Swim the Channel – the ultimate Swimevent

Important note: Due to the surprising exit of a sponsor and event partner, the event 2019 can not take place. Hope it will work in 2020. Sorry!

In the middle of March 2019, in relatively cold conditions – water and air about 8 degrees, strong wind – I swam the artificial whitewater channel on the Vienna Danube Island. My aim was to explore the possibilities for a swimming event in September 2019. Location and infrastructure are perfect to make a great and safe event here. An international “Swim-the-Channel-Cup” would also be considered, as there are such artificial whitewater routes in many interesting cities worldwide.

Swims

Hiking & Swimming in the Alps: My new mine-swimming-tour

Mount Petzen in the Austrian-Slovenian border area houses in its interior mine tunnels of a total of several hundred kilometers in length. After the mine operation ceased in the sixties and the water was no longer pumped out, some of the lower mining horizons were flooded, creating underground lakes with crystal clear water about 8 degree Celsius. In December 2018 I swam there and will offer this adventure from 2019 as part of guided tours to other Wildswimming friends.

easy tours, Swims

Hiking and swimming in the Alps – pleasureswimming in Croatia

A few impressions from my recent exploration trip to the south. Starting next year, I will offer guided tours and swim packages under the umbrella brand SWIMSALABIM. At the alpine-swimming tours & holidays the alpine swim-hike component is in the foreground. At pleasure-swimminging tours & holidays, the focus is on enjoyable swimming in particularly beautiful – even maritime – locations within an attractive, authentic culinary / cultural program.

Swims

Wildswimming in the quarry

For a change this time a trip to “non-alpine waters”. Around the Saxon Bischofswerda you will find abandoned quarries, which are perfect for wild swimming. (Naked) wildswimming has been going on here for decades, even though it is officially forbidden for liability reasons.

easy tours, Swims

Alpineswimming in the Krummschnabelsee

Although the Krummschnabelsee is located in Obertauern at about 1800 m above sea level it gets up to 24 degrees warm in summer. Because it also offers a high alpine panorama and with the nearby Hochalm a perfect rest stop, the moorlake is ideal for relaxed wild swimming in the context of a simple alpine swimming trip.

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WILDSWIMMING AT THE NADIZA

If the turquoise-blue Soca is too fresh and the Kozjak waterfall is too extreme for you, then you might find your wild-swimming luck at the Slovenian Nadiza.

Hiking, Swims

Alpineswimming idyll at the upper Bockhartsee

Ein Bergesse wie geschaffen fürs alpine swimming - der obere Bockhartsee

Up on alpine swimming? Off to Bockhartsee !

From Bad Gastein it goes on a toll road to Sportgastein. Arrived at the bottom of the valley it is best to leave the car at the hiking car park in front of the Valeriehaus. Alternatively, it’s now more comfortable on the supply road or direct and steeper over the walkway up to Bockhartseehütte. Even here, the mountain panorama is breathtaking and stirs the expectation on the Bockhartsee. This anticipation is also more than justified. At least as far as the upper Bockhartsee is concerned.

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Wildswimming the Kozjak waterfall

Wildswimming im spektakulären Kozjak Wasserfall in Kobarid

The Kozjak waterfall – beautiful, loud, challenging

The Soca Valley is not only an El Dorado for kayakers and rafting fans, but also for those who have dedicated themselves to wild swimming. In addition to the eternally seductive Soca itself, there are countless beautiful bathing areas along tributaries, waterfall pots and mountain lakes. One of the most beautiful and spectacular spots is certainly the easily accessible Kozjak waterfall, which is located near Kobarid.

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Wildswimming the Filbingsee

The Filbingsee lies in a small cirque over the Fuschlsee near Salzburg. It is accessible via a steep climb through the mountain forest in about an hour and offers a fantastic wildswimming experience. So one is worthily rewarded for the sweaty rise. That’s the way it should be with alpineswimming. Continue Reading…

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A Wildswimming Quickie in the Wiestal

Perfect for a Wildswimming Quickie - Swimspot in the lower Wiestal

This spot near the Celtic city Hallein is not suitable for contemplative bathing pleasure. It is too close – though well hidden – to the busy Wiestal-mainroad. However, this location has advantages if you want to pursue a few “lengths” of its wild-swimming pleasure quickly and easily. Because the spot on the weir at the Hammerwirt is easily accessible, has a nice length and is usable regardless of the water level.

Hiking, Swims

Lake Schoeder (Schödersee) a periodic mountain lake

The Schödersee is a periodic lake in the Grossar Valley

In the spring the Grossarl valley shows a particularly beautiful side. In the valley floor it is already green, the summits still carry white and everywhere on the mountain flanks shoot mighty waterfalls downwards.. Those who are searching for Schödersee (Lake Schoeder) at this time of year have a good chance to find this capricious mountain lake. Because the Schödersee is a so called periodic lake. Only at the time of snow melting and after longer rains he floods the meadows. But then he offers an impressive natural spectacle.

Swims

Ice swimming extreme in the Glacier Ice Palace

What makes this ice swimming extreme?

It is not so much the water temperature just above the freezing point, nor the air temperature, which is also at about 0 degrees. Rather, it is primarily the sea level that makes the ice swimming extreme here. Because the ice lake lies in the belly of the Tux Glacier at about 3200 m. This fact in combination with the other conditions is a real challenge even for smart swimmers. One in which a camera team from Servus-TV was involved in creating a report for the primetime series “Heimatleuchten”.

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Wildswimming like Sigmund Freud

In the Thumsee near the Bavarian City Bad Reichenhall swam already the founder of the psychoanalaysis Sigmund Freud. Together with his family he spent some summer holidays in the nowadays renovated Seewirt.

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A freshwater pearl – the Tauernkarsee

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The Tauernkarsee is not only a mountain-, but also a forest lake

If you have passed the bridge on the northern ramp of the Tauernpass, coming from Radstadt, the imposing Grachtenfall, you will see about 200m later on the left side a small Parkplatz.Am best the car here and follow the signposting Tauernkaralm and Tauernkarsee. Now on an approximately five-kilometer-long, well-developed forest road past the Meierlalm, gain altitude until the forested mountain kettle of the Tauernkar is reached. If you did not know it better, you could imagine – somewhere in Alska or Canada – whether the spreading panorama here.