Over the top: SuperAlp2 celebrates its final day

After the impressive hike from Val Fiscalina/Fischleintal to Rifugio Auronzo, on June 22nd the group left the hut in a beautiful sunny day, direction Passo Cibiana.
The last day of SuperAlp! led participants to the top of Monte Rite, where a first World War fort has been transformed by the famous alpinist Reinhold Messner into a mountain museum.
Some one hour and a half took participants hiking there, where Reinhold Messner was waiting for the group.
After visiting the museum and enjoying the amazing view of the Dolomites, the SuperAlp! 2008 edition ended meeting 19 local mountain farmers, discussing with them the present situation of mountain agriculture and its possible future in the frame of the Protocol Mountain Agriculture of the Alpine Convention.
The very first assessment of the event is more than positive.
The Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention would like to thank all the participants and supporters, the Austrian Ministry of the Environment, the Aut. Region Trentino/Alto Adige-Südtirol, the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Planning, the Province of Belluno and all public bodies and private sponsors that allowed the implementation oh the project.
Who knows… see you next year?

Walking the Dolomites

We woke up surrounded by clouds. "Definitely, no luck with the weather" - was our very first thought. Approaching the starting point of our hike the sun started to shine on us, on our hiking day. Artur Kammerer, Director of the Department of Nature and Landscapes of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano Bozen, and Apollonio Larese, our guide, were waiting for us at the beginning of the trail. We started walking along the Val Fiscalina/Fischleintal, astonished by the changing landscape. Akio, the Japanese journalist member of the SuperAlp!2 group, in his first contact to the Dolomites was impressed most of all by the colour of the rocks and by their proximity to the valley. Some interviews while walking on a moderate hill, the silence and the sound of our steps where the trail started to be steep. Some 6 hours took us from the Province of Bolzano Bozen to the Province of Belluno, ending our day with one of the most beautiful views of the Tre Cime di Laveredo/Drei Zinnen reaching then Rifugio Auronzo.

19th June Mäder/A – Innsbruck/A – Bolzano-Bozen/I 

Jouney to Innsbruck, head office of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention. There will be an excursion using the new cableway Hungerburg, designed by the Iranian architect Zaha Hadid and which allows getting to the Hafelekar station (2330 m) directly from the city centre! 

After enjoying the experience of having lunch at “high-altitude”, the group will go back to the city and visit the head office of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention. In the afternoon participants will travel by train to Bolzano-Bozen, the branch office of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and Alpine Town of the Year 2009. 

 

Location Means of Transport Departure Arrival Note 

Mäder - Götzis by bus 22 08:34 08:43  

Götzis - Rankweil by train R 5617 08:47 08:55  

Rankweil – Innsbruck Hbf by train OEC 669 09:05 11:21  

Innsbruck Hbf - Congress on foot 11:21 11:45  

Congress – Hungerburg (886m) – Hafelekar (2.330m) - Congress by cable car 11:45 15:30  

Congress – Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention On foot 15:30 15:45  

15:45 – 17:00  Visit to the head office of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention

Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention - Innsbruck Hbf on foot 17:00 17:20  

Innsbruck Hbf – Bolzano Bozen by train OEC 189 17:29 19:29  

 

 

For detailed Information 

Alpine Convention   http://www.alpconv.org  

Nordpark Innsbruck   http://www.nordpark.com/   

Alpine Town of the Year Association http://www.alpenstaedte.org  

Alpine Convention cities

A perfect connection of bus and trains took us from Mäder to Rankweil and then to Innsbruck, seat of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention. The brand new cableway from Congress to Seegrube and Hafelekar took the group to the Nordkette, with an impressive view of the Inn valley and the city of Innsbruck. In the afternoon the visit to the main office of the Permanent Secretariat. The group has been introduced to the Alpine Convention, meeting the staff of the Secretariat and Peter Hasslacher, Head of the Department Spatial Planning / Nature Protection of the Austrian Alpine Association. In the late afternoon the journey continued towards Bolzano Bozen.

18th June program

18th June Brig/CH – Mäder/A 

In the late morning the group will travel to Mäder, head office of the “Alliance in the Alps”, the network of municipalities. In the evening there will be a meeting with the President of the Network “Alliance in the Alps” and the representatives of CIPRA International, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps. 

 

Location Means of Transport Departure Arrival Note 

Brig - Zürich HB by train IC 823 10:49 12:58  

Zürich HB - Feldkirch by train OEC 161 13:40 15:18  

Feldkirch - Götzis by train R 5644 15:28 15:42  

Götzis – Mäder by bus 22 15:46 15:52  

 

17.30 -19.00  meeting with the President of the Network “Alliance in the Alps” and the representatives of CIPRA International 

 

 

For detailed information 

Alpine Town of the Year Association  http://www.alpenstaedte.org  

“Alliance in the Alps”, the network of municipalities http://www.alleanzalpi.org   

CIPRA International    http://www.cipra.org    

17 June – Last Swiss day

No luck with the weather, but the Eiger Northface has its charm also in bad weather, so we walk some 2 hours to enjoy the sight of it from below. Our Grindelwald guides take care of us, in particular when they “drop” us down the Grindelwald Schlucht, some 80 meters in the void, but well secured by a rope. We then crossed the Jungfrau once more – this time through the railway tunnel, and here we are in Sunny Brig. We can then see the current Alpine city of the year and hear from the authorities about implementation of the Alpine Convention, in particular in the area of mountain agriculture. A delicious raclette for dinner, and then all in bed (or watching football on tv). Tomorrow we head towards Austria!

Stormy Top of Europe

As expected, we woke up in a very grey and rainy weather, but decided to go in any case to the „top of Europe“ (3500 mt, Jungfraujoch) with the train built at the beginning of last century (inaugurated in 1912). The place is UNESCO World Heritage, and it is not difficult to understand why. But some 700,000 visitors come here each year and one does not always feel the tranquillity of the mountains.
Although we could not see Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, we enjoyed the company of the Alpine Pearls representative, who reported about this network and its plans for sustainable Alpine mobility and tourism. Two Alpine guides joined us for a nice walk from Kleine Scheidegg to Eigergletscher, where we will spend the night, hoping for an improvement of the weather for tomorrow. Overall a day with short horizontal distance travelling, but travelling up some 3000 meters with this incredible mountain train, and with some walking.

16th and 17th June Interlaken/CH – Jungfraujoch - Aletschgletscher – Brig/CH 

In the very early morning, from Brienz, the group will reach Interlaken and continue to Lauterbrunnen. It will then get to Kleine Scheidegg by rack railway. This place is located at the foot of the notorious north face of the Eiger. Participants will then head to Jungfraujoch, crossing the Eigergletscher station. Junfraujoch is the highest railroad in Europe at 3454 m (11333 feet). 

At Jungfraujoch participants will be offered breakfast while the representatives of the Alpine Pearls 

Network will describe the main points of the alpine cooperation projects on the theme of sustainable mobility as well as their successes in terms of tourism.  

In the late morning, the crossing will start with a 4-hour walk towards Rifugio Konkordia (2.850 m).  

The next morning participants will cut through Aletsch, the longest alpine glacier, all the way to Märjelenalp. They will then reach Kühboden and get to the cableway station in Fiescheralp. 

Fiescheralp will host the second meeting of participants and representatives of mountain farmers. Furthermore the activities of Brig, Alpine Town of the year 2008, will be presented. 

The journey will continue from Fiesch to Brig, Alpine Town of the Year 2008. 

 

 

Location Means of Transport Departure Arrival Note 

16th June 2008

Hotel- Railway station by flyer (electric bicycle) 05:30 05:40

Brienz – Interlaken by train 05:59 06:22

Interlaken Ost – Jungfraujoch (3454 m) by train 07:05 09:22

09.30 – 11.00 breakfast and meeting of the representatives of the Alpine Pearls Network

Jungfraujoch (3454 m) – Konkordia Hütte (2.850 m) on foot 11:00 15:30  

      

17th June 2008

Konkordia Hütte (2.850 m) - Märjelenalp – Kühboden – Fischeralp (2212 m) on foot 08:00 12:00

14.00 -16.00  meeting with representatives of mountain farmers and presentation of the activities of Brig, Alpine Town of the year 2008 

Fischeralp - Fiesch by cableway  16:15 16:22  

Fiesch – Brig by train R 551 16:57 17:33  

 

 

Alpine Pearls    http://www.alpine-pearls.com  

Jungfrau Aletsch Bietschhorn UNESCO http://www.welterbe.ch  

Konkordia Hütte    http://www.konkordiahuette.ch/  

Alpine Towns of the Year Association http://www.alpenstaedte.org  

FROM FRANCE TO SWITZERLAND

Chambery: a beautiful city, very active for the sustainable development of the Alpine area. Transport and mobility rank top of the priorities, told us the Major Mrs Laclais and the former Minister Luis Besson. In Chambéry, Alpine city in the year 2006, was opened in 2006 the "House of Parc and Mountains", which contains a very rich set of interactive games and information on Alpine nature. This House also hosts the offices of the "Task Force Protected Areas", in charge of coordinating activities of the network of Alpine protected areas. Also the headquarter of the European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain areas sits here. Overall, a very intensive morning for discussing issues of relevance for policies in the Alps. The Group then lfts France for Switzerland (don't forget your identity card!) where near Interlaken was welcomed by a local wood handycraft and a producer of electric bicycles, which the Group used in order to reach Brienz. Interlaken is an "Alpine Pearl", which means is part of the network of destinations promoting sustainable and soft mobility. The wheather is now no longer good. Tomorrow we shall climb up to 3800 m......

SuperAlp!2 has started!

The adventure has started! Armed with their bicycles the "superalper" left l'Argentiere-la-Bessee cheered by the local mayor and the representatives of the most important NGOs for the protection of the Alps from all alpine countries. After a physically demanding climb to Pallon (1250 m), we enjoyed a beautiful descent to Mont Dauphin in the impressive valley of Durance.
A quick transfer by train to Gap was followed by a visit to the city by public bus (which is free of charge like all public transport in Gap).
We were welcomed by the mayor and his team and exchanged views of past, present and future activities of Gap as former Alpine City of the Year. At the end of the day another train took us to Chambéry where we could enjoy the local couisine.

First day

14 June L’Argentiere-la-Bessée/F – Gap/F - Chambéry/F 

SuperAlp! is starting from Argentiere-la-Bessée, headquarters of “Alpine Week 2008”. 

In the early morning participants will meet representatives of mountain farmers.  

The sustainable crossing of the Alps will start around 9.15 cycling for 15 km all the way to Mont Dauphin railway station. 

In the afternoon, a train will take participants to Gap and then to Chambéry, headquarters of the Task Force “Protected Areas” of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and of Alpine Town of the Year 2006. 

 

08.00 – 09.00 Meeting with representatives of mountain farmers 

 

Location Means of 

Transport Departure Arrival Note 

L’Argentiere-la-Bessée - Mont-Dauphin railway station by bike 09:15 - 12:00 15 km ca. 

Mont-Dauphin railway station - Gap by train RE 17412 13:13 14:13  

 

14.30 - 17.00  Visit to the City of Gap, Alpine Town of the Year 2002 and meeting with local administration representatives. 

 

Gap - Grenoble Train RE 85674 17:24 19:56  

Grenoble – Chambéry Train RE 17554 20:25 21:10  

 

For detailed information: 

Alpweek www.alpweek.org

Alpine Network of Protected Areas www.alparc.org  

Alpine Towns of the Year Association www.alpenstaedte.org  

Itinerary by bike www.hautes-alpes.net/IP07.html   

This blog...

... is dedicated to the SuperAlp!2, the educational tour across the Alps.

... is a new way to create a place to share comments and opinions about this particular experience.

... would be also an occasion to promote and encourage a sustainable way to travel and live our treasure: the Alps!

Make your voice heard!!

As soon as the tour starts, we will report "live" this expirience directly by the protagonist's stories.

The SuperAlp!2 official presentation

After the succes of the 2007 edition, the Permanent Secretariat of Alpine Convention is organising the second edition of SuperAlp! The "sustainable" crossing of the Alps taking a place between the 14th - 22nd June 2008, in cooperation with the Province of Belluno. It is a brand new itinerary for crossing the Alps using only sustainable means of transport: bike, train, bus, cableway, without forgetting the most eco-friendly and the natural way: walking. However, this project it is more tha just a journey across tha Alps. The 2008 edition wishes to make this crossing an occasion to discover the different existing naetworks, also at the local level, which contribute to the creation of a future worth its name, in compliance with the principles of the Alpine Convention.