Travels

You won’t find any diary-like detailed descriptions of my travels here but some basic information about most of the trips I’ve done, like background, itinerary and the most memorable experiences. If you have any further questions please fill the contact form, I’ll reply as soon as possible.

2019 Alaska (2/2): Talkeetna, Chugach, Denali Pictures

Here are some pictures of short trips in the Talkeetna Mountains, the Chugach Mountains and Denali National Park. We went up to Crow Pass and completed the Mint Bomber Traverse as a group of four, later Sofia and I went on a 6-day packrafting trip in Denali.

2019 Alaska (1/2): 450 km Packrafting in Ivvavik NP & ANWR

We flew to Joe Creek in northeast Alaska, put in with our packrafts and paddled to the end of the Firth River canyon (class III-IV) in Ivvavik National Park, Canada. Then we walked east, crossed into Alaska again, picked up extra food at Whale Mountain and kept walking through ANWR, until we reached the Jago River. We paddled to Jago all the way to the coast and finished our trip in Kaktovik (Barter Island).

2018 Greenland (2/2): South

This was a 30 day packrafting adventure. The landscape along the route from Narsarsuaq via Aappilattoq to Tasiusaq is more beautiful than anything else I’ve seen in Greenland so far. We started off as a group of five, then after 14 days two more friends joined us. Together we explored the steep mountains, deep valleys and challenging passes of Greenland’s south.

2018 Greenland (1/2): Northwest

First, we explored the islands and peninsulas in the area around Uummannaq on foot and with packrafts. Our route led us 500 km north of the Arctic Circle, the terrain was rugged and had little vegetation. The fjords were full of icebergs and the Greenland ice cap in the east was visible most of the time. Later, we traversed the Nussuaq Peninsula and ended our trip in the village of Saqqaq.

Greenland 2017 (3/3): Paamiut – Narsarsuaq

Wonderful packrafting adventure, even though it started with a few disappointments: Bad weather and insufficient fitness of a travel partner made us loose time and we had to change the route significantly. Soon after, I had an accident and needed to be evacuated by helicopter. The second part of the trip (Arsuk – Narsarsuaq) went well, although someone stole from our food cache and made us starve for a week. At the very end of the season, I spent another ten days alone in the area around Narsarsuaq and had time to relax and explore the region.

Greenland 2017 (2/3): Kangerlussuaq – Maniitsoq

This trek was divided into two sections. The first was a 12-day hike with a larger group from Kangerlussuaq to the ice field and then southwest to the Eternity Fjord. The second part I did with Sofia alone, together we continued over the mountains all the way to the coast and packrafted to the island of Maniitsoq.

2017 Greenland (1/3): Nugssuaq – Ilulissat

After sailing from Ilulissat north to the Nugssuaq Peninsula, we hiked and packrafted all the way back to town within 16 days. Due to massive ice blockages in the fjords, we had to change our route significantly and couldn’t travel as close to the ice sheet as we planned.

2017 Ethiopia: Simien Mountains, Aksum, Danakil Depression

An 8-day trekking trip in the Simien Mountains, including a climb of Rash Dashen (4,450 m), Ethiopia’s highest mountain, followed by a road trip through northern Ethiopia, the Danakil Depression and a climb of the volcano Erta Ale.

2016 Pakistan (3/3): Hindukush Traverse

We hiked through the entire Pakistani Hindukush from west to east and crossed 4 major passes with the highest one over 5,300 meters. The area is extremely remote and almost completely unknown to tourists. Our weather was great and we completed the traverse with only one tragedy: my friend Florian had to return home in the middle of the journey due to back problems, so Lisa and I finished without him.

2016 Pakistan (2/3): Snow Lake Trek

We hiked up Biafo Glacier and reached Snow Lake in less than one week. Up there on the ice we couldn’t move for several days due to severe snowfall and poor visibility. On the 6th day of terrible weather, we were running out of time and had to return to Askole – approaching Hispar La or even Lupke La would have been absolutely impossible given the weather conditions.

2016 Pakistan (1/3): Deosai Traverse

To acclimatize for our challenging Snow Lake trek, Heinz and I traversed the Deosai Plains via the mountains to its northwest. The traverse took 11 days which we mostly spent between 4,000 and 5,000 m in order to be perfectly prepared for what was coming next.

2016 Myanmar: 420 km on the Tanintharyi River

18 days in the jungle of southern Myanmar. We rafted down a wild river that apparently has never been rafted before by outsiders on this scale. While the river is unnavigable by commercial boats, local gold miners and fishermen have inhabited the jungle. They were surprised to see tourists in an area that hasn’t had foreigners in a very long time.

2015/16 Myanmar: Motorcycle Trip

Sofia and I met my sister and her boyfriend in Bangkok, together we crossed the border into Myanmar and celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve together. After two weeks, Marie-Luise and Richard left and the tow of us kept traveling around the country on motorcycle.

2015 India: Golden Temple Photos

Pictures of the Golden Temple and the Sikh in Amritar.

2015 Pakistan (2/2): Pictures of Punjab

Our good friend Zeeshan invited us to his home town Layyah in Punjab. With him we visited several places in central Pakistan and were introduced to his friends and family and many other Pakistanis who made sure we were warmly welcome.

2015 Pakistan (1/2): Hindukush Winter

Over the course of several weeks we hiked across the Hindukush without guides and porters and felt the struggle of an early winter in North Pakistan. We met the most wonderful people and witnessed extraordinary culture like we never had before but eventually couldn’t complete our route due to unfortunate weather conditions.

2015 Kyrgyzstan: 5 weeks Tian Shan Adventure

2015 Kyrgyzstan: 5 weeks Tian Shan Adventure Places Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan. Ak-Suu, At-Jayloo, Engylchek Glacier, Maj-Bulak, Musketova Glacier, Sari-Jaz, Kazakhstan, Echkilitash Time & length August/September 2015, 5 weeks (27 days trekking in a row) Partners Sofia Matousek A 27-day trekking adventure through the mountains of eastern Kyrgyzstan. We struggled with difficult passes, snow storms and […]

2015 Tajikistan (2/2): Pamir & Tajik National Park

2015 Tajikistan (2/2): Pamir & Tajik National Park Places Tajikistan. Pamir Mountains, GBAO, Pamir Highway. Khorog, Bachor, Tajik National Park Time & length July/August 2015, 25 days Partners Sofia Matousek After arriving in the village of Bachor, Sofia and I went on a 15-day hike through Tajik National Park which led us past countless lakes […]

2015 Tajikistan (1/2): Pamir Warm-Up

2015 Tajikistan (1/2): Pamir Warm-Up Places Tajikistan. Pamir Mountains, GBAO, Pamir Highway. Khorog, Varshedz, Rushan Range Time & length July 2015, 10 days Partners Sofia Matousek We arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and took a shared taxi along the Pamir Mountains to the small village of Varshedz where we established our base camp. From there we […]

2015 Namibia (2/2): Damaraland Trekking

We hitchhiked to the town of Uis and explored the Ugab River and Brandberg area on foot, including Tsisab Valley and its ancient paintings. Later I continued north and hiked in the Twyfelfontein area, where I encountered plenty of wildlife and visited some famous rock engravings.

2015 Namibia (1/2): Kaokoland Trekking

After an incredibly adventurous road trip, my friend Katharina and I arrived at the Kunene River in Otjinhungwa (Marienfluss) in the very northwest of Namibia, right at the border to Angola. There we spent two magnificent weeks hiking through the desert, exploring some beautiful but inhospitable territory that most other tourists only see through the windshield of their cars, if at all.

2014 Alaska (2/2): Eastern Alaska Range Traverse II

After a full summer of guiding clients in Alaska, I finally went on a personal trip through the eastern Alaska Range with my friend Keith. We started close to Fielding Lake on the Richardson Highway and crossed several rivers and glaciers on our way east. In a total whiteout we put on our snow shoes and hiked over a glaciated pass before we ended up on the north side of the range and followed the Robertson River all the way to the Alaska Highway.

2014 Alaska (1/2): Guiding

From June 26 to September 13 I guided several wilderness expeditions for Freedom Trips in arctic Alaska and Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Besides my guiding jobs I also engaged in other projects which allowed me to explore my beautiful work place some more.

2014 Patagonia (3/3): Los Glaciares National Park

Towards the end of my journey I spent another week in the northern part of Los Glaciares National Park close to El Chaltèn. First I did some hiking on the eastern side of the mountains, and then I climbed Paso del Viento and enjoyed a wonderful view over the magnificent South Patagonian Ice Field. The trip ended with a hike along Viedma Glacier and the return to El Chaltèn.

2014 Patagonia (2/3): Torres del Paine Circuit

Originally I had planned to do a major 3-week-hike from Torres del Paine down to Puerto Natales, following some magnificent glaciers close to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Unfortunately, I didn’t get permission for this endeavor: the kind of permit that I would have needed can only be issued to scientific expeditions, the officer in chief explained to me. So I ended up “only” doing the famous hike around the Torres del Paine massif.

2014 Patagonia (1/3): 350 km in Central Patagonia

Patagonia is known for its magnificent glaciers, huge ice fields, crystal clear lakes and some nasty weather. On this hike, my partner Alan and I successfully completed a 3-week wilderness trip in Southern Argentina that lead us through remote places and the trail-less terrain of the mountains between Route 81 and Lago Pueyrredón, close to the border to Chile.

2013 Alaska (3/3): Wrangell St. Elias Cabin

One week in a Public Use Cabin in Eastern Alaska and an overnight hike in the Hatcher Pass area in the Talkeetnas – this is how I spent the last ten days of September in Alaska.

2013 Alaska (2/3): Eastern Alaska Range Traverse

Together with a friend from Austria I traversed the Eastern Alaska Range from Healy to Black Rapids. Originally we had wanted to go all the way to Tok but due to a snowstorm in mid-September we had to cut our route short and returned to Palmer after crossing the Delta River at the Richardson Highway.

2013 Alaska (1/3): Work & Play

This is a photo report of the time I spent working with Freedom Trips, a guiding company in Arctic Alaska. I won’t give detailed descriptions here but only summarize the trips and projects in which I played an active part, and present a selection of pictures.

2013 Uganda: Karamoja Traverse

Accompanied by my friend Gerald Klamer I climbed Mt. Elgon in Eastern Uganda and afterwards crossed the entire region of Karamoja on foot. Karamoja is the country’s driest, most traditional and most dangerous place: foreign offices of all Western countries advice against going there, which makes it a place without any tourists, but the time we spent in the beautiful land of the “Nomad Warriors” was just absolutely amazing. As far as we know there hasn’t been any big hiking expedition in this region for the last hundred years; […]

2012 Alaska (4/4): Talkeetna Mountains

In mid-September, when the first snow fell, I went on my last hike for this season. Starting in Eureka I went north, crossing several passes and rivers until I arrived at the Talkeetna River, where I put in my packraft. From there I wanted to raft all the way to the village of Talkeetna, but due to heavy floodings I had to fly out.

2012 Alaska (3/4): Eastern Alaska Range

This trip was meant to be a 12 days packrafting adventure, unfortunately it all came to an early end after I flipped over and lost my paddle in the Eureka Creek Canyon.

2012 Alaska (2/4): 500 km Brooks Range Traverse

On this trip I hiked from the Dalton Highway (Galbraith Lake) to Kaktovik, solo and without any resupplies on my way. Due to heavy rains, hard river crossings and difficult terrain this was the most challenging journey I’ve done so far.

2012 Alaska (1/4): Denali

In the beginning of July I guided my Alaskan friend Keith and his two sons on a six-day hike in Denali. Although it was not a commercial trip I was more focused on group cohesiveness and the satisfaction of my partners’ needs than my own wilderness experience, which gave me great insight into the duties of a hiking guide. We all had a very good time together!

2012 Trekking in Lebanon

Together with my friend Markus I hiked all along the Lebanese mountains in the winter time. In this I want to share some impressions we got concerning nature, culture, politics, religion and the people we met down there in the small and rarely attended country of Lebanon.

2011 Alaska (3/3): Packrafting on the Gulkana River

Together with my friend Becky I spent two nights at Paxson Lake and hiked up Donnelly Dome. Then I floated down the Gulkana River in my Packraft until I got to Sourdough Camp.

2011 Alaska (2/3): Denali & more

After a short road trip on the Denali Highway I started my this year’s Denali hike. From Eielson I crossed the Alaska Range at Anderson Pass, went eastwards for a few days, then crossed the range again and rafted down the Teklanika River. This trip ended with a visit at the “Magic Bus”.

2011 Alaska (1/3): Talkeetnas

After I cancelled my Brooks Range trip I made friends with a girl I met in Palmer and took her on two relatively easy hikes in the Talkeetna Mountains.

2011 Ladakh (2/2): Mountaineering in the Himalayas

Second part of my journey through the Indian Himalayas in July 2011. After we returned from our hike in West Ladakh we continued our way to the high-laying Tsomoriri Lake and climbed Chamser Kangri (6600 m).

2011 Ladakh (1/2): Trekking in the Himalayas

This is part one of my journey through the Indian Himalayas in July 2011. After some acclimatization in Ladakh’s capital Leh my two partners and I took a bus to Lamayuru where we joined a festival and later did some nice hiking in nearby mountain ranges.

2011 Taurus Mountains: On the Lycian Way

In February 2011 I went on a solo trip through the Taurus Mountains in Turkey following the Lycian Way. Trekking there is easy and offers some nice and scenic views as well as cultural insights, although it wasn’t an actual “wilderness trek”. Unfortunately I got attacked by a dog after two weeks which brought me into the hospital, shortly after that I flew home.

2010 Road trip: 4500 km to Georgia

In fall 2010 I bought a car in Germany and drove to Georgia in order to visit some friends in Tbilisi, where I finally sold the vehicle. Together with Eva I said hello to people I met years ago in Italy, stepped into the famous Meteora Monasteries, relaxed on the beach in Greece and spend a week in Istanbul

2010 Alaska: Denali

Part two of our 9-weeks long Alaska trip. Caused by illness we started our time in Denali with just a few shorter hikes and a few packrafting sequences, later we hiked over the Kesugi Ridge, before crossing the Alaska Range from the Park Road to Cantwell.

2010 Alaska: Crossing of the northern Wrangells

Part one our 9-weeks long Alaska trip. Making use of packrafts and an air supplied food drop we hiked from Slana to McCarthy including a few side trips and a longer stay in the community of Chisana.

2010 Trekking and mountaineering in the Caucasus

In this trip I explored some places in the very natural and pristine north of Georgia. Together with Eva and later joined by Christian and Stefanie I did two hikes through the Caucasian mountains, later I climbed Mt. Kazbek (5035m).

2009 Rocky Mountains in the USA

Second Part of our 11½-weeks-trek through the Rocky Mountains. We spend 16 days hiking through Yellowstone, later we explored the Tetons further south. At the very end of our trip we hitchhiked through Idaho and Utah to spend some time in SLC before flying over to NYC and then back home.

2009 Canadian Rocky Mountains

This is the first part of my 11½-week-trek through the Rocky Mountains. First I explored the popular mountain regions between Alberta and BC, then I continued north into the solitary Yukon Territory and finally I headed south again towards the USA.

2008 and earlier

A number of small and larger journeys through various European countries and mountain ranges in my early days of travelling.