It’s a warm day in July and a friend of mine came over to visit. As a guy from the Netherlands, a country as flat as a pancake, the mountains have a lot to offer. Due to the heat, we decided any activity with water would be appreciated. Hanging in a swimming pool? No, that not. We need some adrenaline rush. And so we end up in a rubber boat going down a wild river.

The timing is right

As it’s July, it means it’s mid-summer in Northern Italy. This usually means sunny weather with high temperatures. As the summer season is well underway, the river is relative “quite”. Most of the glacier water in the lower regions of the slopes has melted and with no to little rainfall in the last couple of days, we are in for a relaxing trip. Or so we thought. Rafting the Noce river is still an experience that has enough up its sleeve to kick your ass.

Heavy rainfall in the past days or just rainfall during the rafting experience will probably make the trip even more wild and exciting. At times, it might even get scary in such conditions. For us though, on our adventure day, the trip was just about perfect.

Be fearless

While this experience may seem rough and scary, I strongly recommend anyone to give it a try. With professional instructors, protective gear and clear guidelines you feel safe and comfortable. Wearing the wetsuit might feel a little cold and nasty at first, but knowing the water is very, very cold, you will be glad you are wearing it. Besides, it offers protection from the rocks that you might hit when falling out of the boat.

Falling out of the boat may also seem as a scary prospect, but actually, at a quite part of the river, you will be free to jump out of the boat and have a swim. And I strongly recommend doing it.

Interested in more outdoor activities in Trentino? Look no further!

Many of you reading this article know, but a Formula 1 Grand Prix is not just a race. It’s a long weekend of racing around the circuit in different racing classes.  Besides the formula 1 race, this year, there’s a formula 2 race and Porsche GT3 Middle East tournament. And it’s not only the races. There are practice sessions, qualifications and a lot of side-events that make the Grand Prix a fantastic experience.

Grand Prix entertainment

As there is so much going on on the track and a lot of promoter activities, there’s enough to see. When entering the circuit, there’s an area where you can relax and lay down in the sun. Meanwhile, you will be entertained by the various acts walking around. Getting hungry? Try out one of the many food-stalls that offer nice meals for a reasonable price (considering it’s a world-class sports event).

Depending on the type of ticket you purchase, you have the option to do a ‘Pit Lane walk’ allowing you a backstage preview of the team pit boxes. You will have a chance to watch the cars from up close and walk around on the track.

And even when the day has come to an end, and no more racing will be done at the track, you can stay a little longer and enjoy the concert being held.

The Formula 1 GP of Bahrain race

There is one main event though. That one event most of us came to the circuit for in the first place. It’s the actual Formula 1 GP of Bahrain race. While the free-practice races on Friday and Saturday perhaps only offer little excitement and a first glimpse and smell of the power of formula 1 racing cars, it really starts with the qualification on Saturday.

It’s this session, divided over 3 segments, in which the starting grid for the main race on Sunday is decided. In this session, the cars are tuned up to the max to set the fastest time possible. It’s where the first drama starts unfolding

Having seats at the Main Grandstand, you have a close-up view of the pit lane and start/finish line. With screens set-up on the other side of the track, it’s a good place to keep an eye on all the action. And on race day, it’s where you can keep an eye on all of the excitement. Ranging from the Driver’s track parade to a Gulf Air aircraft flying past close over your head, it’s a spectacle to always remember.

And the race hasn’t started yet! With the cars on the starting grid, the red lights go off one by one until the green lights turn on. An extreme scream of formula 1 car engines will greet you and the race is underway. It’s the start of a nearly 2-hour long spectacle.

Where to stay?

When in Bahrain, where should you stay? We recommend staying in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. While it’s about an hour to drive to the circuit, it offers the opportunity to explore the city and you’ll have a plethora of options when it comes to hotels, restaurants and bars.

Tired of races and interested in a little more culture? Visit Bab Al Bahrain, Al Fateh Grand Mosque, Manama Souq or the Bahrain National Museum for an authentic Bahrain experience.

Another, very good reason to stay in Manama is that you will be close to the airport. Depending on the hours of your flights, this might make it easy to get from and to the airport.

This ride is not only stunningly beautiful, it also offers you some nicer temperatures. With it’s lowest point at 1092 meter above sea-level you can rest assured that after 6 o’ clock in the evening it cools down to more mountain bike friendly temperatures.

The shelters and huts of the Pasubio-group

Locally, this ride is know under the name ‘Tra le malghe e le baite del Pasubio‘. As the autonomous province Trentino Alto Adige, it of course goes by the German name of ‘Zwichen malgen und hutten der Pasubio-gruppe‘ too.

The name is correct. While you bike from 1092 meter to 1903 meter above sea level trough the Pasubio-group, you pass several shelters and huts. During summer, some of them are open and are very much recommended for a pit-stop on the hotter days. Keep in mind though that usually they are open in weekends and up till around 7 in the evening.

Starting from Giazzera, where there are parking places, you are in for a little bit of a rough start. The first 500 meters it goes up to be followed by 500 meters down. This will get you awake and from there the only way is up. For 13 km you will find yourself battling an average gradient of 8%. The first 6 km this will be easy as it’s taking place on asphalt. After that, you enter rocky mountain roads and the further you go, the bigger the rocks!

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Taking a break from climbing

It’s also during this first 14 km you pass by the first 2 mountain huts. After 5 km you pass by Malga Valli and a mere 1.5 km later you find Malga Costoni. Depending on your level of fitness and goal of this ride, you might want to refresh at one of these two huts. If you do, just a few meters further after Malga Costoni you have majestic views over the valley!

After this point, all you will pass are ruins of the 1st world war and mountain shelters of the Pasubio-group. You will have to wait for kilometer 15 of this ride to get to the next hut; Rifugio Alpe Pozza V. Lancia. By that time, you have passed the tricky part of the decent towards Giazzera and find yourself at a 1825 meters above sea-level.

Halfway down to Giazzera

The first few 100 meters of the decent can be considered technical and depending on your level of experience even a bit scary. While the roads are wide, at some points it’s just steep and rocky. The further down you go, the better it gets. The rocks get smaller and more concrete shows up. After 19.5 km the road turns into asphalt again and while you have to be careful at blind corners, you can charge ahead fast from this point.

Arriving in Giazzera, you’ve done about 23 km and a rough 900 meters of climbing. For the trained mountain biker that doesn’t take a lot of time to stop, this ride will most likely be completed under 2 hours. If you are a recreational biker that is out to enjoy the scenery and want to take the time to enjoy and relax at the mountain huts, you can easily fill a half a day with this trip.

On a nice, sunny day, the views from the lake are wonderful and you should definitely go out and explore lake Garda by boat. The north of the lake is surrounded by steep mountains while in the south flat land dominates the scenes. Lake Garda has different faces and considering the length of the lake, a whopping 51.9 km, there’s enough space to float around.

How lake Garda formed

It feels like lake Garda has always been there but it hasn’t. This impressive big lake and it’s surrounding mountains tell a story. If you are into geology, you might even be able to make an guess.

Lets take a look at it’s shape. The norther part is narrow (3km) compared to the south (16.7km) of the lake. And then there’s the depth of the lake. In the north it’s up to 364 meter deep while in the south it’s usually between 10 and 100 meter.

The answer to the formation of the lake is a massive Piedmont glacier. 1.5 million years ago this glacier flowed down the Brenta Dolomites and carved the lake. As the glacier ended up on flat lands it formed a bulb-like lobe and after the glacier melted the freshwater lake remained.

How to explore lake Garda by boat

Enough history as it’s time to get out and explore lake Garda by boat. Before you head out it’s important to know that lake Garda is part of 3 provinces; Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto and Lombardy. This is important as this means that there are different rules for different parts of the lake.

When you rent a motor boat the first thing that they will tell you is to stay out of the northern part of the lake. This means you can’t visit Riva del Garda by self-steered motorboat and you can’t rent one either. In Veneto and Lombardy this is not a problem.

Second, you probably want to stay away as far as possible from the wind/kite-surfers and sail boats. They tend to go fast and be in one area so it should be easy to avoid them.

Where to rent a boat?

As mentioned, you can’t sail by yourself in the northern, Trentino, part of the lake. You therefore will not find any boat rental in that area. But when in Veneto or Lombardia, you’ll find boat rentals in for example Malcesine. For about 110,- euro’s you’ll be able to rent a speed boat (40hp) for 2 hours.

With many, many places to rent all kinds of shapes and sizes of boats, I recommend you to have a search at Google. If you are already near lake Garda, you most likely find a rental company in your neighborhood.

Ah, last but not least, don’t forget your swimwear! There’s nothing better then taking a fresh dive into the beautiful blue water of lake Garda!

Nature and science combined at Muse

The MUSE museum in Trento offers a great insight in the forming of the region, the extinct and existing wildlife. And all of this is in combination with the latest on science. When you visit MUSE you enter a well organized, modern museum.

The artifacts are well documented and the interactive displays make it a dynamic museum. This makes it a great experience for young and old. The information is written in an easy to understand fashion and is therefore interesting for everyone.

Even better, the information displays are not the only way the gather and learn interesting facts. On every floor you meet employees and volunteers of the MUSE museum that will gladly tell you more about the topics. Many of them are actually scientist either working for MUSE or studying at the Trento university.

A 7 floor journey

I recommend you to start at the lowest floor and make your way up trough this 7 floor museum. On level -1 you find exiting information on dinosaurs, DNA and fossils. Reconstructed skeletons of some of the great ones are on display. It’s hard to image having these enormous beast walking around on the planet, but the fossils shown proof they have really existed.

Trough the tropical garden, you make your way to the first floor where you can experience and try exciting science experiments that explain a lot of different concepts of physics. This floor is especially informative and a lot of fun for the younger ones.

On the first floor you learn more about our sustainability and innovation on our planet, the alpine prehistory and a ‘fablab’. In the latter, companies from the region showcase their work. Currently it’s possible to see and try 3D printing. Another very interesting part on this floor are the research laboratories. You can view prehistoric, geological, biological and palaeontological artifacts stored in the hundered drawers of the cabinets here.

Exploring the region, nature and climate

Moving on to the second floor, we learn loads more on the environment you are currently in; the Dolomites. Learn more about the geology and it’s origin, it’s subsoil resources and the environmental risk and civil protecting of the region. As beautiful as the region is, risks of flooding and other natural disasters are always present yet the resources and beauty however make it a region lots of people want to live.

Getting closer to the top, on the third floor the focus is on the biodiversity and changes of season. Discover all the wonderful creatures and nature all season around. It features many of the wildlife you find in the forest in Trentino and motivates you to go out and explore the region by yourself.

Reaching the last indoor floor, have a look at glaciers, climate, exploration and research. It shows the beauty the of the most majestic natural events but also warns about it’s fragile nature. Lots of glaciers around the world are drastically shrinking, indicating the changes to climate that currently have the world by it’s throat. A floor with beauty combined with a reality check!

Consuming it all at the panoramic terrace

And after all these floors of interesting an informative exhibitions it’s now time to take a breath on the panoramic terrace. With a beautiful view trough the valley and from the city of Trento, it’s an invite to go out in the mountains and enjoy the flora and fauna around. With all the newly learned knowledge and information, you look at it with a different set of eyes.

And if there is one thing to take away from it all, it is to enjoy our planet but be more conscious then ever on our role and the ways we affect and can protect this wonderful world we live in!

How to visit MUSE

The address of MUSE is Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3 in Trento. It’s very close to the city center, just 10 minutes away from Piazza del Duomo. The museum has facilities and is completely accessible for the disabled.

Buy your tickets online or at entry of the museum. At the moment of writing adult tickets are a well worth investment of 10,- EUR per person. For families with children discount rates apply.

Parking can be done in the parking garage below the museum. Do note that the garage usually closes one hour after the museum does. And if it’s closed it is properly closed. Consequently, if your car is still there, it’s safely locked up from anyone accessing it, including you! Yes, I speak out of own experience…

More, up to date, information on ticket pricing and opening hours can be found on the MUSE website.

When hiking around in this region you will discover many caves. Having a close look during your hike will even let you find artifacts like cans, bottles and even ammunition of the first world war. This is because this area was the front line of the Italian and Austro-Hungarian war. Ossario del Pasubio tells the story and the museum next doors gives a very detailed view on the history.

The Ossario del Pasubio

The Ossario del Pasubio, translated in English as the Pasubio Monastery, has it’s origins in 1917.  The idea was to build a chapel. A monument dedicated to the fallen in the First World War.

Construction started in 1920 at an altitude of 1217 meters. The position was chosen because of it’s beautiful views over the valley and because it allows you to see the shape of the monastery from across the Vicenza plain.

Construction was hard due to the cold, hostile winters and collection of funds. On August 29, 1926 the monastery was inaugurated. It consist out of two parts. The ossuary and the chapel. You find the ossuary in the tower stand and it includes a central crypt and two concentric galleries. In the central crypt the remains of 70 decorated soldiers are kept while in the galleries the remains of another 5146 Italian and 40 Austro-Hungarians are stored. The bones of the fallen are visible which gives it a chilling touch.

The chapel can be reached by entering the tower on the south. Using stairs to the top, you’ll find the small chapel. The inside of the tower is decorated with beautiful frescoes and artistic stained glass.

The 1^st army museum

The museo 1^a armata completes the story that the monastery is trying to tell. In this museum you will find exhibitions explaining the war itself. It’s a modern museum giving a neutral insight with various levels of perception. It displays memorabilia, images, 3D reconstructions and multimedia outlets.

Events at Ossario del Pasubio

Every year on the last Sunday of June there is a celebration in memory of the fallen. This is also in memory of the anniversary of the bloodiest battle fought on the nearby massive on July the second, 1916.

Combining your visit with the outdoors

The monastery and museum are very interesting to visit but truly stand out by the fact it’s can easily be combined with a wonderful hike. You can plan in a visit during the hike. At the Ossario del Pasubio you find a little bar for refreshments.

Personally I’d recommend to park at Pian de Fugazze and hike around Monte Cornetto. There are several signed post paths either taking you around or even to the top of Monte Cornetto. Note that this hike will take you a couple of hours and making your way up to the top requires fitness.

If you want to skip the hike, take a nice 2 km walk. Walk the road from Pian de Fugazze to the Ossario del Pasubio and be surprised by the views at arrival!

How to get there

You can reach the Ossario de Pasubio using the SS46 from both Rovereto and Schio. This drive itself gives you very nice views over the valley and mountains. From Pian Delle Fugazze, the top of the pass, it’s a small 2 km to Ossiario del Pasubio.

More information on the tower, museum and events can be found on the Ossario del Pasubio website. (Italian only)

What are the Stoanernen Mandln?

It rises a question though. What are these man of stone doing here? There are at least a 100 of these piles of stones gathered around the cross.

The story goes that it’s a place was used by witches. In fact, there are legal documents dating back to 1540 that claim these practices. The witches would dance around the stone figures, worship the devil and change the weather, sending violent thunderstorms down the valley.

These stories combined with the mystic Stoanernen Mandln gives this place an enchanting and mysterious atmosphere. Combined with the spectacular views this is a hike you don’t want to miss!

Hike to the Stoanernen Mandln

As in many places, there are tons of ways to get up to the Stoanernen Mandln. The good news is that no matter what way, you’ll be presented with wonderful views along the hike. Common places to start are close to Sarentino or Merano.

The route I share here starts in Vöran and will take you on a 21km long journey. With an ascent of around 996 meters, this route will take you a little over 6 hours excluding stops. While the route itself is not hard, you do need a good condition. The experience and landscape are absolutely worth it though!

Other options to start a hike towards the Stoanernen Madln are from the nearby ‘Parkplatz Grüner Baum‘ or ‘Parkplatz Schermoos‘ in Mölten. Starting from there will reduce the duration of the hike to approximately 4 to 5 hours.

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Along the route

Along the route you will pass several restaurants. Note that the opening hours are seasonal. During high season many of these restaurants are open daily while in winter time they may only be open during weekends or even completely closed.

On the map we have marked some of the restaurants so you can keep them in mind while walking around. If you can’t get enough of the beauty in this region, it’s even possible to stay for the night at a couple of these places.

A hike to remember

While it’s not the toughest hike in terms of condition, the hike will still take you a full day to complete. Best of all, in terms of scenery and landscape, it’s one of the prettiest around. If you find yourself in the area in spring time, you’ll be welcomed by lots of flowers as well, giving yet another level of beauty to the hike.

If you are considering this hike or are interested in this region, we’d recommend you to visit the Avelengo, Verano and Merano tourist information website which is part of the region Süd Tyrol.

Oslo and it’s surroundings are beautiful, but any Norwegian from that area will tell you that if you want to see the ‘real’ Norway, you have to at least drive for 2 hours up north. And so you can find a husky sledding experience close to Oslo, but I set out to go to a ski resort called Geilo on a 4 hour drive from Oslo.

While this may seem like a long drive, and it is, it’s worth it. Passing huge lakes and gorgeous mountains all covered in snow, there is not a moment this trip gets dull.

Sledding with Fagerlund Husky

While there are a couple of husky sledding providers in and around Geilo, I find Fagerlund Husky to be very responsive and flexible upon reservation. Upon arrival in Geilo, we have been picked up by a very friendly staff member of Fagerlund Husky. After a 15 minute drive, we arrive at a small camp with fireplace and tent.

After a small introduction and a friendly chat, we get into the tent to change some of our clothing. While the weather is really sunny today, the wind and snow will make it very cold and therefore good clothing is a necessity. Fagerlund Husky provides us with some decent winter clothing.

Keep calm and control your huskies!

Sledding the huskies on a frozen lake is absolutely amazing. But what if I tell you that you won’t just be sitting in the sleigh relaxing and enjoying the spectacular sights? What if I tell you that you will actually be the one that controls the huskies and sleigh?!

Yes, this may seem a little scary, but rest assured, it’s absolutely not hard to do. In our trip we took two laps around the lake. A little stop half way makes it possible to change position from relaxing in the sleigh to controlling the huskies.

When sleighing, all you have to do is keep your distance with the sled in front of you. You can do this using the ‘soft’ brake in which you stand on a mat. This will cause drag and slow you down a little. The huskies are strong and eager though so you once in a while will have to use the ‘hand brake’. This one will gently but certainly get you to a full stop. Steering the sled when turning? You don’t have to do much. It pretty much goes by itself.

A husky sledding experience to never forget

For me, this sure is in the top of the list of best experiences ever. A true ‘bucket-list’ check! It is as awesome as you’d imagine when you see these kind of adventures on TV. In fact, after some time it can be hard to image you actually did it!

And if reading this article didn’t convince you to go try it out, then check out the video below. If that doesn’t get you excited… well… I guess you’re not a fan of snow and/or dogs in the first place.

Go on your own husky sledding adventure

Want to try it yourself? If you have the opportunity, don’t doubt. It’s a lifetime experience I would recommend to anyone of all ages.

I went with the very helpful and friendly Norwegians at Fagerlund Husky. They offer several tours, varying in length and location. For personal advise, you can contact them by phone. Bookings and availability can be found here.

Using a toboggan, a traditional and simple sled that is used for transportation in the past, you can now have a lot of winter fun on the Korketrekkeren. Literally translated as “the corkscrew”, this track runs between Frognerseteren and Midtstuen and is operated by the municipality.

You can use the track free of charge as it’s maintained by the municipality. Opening hours? Well, that really depends on the snow conditions. In the winter of 2017, it took up until the beginning of February before there was enough snow.

The speed of the track depends very much on the freshness of the snow. When the snow is fresh and powdery, it goes faster than when the snow is heavy and wet. The track gets at it’s craziest when it’s icy. In icy conditions it can actually be too fast and dangerous.

Want to try it out? Head out to Frognerseteren (reachable by metro) and lend a sleigh (kjelke) and helmet from the akeforeningen. It’s not possible to rent a sleigh when they consider the conditions not to be suitable. If you are not sure about the conditions, you can contact them by phone (see website for details)

History

The track used to be a road and was made into a luge track in the 1880’s. In fact, a bobsleigh track was built from the same starting point for the 1952 winter Olympics. As this was a temporary, artificial track with curves being constructed in snow and then frozen hard to ice, the bobsleigh track nowadays is by far gone.

There have been occasional proposals to build a permanent bobsleigh track but the selection of Lillehammer to be the host of the 1994 winter Olympics host stopped this debate.

That it’s not just slow fun becomes clear in the fact that in 2007, there were two serious accidents on the hill and it was subsequently closed by the police. The municipality then renovated the hill, removing poles and polstering dangerous edges.

Sleigh the Korketrekkeren on ice?!

I have been out there… a sunny day in the beginning of February. It was crowded and the track was icy. The result was absolutely crazy. The speed, the lack of control, it was hilarious and perhaps a little dangerous. One thing is for sure, you’ll know you live!

During winter, when there is enough snow, there are many, many cross country skiing trails to be found around Oslo. As this sport is very popular, many of these trails are signed and even groomed! This makes it very convenient and so I set out to go on my first ever cross country skiing trip in Lommedalen. But first, why is it so popular? And is it hard to do?

The Norwegian history on cross country skiing

When you ask anyone in Norway why skiing is popular, the Norwegians will tell you they are born with skis on their feet. It makes sense. With snow all over the place for months during the winter, it’s an easy way for transportation. This also explains it’s popularity. In the past, it was purely a way to get from A to B the easiest and most convenient way.

Nowadays it transformed into to a fun and social sport. From recreational to fitness purpose, many Norwegians spend their spare time on skis. And it shows. During the winter Olympics Norway is a country that dominates in any sport that relates to cross country skiing. From marathons to biathlons, the Norwegians are always high in the ranks.

What you need for cross country skiing

You don’t need too much for cross country skiing. As long as you keep moving, even clothing stays rather limited as you quite quickly find yourself sweating when going a little uphill. Some good thermal clothing at it’s base is required. Other than that you want clothing that is not too wide and fluffy, but not too tight either as you require the freedom to move. Be sure to bring some additional dry clothing in a backpack for when you are done or take a brake, you cool down quickly when you are not moving.

The skis itself are rather different from your slalom/alpine skis. The are much thinner and allow your heel to come off the ski itself. The boots are also far less rigid compared to alpine boots. This is to allow you the freedom to move. Don’t forget to bring ski poles! Cross country skiing requires a lot of balance. You will definitely need them to get started. You will find some Norwegians going about without them, but these are most likely very experienced and actually training their balance to improve their technique.

My experience in Lommedalen

As usual, I felt completely out of my comfort zone in my cycling gear between all the experienced Norwegians. It must have looked foolish, and the Norwegians have a name for that. “A Dane on skis” is what they call somebody like me. Goofy but miraculously moving. And that’s exactly what I did!

It took some initial practice but then I was going places. It sure didn’t look elegant, but it was for sure a nice workout. Lommedalen is a very peaceful place which feels as if you are far away from the big city. Everything is white, the track wonderfully groomed and the sun peaking trough once in a while.

I was lucky to be surrounded by two real Norwegians that were able to assist me getting the grips of this fun sport. It’s highly recommended you bring yours if you set out on your first trip.

How to get started?

You don’t need to much experience to get started. In the beginning it might feel a little uncomfortable and it seems like you are not moving anywhere. The trick is, when setting of with one feet, to almost make a forward jump on one feet while not letting the skies leave to snow. In this way you get maximum grip to push yourself forward.

Start out slowly, technique is more important than speed. When going downhill, if there is a groomed track, just stay in it while bending a little trough your knees. You can slow down a little by placing one of the skies a little sideways in the snow.

While you can use your poles to push you forward, it’s not meant for that purpose. With a good technique, all you need them for is balancing. You will probably use them a lot to start with, but quite soon you’ll find out this is extremely heavy on the arms! If you use them, try slowing down and focus on technique!

Finding a groomed trail

Finding a groomed trail is very easy in the surroundings of Oslo. As it’s such a popular sport, there’s the Norwegian Ski Association that maintains a website with the current status of many of the tracks. Have a look on this map and plan your trip!