Head for the hills

With the ‘comfortable hiking’ trend, the goal is not the mountain top.

MOUNTAINS do play a key role in the new active holidays trend called “comfortable hiking” – but that doesn’t mean these hikes need to be challenging.

The world over, travel organisers are becoming increasingly specialised in catering to the precise needs of vacationers heading for the hills in Asia, South America, North Africa or Europe.

Be it in Nepal, Morocco, Chile or even Greenland, most trekking tourists are out to explore the breathtaking landscapes at their own pace and not out to set records.

That’s why Kundri Boehmer-Bauer of Hauser Excursions, a travel operator in Germany specialised in hiking tours, says Nepal is catering to the needs of more casual hikers with easier “comfort trekking” tours.

It’s particularly heartening that all the trekking routes in Nepal are open again after setbacks inflicted by several earthquakes, says Boehmer-Bauer.

Trekkers there are given the chance to spend several nights in the same mountain hostel from which they can explore a different trail every day.

After a long but not too exhausting hike, trekkers can relax in the evenings and, depending on the price category, enjoy some kind of treatment.

“On average, such trekking tours last 10 days,” Boehmer-Bauer says.

Of course, there are several different target groups in the trekking scene, ranging from families to ambitious sports-minded hikers to seniors.

One of the major trends is what Thomas Bucher, of the German Alpine Association, calls cabin hiking.

“In the past, the peak was the destination – today it’s the cabins,” he says.

There in the Alps, simple sleeping accommodation can be found in mountain pastures nearly everywhere.

Huts like these are not just used for a single day’s outing, but as a base for several days of hiking. As a result, trekking operators are also adjusting their offering to include “LADIES and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts.”

Just hearing this announcement over an airplane’s PA system is enough to make some passengers feel a bit queasy.

Turbulence in the air is certainly not pleasant, especially for those with a fear of flying or a delicate stomach – but not everywhere on a plane shakes as strongly when turbulence hits.

So where is the best seat to feel as little turbulence as possible?

“In essence, you feel the least movement in the middle of the plane,” explains Prof Andreas Strohmayer of the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. The aircraft waggles the least at the point where the wings are attached to the fuselage.

In addition, for passengers seated near the middle of the plane the plane does not seem to swerve as much when the joystick is moved.

On the other hand, the most unsettled part of the aircraft tends to be the rear.

When the pilot operates the vertical stabilisers or rudder, an occupant at the very back may feel pulled out of line, especially since the aircraft’s outer shell is actually somewhat elastic. In turbulence, they may feel more whipped about.

A seat at the back is likewise less than ideal during takeoff.

“When the aircraft lifts its nose as it leaves the tarmac, those at the back will feel as if they are dropping in an elevator,” says Strohmayer. Takeoff is much smoother amidships, above the undercarriage. hiking routes going from cabin to cabin.

And it’s not just in the summer months. Now, the winter season is seeing more and more snow trekking in the Alps, Bucher says.

“The alternative to skiing is now winter trekking,” using snow shoes and skis. And many of these winter hikers are sticking to the prepared ski runs and not going off on their own, he says.

“More and more people seek out the fitness aspects and don’t want to expose themselves to the danger of avalanches,” the DAV spokesman adds, explaining the new trend.

But now for the biggest surprise in the new trekking trends in Germany: According to the German Hiking Association, it’s not the high altitudes of the Alps that are the favourite places for hiking, but the medium-elevation mountains.

Why? Association spokesman Erik Neumayer says it’s the proximity of these mid-sized mountains to where people live.

“Most people want to go hiking somewhere close to home,” he says. – dpa

One question remains: When sitting midway through a large aircraft, is it better to be near the aisles or at the window?

“When sitting at the window seat, you will feel more lifted or dropped when the aircraft banks into a turn,” explains Strohmayer.

However, for people with a fear of flying, it is often a good idea to have the window to look out. Seeing the horizon can help soothe any nausea, since your eyes will have a point of reference in the distance, so on balance, a window seat is best for the anxious. – dpa