Blog

Expedition Leader Adventures, Travel

The Hahnenkamm

January 15 – 27, 2023

Objective: Combine skiing, wine and watching the renown Hahnenkamm World Cup downhill race in Kitzbuhel Austria.

Itinerary

  • Jan 16 – Arrive Innsbruck Austria, shuttle to St. Anton
  • Jan 17-19 Ski St. Anton
  • Jan 20 – Kitzbuhel, watch Friday’s downhill race
  • Jan 21 – Kitzbuhel, watch Sturday’s Hahnenkamm main event
  • Jan 22 – Drive to Ortisei, Italy
  • Jan 23 – Ski the Sella Ronda
  • Jan 24 – Verona
  • Jan 25 – Verona
  • Jan 26 – Milan
  • Jan 27 – Departure

St. Anton, Austria

A few of us arrived via Delta to Innsbruck. I used Airport Taxi Alpstria Innsbruck from the airport to our hotel in St. Anton, a little over an hour drive. This worked great with the Driver meeting us at baggage claim with a Mercedes van that had room for our ski gear.

Our base in St. Anton was the M3 Hotel (recommended). We arrived late and that first night our room was sauna hot, even after turning the heat completely off. We had a street facing room so opened the window and we’re then serenaded until 3am by all the skiers out partying, singing, chanting and generally having a good time. The next morning, we learned there is a 2nd heating system that only the front desk can turn off, so we had them turn that off, then cooled down the room keeping the window open until bedtime and then shutting the window. Tip: Request a room that does not face the main street and ask about secret secondary heating systems.

The hotel has a fantastic breakfast on the top floor with a view of the mountain. Full buffet with egg dishes made to order. There is a ski room in the basement accessible with your key card. Automatic opening doors and lockers with heated ski boot rack for you gear. The hotel also has a partnership with the ski rental store across from the main gondola so you can leave your gear there each night. They do close at 6:30pm and we missed dropping our gear due to extended après. We did get our ski passes from the hotel front desk as well as use them to book us a mountain guide last minute.

The gondola is about 3-4 blocks from the hotel – an easy 10 minute walk passing several espresso shops along the way. We were there mid-week and the town was busy – but we never had any lines while skiing and maybe a 30 second wait at the main gondola. We were impressed by the quality of the lifts – most were brand new 6 person, high speed lifts, cable cars, gondolas with no lines and incredible food and drinks at charming chalets at the top of most ski lifts and along the runs. There are multiple interconnected ski areas so the skiable terrain is massive. Much different (better) than local Mt. Hood.

Tuesday

We asked about booking a ski guide through our front desk and surprisingly there was one available and 10 minutes later we met Reiner at the gondola and headed up the mountain. While he turned out to be quite a character, it was nice not having to try and figure out the mountain – we just focused on skiing. Reiner likes to ski fast and drink a lot of beer. The skiing fast part was perfect for our group as we had Lindsay, the recently retired and uber competitive ski racer with us. We covered a lot of ground including a morning stop for a raspberry drink concoction at Arlberg Hospiz Alm. We made lunch reservations for later and Reiner said we must visit their wine cellar. We did come back for lunch and they have an unbelievable wine cellar with the largest collection of magnums in Europe (according to Reiner).

Wednesday

Against better judgement we booked Reiner for the next day. The upside was we skied a lot of terrain, the downside was we stopped often to “say hi to a friend” aka drink a beer, “To make a reservation” aka drink a beer and then of course we had the official stops for a beer. It turned out to be a gorgeous bluebird day.

Drew had done some research and had the foresight to make a reservation at Mooserwirt which is midmountain and known for their Après party they hold every afternoon with the same resident DJ. It was an experience. The playlist is even on Apple Music. We arrived and the place was empty, dark and quiet. We went upstairs to our table and had a nice quiet late lunch. Around 4:30 or so we noticed groups of skiers were flooding in and soon every table was taken, dishes cleared and a lighting and smoke system descended from the ceiling and the party was on for the next four hours.

As we left, we watched patrons stumble out, knock over skis, fall down and go sliding down the ski run toward town.

Thursday

Thursday was overcast and we headed out on our own without Reiner to guide us. Our goal was ski over to another town, Lech, and taxi back home. Mid-day we found a great spot at the top of the mountain for pizza and beers and then made it the rest of the way over to Lech for happy hour at the famous K Club at the Krone Hotel. It got cold fast so we didn’t stay too long and found a taxi van for the 20 minute drive back to St. Anton.

Kitzbuehl

The next day we had a quick and easy drive from St. Anton back through Innsbruck and over to Kitz. We were late on booking rooms as it was a last minute trip, so grabbed the last apartment available. It was in a good location, but tight for four adults in two rooms the size of closets and single beds. It was walking distance (a long walk) to the race finish line, downtown and the gondola.

Friday was race day and we were up close in the crowd of about 80,000 people. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Dempsey and other celebs were there, we didn’t see them. The crowd was high energy and friendly. Food stands served two things – sausages and hot wine.

Racers started about 11am and being up close was a totally different experience from watching on tv. The Hahnenkamm is like a vertical F1 race with speed, huge airtime and insane, dangerous crashes. It’s where legends are made, and careers are broken—literally. The 3,300-meter stretch of ice called the Streif, is considered the most dangerous downhill race. Supposedly it would be illegal to race on with current standards, but it has so much history, it’s “grandfathered” in for the World Cup. Average speeds hit 140 kilometers an hour, and on the Mausefalle section with an 85% grade, skiers fly up to 80 meters over the jump which literally means “Mouse Trap.” And that’s just the start. After that, you’ve got to survive the Steilhang, a 51% gradient.

The race has been around since 1931, and in nearly a century, it’s claimed more than its fair share of victims. Broken bones, concussions, torn ligaments— Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht, was in a coma for three weeks after a 2009 crash. He hit the finish jump, lost control mid-air, and slammed into the ground at 138 km/h. Miraculously, he survived.

The racers are well aware of the risks. My friend Cody (ex world cup racer) talks about the Streif with a mix of awe and fear. For them, it’s a race that could land you in the history books or a hospital bed, depending on how the day goes. The mountain, as always, remains indifferent.

Traveling with an ex-racer in the group has it’s benefits. We kept running into teammates, friends and family members all over the mountain and town and ended up at dinner with a group of ski team family members and new friends.

Saturday

We spent the day recovering from the night before, watching more racing and getting a few runs in. Several of my racing friends told us we had to go to Pinky’s hut. So we had emailed Pinky and booked dinner at his place with very no idea where it was or how to get there as it was mid-mountain. That evening after watching the podium ceremony, we walked up the hill as the fireworks were set off, to find the van Pinky sent to collect us for dinner. Pinky runs a restaurant http://www.einsiedelei-kitzbuehel.at/ and small inn that is up on the mountain. We found the driver and made our way through the snow up to the inn. We arrived to a roaring firepit outside and warm drinks.

There were about 30 guests and being a small world, people in our group knew people from the other groups so the night turned into a reunion, polka dance party and then finished with a fire show that Pinky’s staff puts on at the end of the night before driving us back to town.

Later than night after Pinky’s we walked through town but every bar and club was packed so we walked toward home. Passing an Irish pub with a friendly looking crowd, we went in and finished off the night with locals celebrating the race weekend.

Sunday – Slalom, Skiing

On Sunday, we woke up to blue skies with a few clouds. We spent the day exploring more of the mountain finding powder stashes on the higher lifts.

Monday – Into Italy and a stay at Hotel Hell

After sleeping in a bit, we packed into our rental cars and drove south 2.5 hours to Ortisei, Italy in the Dolomites. We stopped for lunch in Innsbruck and said farewell to George. We continued south and found our destination, the Hell Hotel. Despite its ominous name, was just fine. A basic Italian hotel, with bathrooms from the 80’s but perfect for our group.

We walked around the charming town – and with light snow that evening, it was really the definition of charming Italian mount village.

Tuesday – Ski the Sellaronda

The skiing here was dramatic. We embarked on the famous 40km ski circuit “Sellaronda” starting with the antique gondola from town, and then into the mountains for a full day.

We finished around 3pm, caught a taxi back to the hotel and packed our skis for pickup and left them with the front desk. We had arranged for DHL to ship our skis back to the US and we could continue without lugging them around. We hopped back in the car and continued south to our AirBnB in Verona where we were meeting our Italian friend, Andrea.

Verona is another great Italian city worth a visit. Home to Romeo & Juliet, it has it’s own coliseum and a famous wine restaurant, Antica Bottega del Vino where Andrea had booked us dinner. We went down into the cellar and the cellar manager showed us a lot of incredible wine that was lost on me, but made Andrea very happy.

Wednesday – Vineyards

Bobby and Andrea had some work, so Drew and I tagged along for the day. They were visiting Damoli (one of their producers) in Valpolicella for a tasting of the latest wines and then lunch and then visit to the vineyard.  Back in Verona, we walked around town, found a spot for aperitivos and dinner.  Andrea booked our restaurants so we ate well.

Thursday – Milan

We woke up slowly as the nights are long in Verona, and made our way about an hour, 15 minutes west to Milan.  Andrea lived there for a few years so he gave us the Milan tour of food, drinks and a little culture. Milan isn’t on the tourist pilgrimages of Italy but it is a hip real city that reminds me of Paris or New York but with an Italian identity.

Friday – Fly Home

That wrapped up the trip. We had a 9am flight from Linate airport arriving back in the afternoon to PDX.

Expedition Leader Travel

Montepulciano, Italy – August 2023

Visit this historic hilltop town in Tuscany during the Bravio delle Botti.

Itinerary

Fly Condor to Florence via Frankfurt
Rent a car from Avis, drive 1.5 hours south to Montepulciano
Stay Dimora dell’Erbe first few nights, Casa del Fauno rest of the week
Visit friends, tour agriturisomos, enjoy Bravio della Botti week
Drive back to Florence and spend 1 night at NH Collection Palazzo Gaddi
Fly home via Frankfurt

Travel

Excitement about Condor Air’s reasonable prices for business class international tickets quicky turned to frustration as gate staff showed no interest or urgency in preparing plane. Pilot and copilot felt the same and were publicly upset with the lax, slow moving employees. This led to leaving 60 minutes late and many passengers including us with extremely tight connections. This got even more frustrating when Condor rebooked us, without asking, on a much later flight, resold our seats, and wouldn’t allow us on board our scheduled flight. So after 5 hours waiting around in Frankfurt we boarded our short flight to Florence. When we arrived in Florence my son’s baggage didn’t arrive so we filled out the form along with many other people at the baggage counter and headed out.

The airport shuttle that runs every 30 minutes showed up just as we arrived at the bus stop making it a quick trip to rental car area about 5 minutes drive away. We were second in line at the Avis counter – there was only one agent, friendly, but in no hurry and a line of about 20 people behind us that likely waited an hour or more. Car rental facility is clean, modern and you get your keys at the counter, find your car and exit the lot and were on our way.

Easy drive using Google maps to Florence with the car’s Airplay. Maps lets you know where the speed cameras are and came in helpful. Tolls were about 7 euros paying with cash or card.

Montepulciano Arrival

Francy, our contact at Dimora dell’Erbe was super communicative on WhatsApp checking to see how flights were, giving us directions, helping with parking lot suggestions and would meet us at the property. We parked outside of town and walked through the charming old town to get to the apartment. Francy met us and checked us in and then we walked down the street to our friends contrada (neighborhood) which was hosting dinner. Andrea had brought a special wine in honor of my son who was traveling with us. It was from the same year as he was born and he was excited to get to taste it and cheers with us.

As we walked home we got our first glimpse of a team practicing running the wine barrel up the steep streets of Montepulciano.

Tuesday I woke up early and walked around town watching the sunrise and enjoying the quiet morning.

Mid morning we met up with our friends and drove out to look at the first agriturismo property. It was interesting and we learned a bit about the restoration process. The afternoon involved shopping for clothes and things that were lost by Condor and then in the evening dinner and sparking wine tasting.

Jetlag continued to wake us up early and my son joined my Wednesday early walkabout. After which our group began what became our daily meet up at Caffè Poliziano for breakfast with several cappuccinos and americanos.

That afternoon we walked down toward the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Biagio and then across the white road (gravel road) to Montefollonico. This was a great hike across the valley and then up to the town in the heat of the day. We found a great spot for lunch and then called a taxi to return us back to Montepulciano. Hike was about 10 miles.

Late afternoon we toured a small boutique hotel for sale which was quite nice but right on a busy road so not very peaceful.

Thursday was time for O to drive the itinerary so he had us up early and after breakfast and espresso we drove about 30 minutes to a tree to tree and zip line course. We read about an old mercury mind where you ride in mine carts so we drove over to check it out. The tour was only in Italian but we were there for the mine cart ride so signed up. After about an hour of following a guide into the mine and listening to him in Italian describe things in what seemed like excruciating detail, we asked when we get into the train. Oh we don’t do that anymore as they always were derailing.

Back in Montepulciano area we met our friend for drinks at the farm Podere Il Casale, a really cool farm and restaurant with a panoramic setting and incredible views. The owners are friends of our friend so we spoke with the owner about their property.

Friday we visited more agriturismos in different areas. That evening we met up with friends at another contrada for Florentine steak which is only served rare and charged by the kilo and cooked over an open flame. A great way to spend the evening with new friends and their families.

Saturday, after breakfast and espresso at Caffè Poliziano, we went down to the park at the entrance of town for a workout on the mini soccer turf field in the 80 degree heat. In the afternoon we stopped by De’ Ricci Cantine Storiche for a wine tasting and to wander around their cellar dating back to the Etruscan period.

That night was a special night were friends and family that had moved away came back to town for the celebration and to reconnect – a reunion of sorts. It was a great evening.

Sunday is the culmination of the week with the wine barrel race. The morning starts with selection of the starting positions. Then each neighborhood sends a delegation dressed up walking up to the top of the town from the Municipal building to the Cathedral waving flags and drumming.

The barrels, which weigh is about 80 kg each, are rolled by two athletes for each district, the “spingitori” (pushers) along with an uphill slope and through the roads of the historical center. The finish of the Barrel Race is in front of the Cathedral, in Piazza Grande.

The history of the Bravìo dates back to the end of the XIV century, specifically to 1373, when the Municipal Statute determined the Palio (prize) rules. The Bravio delle Botti seems to have been established in honor of San Giovanni Decollato, patron saint of Montepulciano, celebrated on August 29th.

The Bravìo horse race occurred until the XVII century and was abolished for public order reasons. The recent history of the Bravio starts in 1974 when Father Marcello Del Balio had the idea of transforming the old horse race into a barrel race.

We watched the procession from our apartment windows and on the street and then made our way to the cathedral square at the finish line to watch the race.

While our friends’ neighborhood didn’t win, we enjoyed the crowd and watching the runners coming up and into the square and then falling over in exhaustion – and then the medics reviving them. The night continued with dinner and wine. We didn’t make it out too late that night but sat on the street and chatted with groups as they came by for the disco put on by the winning contrada.

Monday we checked out of the apartment and drove back to Florence. O loved the apple juice and looked up the producer who was just outside town. We made a little detour to visit the factory store and buy a few bottles to bring home. Then we drove back by the agriturismo we liked the best and made a circle around the area and then back to the freeway.

Traffic was slow and the trip took 3+ hours vs. expected 1.5. Dropped the car at the rental office which was simple with someone in the lot so just parked and walked to the taxi stand and got a ride to our hotel in Florence, NH Collection Palazzo Gaddi which was great and nicely located.

O and I had a quick pizza across the street and then walked to the Leonardo da Vinci interactive museum for a quick stop. Nice small museum that’s hands on. Then we walked through the main tourist streets packed with English speaking tourists. It felt like Disneyland and a shock to the system after our week in Montepulciano.

We met up with a friend of a friend who is a boutique hotel consultant and turned out to be a really nice and interesting guy. He is an athlete that participates in the calcio storico which is a mix of mixed martial arts, rugby and football.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTONIO MASIELLO, GETTY IMAGES

After drinks and discussing hospitality in Italy, we walked to Buca Mario, which was full but when your friend knows the owners, a table magically appeared, and we enjoyed a massive Florentine steak and some incredible wine.

The next morning we were up early for our flight back home. Florence airport was easy to navigate and we were at the gate within minutes and enjoyed a smooth ride home.

Expedition Leader Travel

Colombia Christmas 2019

The family and friends explorers club went south for Christmas and New Years. Colombia has been on the destination backlog for many years. Now that the internal conflict between the government and FARC has ended (mostly) and the flow of drugs shifted toward Mexico, it’s time to get going.

When we told people where we were going, the number one question was is it safe? Here are some of the articles we read that assured us, it’s a great place to visit.

When in Colombia, the top question we were asked from Colombians we met was “is the US as dangerous for kids as we hear about? How do you send your kids to school with all your shootings?

Our amazing travel concierge from Argentina, Madi, had expanded her business and chose Colombia as the next Country to organize trips. So we called Madi and she put together an incredible itinerary,

Itinerary

  • Fly PDX > ATL > BOG (This seems to be the least painful way to get there). Leave 6am arrive 7:30 PM
  • Bogota Dec 20-25
  • Fly to Medellin on Christmas day
  • Medellin Dec 25-29
  • Fly to Cartagena Dec 29
  • Cartagena Dec 29-Jan 4th
  • Fly home from Cartagena > Atlanta (overnight) > Portland

Bogota


After a delayed flight out of Portland, we touched down in Atlanta with 30 minutes to transfer to our Bogota flight but we were held on the tarmac for another 10 minutes. Eventually getting off the plane we sprinted across the Atlanta airport arriving to our flight boarding. The flight was smooth to Bogota but we arrived to a massive 1.5 hour immigration line. O used the time to chat with everyone around us including a dog.

After customs, our host Monica met us and we all climbed in a van for the trip into town. We arrived around 10pm at our small boutique hotel, Casa Legado.

We didn’t sleep much the first night a bar next door played loud music until 4am. The hotel was a highlight – the first couple nights our two families were the only ones there. A few guests arrived later in the week. Each morning there was a full breakfast with local fruits, bread and eggs of some sort.

On Saturday, we met Monica at nine for a city tour. We started taking the tram up the side of a mountain to Monserrate, a church and monetary at the top of a steep hill. As we approached the tram, Monica mentioned the tram brakes had recently failed and crashed hospitalizing 25 tourists. We let her know that information is better shared AFTER we take the tram.

We survived and spent about an hour checking out the city views and sights at the top. We tried coca tea made with the leaves of the coca plant which is native to South America. While it is made from the same plant that cocaine is made from, it’s legal in Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador. We found it had a similar effect as coffee and is good for altitude sickness.

After returning by tram we drove to a bar to play Tejo. The game is usually played in dive bars with buckets of beer. Similar to horseshoes you throw a metal disc at a board covered in clay with explosives (mecha) buried in the middle. If you hit and explode a mecha you get 3 points.

We continued exploring the city.

Next stop was into the back alley to find a woman that sold Chicha, a fermented corn beer. I wouldn’t say we liked the taste but the experience was moving.

We had lunch at Prudencia, the first of many amazing meals in Colombia. The craft food scene is on in Bogota.

That night, getting more comfortable with the neighborhood, we walked around and found Huerta Coctelería Artesanal, an unique and amazing craft cocktail bar. Later during the pandemic, the bar-tender led a cocktail class over zoom for a group of friends.

Sunday we woke up, had a great breakfast at the hotel and then met Monica who was taking the kids to a sports club outside of Bogota. We played pool, soccer and the girls rode horses. Dinner was at Crepes and Waffles (really good for fast casual).

Monday we headed to Plaza de Mercado and did some exploring and trying out some new fruits and coffee. At the end, we ran into a guy selling a multi-tool who asked the kids for some help improve his sales pitch… and of course we bought a few knives.

That afternoon we met up with some young entrepreneurs who started a book binding and screen printing business. We created some custom screen printed shirts (with their help).

Then a late lunch, early dinner at Nueve, which was another one of our favorite meals even though kid energy was dropping fast.

Bogota had lots of parks with exercise equipment that the kids HAD to try every time we went by. Helped up the energy level for our last day in Bogota.

Tuesday (Christmas Eve) flight to Medellin

The trip continued with our short flight to Medellin…

Continue reading part 2 “Medellin”

Expedition Leader Adventures

Japanuary 2020 Ski Tour

Fresh of the Ikonic Bus Tour, the ski committee of The Explorers Club is back with another trip in the works. This time we’re going international to Japan for a 10 day ski tour of Yudanaka with our hosts, Japan Powder Culture Tours.

Itinerary

Thursday January 9th – Depart PDX

Delta Flight DL 69 11:44AM – 15:25PM Narita

Friday January 10th – 15:25 arrive at Narita Airport

Arrive 15:25 at Narita airport and transfer to hotel

  • Narita Express
  • Private Transfer
  • Airport Limo Bus

Overnight options near Shinjinku

Saturday, January 11th – Explore Tokyo

Adventuring around Tokyo

Sunday, January 12th – Travel to Yudanaka

Make your way to Yudanaka (home of the snow monkeys) on either the amazing rail system or a shuttle from Narita or Haneda airport. Get picked up at the station at Yudanaka and taken to your lodging at Ryokan Biyu, or it’s a short walk for those staying at Lodge Aibiya (further information on how to get to Yudanaka is contained in the pre trip instructions). The area has a history of over 1,300 years as a hot spring resort and more recently it was put on the map due to the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games. You are treated like a rock star at the Ryokan with exceptional service, immaculate surroundings and food to die for. Your first nights meal is at the Ryokan which is an experience in itself. Bring your camera. For those staying at Lodge Aibiya enjoy the many eateries around Yudanaka.

Ryokan Accommodation

Monday, January 13 – Ski day

Made up of 19 resorts, Shiga Kogen is the largest ski area in Asia with the highest lift access in Japan (so the snow is drier). Because Shiga is so large and elevated, fresh lines can be found days after a snowfall. And because relatively few westerners have discovered this area the queues are almost non-existent and another bonus is that very few Japanese ski off-piste. After skiing and riding, why not try an onsen to sooth any aches and pains followed by a local beer or wine from the lounge bar. Tonight the group will travel into the town of Nakano to enjoy a meal at Kappa Sushi Train followed by the new signature event of karaoke at the purpose built bar at Ryokan Biyu. There is a one song minimum either as single, duet or group to ensure everyone can ski the next day.

Tuesday, January 14 – Ski day

Madarao (Madapow) is another of the Japanese ski fields that does not attract the hoards of gaijins (foreigners). This field seems to have its own micro climate and when it snows here it can be very light and deep. If you are looking for a change from the Japanese fare there is a restaurant on the mountain that makes the best burgers and pizzas. Tonight you will enjoy a meal at one of the many traditional Japanese restaurants in Yudanaka.

Wednesday, January 15 – Ski + Fire Festival

After breakfast we will travel to Nozawa Onsen for some more action on the snow. Considered by some as the birthplace of skiing in Japan, its 300 hectares of terrain and 50km of slopes will not disappoint. If time permits at the end of the day we will take a walk through Nozawa Onsen township and enjoy the many shops and eating treats. 

Afternoon / Evening – Nozawa Fire Festival
The old roads that run like rivers between mountain towns in Japan are dotted with gods. Known as dosojin, they are deities of roads and borders with their stone statues usually enshrined at village borders. Dosojin are good gods for the foreign traveler.

Dosoujin Matsuri in Nozawa OnsenIt takes roughly one hundred villagers to build the shrine for the Nozawa Fire Festival. The trees are cut down in October and brought down from the mountain and through the village on January 13th prior to being made into a huge wooden structure or shaden. After the shaden has been constructed, the priest from Kosuge shrine performs a ceremony endowing it with a dosojin. The highlight on January 15th is a “fire-setting battle” which ends up with the setting fire of the shaden with blazing torches by the offensive team and the offering of torches to the deity, making the festival truly spectacular and exciting. The entire festival is quite lengthy and can take up to four hours from the beginning to the end. Some observers gather just for the main attraction which is the battle between the guards and the torch bearing villagers. Add liberal servings of saké to all of the above and you’re sure to go home buzzing after seeing quite a spectacle – and maybe a bit scorched from the flames (don’t wear your new down jacket). The famous Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival is nationally designated as an important intangible folk cultural property. It originally began as an invocation for a good harvest, health and good fortune in the coming year, but has been expanded to include a good ski season as well. Taking place on January 15th every year, the festival is staged by men aged 42 and 25 (so-called “unlucky ages”) to celebrate the birth of a family’s first child, to dispel evil spirits and also to pray for happy marriage.

Thursday, January 16 – Rest Day

This is one of those days where you get to choose. For those that want to stay on the snow we will visit the resort of Togakushi. You will enjoy a totally western free resort with a wide range of runs with an awesome view of the Japanese Alps. Or there is the option for a rest day. If the group collectively decides to take a break or alternatively if there is a day where the conditions are not satisfactory for skiing there is a backup plan. After breakfast the group will visit Matsumoto Castle which is the oldest 5 story, 6 layer castle tower in Japan. 

Get a photo with the Samurai, Ninja and Geisha who frequent the castle garden area. Roam around Nakamachi-dori street and Nawate-dori street to soak up the old time Matsumoto atmosphere. No visit to Nagano is complete without visiting the Zenkoji Temple with over 1400 years of history. Unique in the fact that the city of Nagano was built around the temple thus known as a temple city and that it houses the oldest Buddhist image in Japan. You can walk through the pitch-black corridors under the main hall and tradition has it that if you touch the key below the principle image, your entry into paradise is secured (apparently they have lots of powder snow there). If time permits we will also visit the Winter Olympic Museum and speed skating rink. Dining out comprises of one of the many fine restaurants in Yudanaka.

Friday, January 17

Ryuo Ski Park offers some great tree skiing or open wide courses which are accessed with the areas only ropeway. For those at the Ryokan Biyu it is another exquisite meal in-house and those at Lodge Aibiya either eat out or cook in. For your nights entertainment,  participate in a Karate performance and teaching session from one of Japan’s Grand Masters at the Ryokan Biyu.


Tonight you will enjoy a meal at one of the many traditional Japanese restaurants in Yudanaka.

Saturday, January 18

Finish your last day on the snow as a powder day. Using the many resorts we have already skied we will choose the one with the best snow and go there. After dinner enjoy your last night socialising and reliving your adventure with your new found friends and the guides at the Ryokan Biyu lounge bar which overlooks the township of Yudanaka.

Sunday, January 19

It is time to bid farewell to our fabulous hosts at the Ryokan Biyu and Lodge Aibiya. No visit is complete to Yudanaka without some interaction with the famous snow monkeys. This is the only place in the world you can see the snow monkeys soaking in natural hot pools up close and personal.

PM Train to Narita to catch flight back to Portland

Details & Costs

We’re working on finalizing the details but cost should be around $2,200 – $2,600 depending on room selection. This includes transportation to ski areas, Ryokan in Yudanaka and the culture activities. As always this is a not for profit trip.


Expedition Leader Travel

Denmark & Germany Road Trip 2017

Of course we had to visit the original Legoland in Billund Denmark. On a trip back home to Holland, we stopped in Iceland and then continued to Copenhagen. After landing we took the autonomous, driver-less metro from the airport to our hotel.

We stayed in the Manon Les Suites that featured a really cool atrium pool area.

We spent a day touring around town checking out the sites and then saw that Tivoli Gardens was here and is the second oldest amusement park in the world. So of course we went and it did not disappoint.

The next day we picked up a rental car and drove several hours to Billund Denmark where we stayed at a basic, but well run and very clean family motel / farm. We picked it as it was minutes to Legoland, our ultimate destination on this trip.

It was time to drive home… all the way back to Haarlem Netherlands where we’d return our rental car. So we turned south and worked our way through Germany. About half way through our drive we spotted another amusement park / zoo on the map. Little did we know just how cool it would be. Because there are no ride attendants.

Yes there was a lot of deferred maintenance. No, there weren’t any safety protocols. But it was cheap and you got to push the button, pull the cord or whatever it took to start the ride yourself. And speaking of rides – kudos to the person that came up with the boat launcher!

Expedition Leader Adventures

2019 Wildwood Ultra

The Wildwood trail runs about 30 miles through Forrest park.  We’ll be going North to South.  We plan to run/walk it in a day.  Some people say any distance is possible when you take it slow and steady.  Others say it’s impossible without loads of training.  Still others just give it a try and see what happens. This event is for those last people.

Date: Friday, April 19th
Meeting Time: 6:00 AM meet at Zoo, Uber to the trail at Newberry Road
Run Time: 6:30 AM
End  Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Park

Detailed info from Shane: https://nwdirtchurners.com/wildwood-trail/

Wildwood is closed at Burnside to build a much-needed bridge over the road.  I found a work around the closure using White Pine trail to Fischer Ln.  Go down Fischer to Burnside.  Turn right on Burnside and take the road up to Pittock Mansion.  The Wildwood trail continues once you reach Pittock parking lot.

Suggestions:

  • Train only if absolutely necessary, we don’t want injuries before the event
  • Wear a runners backpack with water, snacks and band-aids
  • If you get tired, catch an Uber for a quick cheat
  • Tape your feet in advance – watch Youtube video’s to see how

Aid Stations

  • ~12 Miles : Fritz will park is car as he needs to bail at 9am.  Let’s have him leave some stuff for the group there.  TBD
  • 21 Miles : Margo will drop a box with supplies and a balloon to mark it at the 53rd street Wildwood Trailhead.

Post Event Celebration

  • Winner gets to pick tavern for post-race beer and must keep drinking until the last racer arrives.  Racers falling hours behind the leader are encouraged to take short cuts / Uber / find creative ways to accelerate.

Who?

  1. Eric
  2. Josh
  3. Nate
  4. Bobby
  5. Julianne
  6. Fritz (Until 9am)
  7. Mike
  8. Kenzie
Expedition Leader Adventures, Travel

Avoriaz France 2018

When we lived in Holland, life was great, but very flat.  To ski, we needed to fly to Geneva and then up to the Portes du Soleil area with 13 interconnected resorts and villages in the French and Swiss alps.

Itinerary