfast’ and be ready to start the climb by 11:00 pm.  We all did what we were asked to do – When was the last time you went to bed at 6:00 pm and actually fell asleep?  I am pretty sure most of us had not slept more than a few minutes in the past 24 hours or more.  I think out of 11 – 6 people were sick with one thing or another.

We were all ready to hit the trail by 11:10 pm – we bundled up in our multiple layers, with head lamps clamped to our foreheads, and headed outside where it was snowing – lovely. Peter re-assured us this was good news in that it would not be so cold and windy. I don’t think any of us bought that story initially, but I think in the end he was right.  I had heard horror stories of cold weather freezing camelback tubes thus limiting access to water supply, but that was not an issue for us.

Key Tip:  Be prepared for cold weather on the mountain – do your homework and find a good packing list from your tour guide or other reliable source.   Backpacker.com or Outside.com will have good information.

We made our way up the mountain which seemed to jut STRAIGHT up into the darkness – the switchbacks seemed endless. The good news is, we couldn’t see how steep it really was in the dark and we had very kind guides who took our packs if necessary.  Several people vomited on the way up – this is supposedly a normal event and once you do it – you feel like a rock star until the next wave of nausea comes over you.  If you don’t feel so swift after puking, they will rush you down the mountain as soon as humanly possible – this most likely means you may have AMS, which could be deadly and should be taken very seriously.

We reached Gillman’s point (18K) at about 8:00 am.   It was an emotional time for most of us as this was the highest any of us had ever climbed.  The sunrise views were UNBELIEVABLE!  It was truly an amazing experience.   4 people in the group turned around and headed back down the mountain for various reasons. The rest of us carried on for the last 1500 feet (ish) to reach Uhuru Peak (19,340k). The weather seemed to clear up a bit – the snow stopped and the sun came out for a few minutes. We were about 2 football fields away from the summit and we were able to strip down to base layers as the sun was blazing…within minutes, weather started in again and the snow became a little more intense than when we started the night before. Emy, Greg, Todd and I scrambled to the summit as quickly as we could so we could start the descent as soon as possible. Emy made it to the top FIRST!!  It was awesome. Our certificate reads 9:45 am which I think is 45 minutes later than what they want for a summit time – oops.

After all of that effort, we only stayed on the top for about 15 to 20 minutes – enough for a picture or 2 – I felt bad because I was standing smack dab in the middle of the sign in the group picture (nice work I know).  The time to get back to the dreaded Kibo hut seemed to last forever but really only took us about 3 hours. We reached the hut, changed clothes, took a short nap, ate lunch and headed back down to Horombo for the night – another 7 miles to add to the day.   We finally reached the hut at 5:30 pm. We skipped dinner, got into our bags (Greg had his camp shoes OFF) and slept until 6:00 am the next day.

JDay 8 – Rise and shine at 6:00 am – we left the hut at 7:00 am and made our way down to the main gate.  It was about a 14 mile day downhill – in a hideous, torrential downpour I might add. NOTHING was dry when we reached the bottom – our daypack covers couldn’t keep out the rain. Once we reached the bottom – there was a feeling of total relief and excitement about our accomplishment.  (I was personally dying for a hot shower and a sit-down toilet.) We waited a bit for our entire group of 11 to finish the trek and then assembled for a celebration.

All 44 porters and guides, made it down the mountain with all of our stuff. They met us at the bottom where we shook hands and shared hugs in what was our final farewell to our amazing caretakers and guides. Peter went through the ritual of popping some champagne and issuing our certificates – it was WAY cool.  We donated whatever clothing we could to them – in fact, we had a Kili Porter Gear Donation Drive at our home in Colorado and thanks to the Alpine Rescue Team, we were able to donate about 20 boxes of gear to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project!

It was an amazing experience all the way around, there were plenty of tears, frustration and laughs along the way. All 11 of us came down without injury or hospitalization which was fantastic. It was truly a life changing experience that my words cannot fully describe.  Even though it was hard and grueling at times, and I obsessed about the toilet situation, I would not have traded this experience for the world and would highly recommend the trip to anyone with an open mind, heart and good hiking gear …..and some unbelievable hand sanitizer, the one guy who used it like body lotion every 10 seconds was the only one who didn’t get sick.