In 2018, NEWT (short for: Naked European Walking Tour) took place from 29 July to 2 August.
46 Naturists from USA, Ireland, England, the Nederlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Slovakia, and Singapore gathered for the week of nude hikes in the Austrian Alps. Ten of them made use of tents (backpacking trips lasting two days each), the others return daily to the base of the rented holiday home.
A school girl and her father from Westphalia, who had completed their first nude hike last week in Thuringia, have taken so much pleasure in nude mountain hiking, that the two now also participate in the NEWT.
– Text: Rainer, photos: Rainer (except denoted)
► Sun 29 Jul: Warm-up hike to the Ahornstein [29 July 2018]
The warm-up hike on Sunday went to Ahornstein Mountain (1855 m), where we took an official NEWT photo with a view of Hochkönig Mountain (2941 m) in Tauern Mountains.
Lim (Singapore) then sent a group photo of a nude rest at Alp restaurant to natury. Many thanks for that!
Both mountains are situated in Hochkönig Region, which is part of Salzburger Land in Western Austria.
► Mon 30 Jul: To the bottom of the Torsäule [30 July 2018]
According to FIFA rules, the goalpost is 2.44 m high. Its big sister, the Austrian mountain Torsäule [en: Goalpost], is much higher: 500 m. It is a very steep limestone formation on the eastern flank of the Hochkönig in the Berchtesgarden Alps. The summit is 2,588 m above sea level.
However, the naturists did not want to climb this far, as the last 500 m rise almost vertically and can only be climbed with at least level 8. Their target was at the foot of the limestone column, where a huge amount of crumbled stones had accumulated. For this, too, a total of 800 height meters (hiking) had to be overcome.
► Tue 31 Jul: Once on the Hochkeil [31 July 2018]
After yesterday's 800 m, it should be a bit more relaxed today: Only 600 m ascent to the summit of the Hochkeil were on the agenda. The mountain, which gave the name to the surrounding family ski area, leaves the imposing panorama of the Mandlwände [en: Mandl Walls] always in view, and the Hochkönigsstock as a meteorological divide ensures safe snow conditions and stable weather suitable for holidays.
Having hiked 14 km at 31°C, 30 naturists finished their day trip as minimally dressed guests on the alp. On the subject of naturist hiking, the landlords as well as other guests were able to talk to them personally and to inform themselves by means of our brochure. So far, they only knew that by hearsay.
► Wed 1 Aug: Via the Marathon Trail to Jagglalm [1 August 2018]
Anyone, who sets off on a marathon route in the mountains, has to reckon with inclinations. If you want to win the ‘Hochkönig Man’ race, you should keep your running pace – not like the hikers in the nude, some of whom leaned on walking sticks!
After 610 m difference in altitude and 7 km distance, we took our midday's rest at the Jagglalm. The bare mountain slopes all around showed the traces of the winter sports business in the ‘family ski area’.
► Thu 2 Aug: Short trip to the alpine shower facility [2 August 2018]
![2 Aug: ‘2 Aug: Once again in the natural shower facility] | 1](/images/berichte2018/newt/album/Do-02/slides/20180802_Noch-einmal-in-der-Duschanlage.jpg "2 Aug: ‘2 Aug: Once again in the natural shower facility] | 1")
2 Aug: ‘2 Aug: Once again in
the natural shower facility] | 1
In view of a rather long hiking day yesterday and a thunderstorm to be expected this afternoon, we only made a short hike to the waterfall, which we had already visited the day before yesterday. We didn't have to sweat today at 20°C, closed cloud cover and weak wind.
The schoolgirl and her father from Westphalia had, like many of us, a lot of fun at the waterfall and in the natural bathtubs. On Tue 31 Jul, when we were there already, the two had taken a day off.
In view of a rather long hiking day yesterday and an expected thunderstorm this afternoon, we only made a short hike to the waterfall, which we had already visited the day before yesterday. We didn't have to sweat today at 20°C, closed cloud cover and light wind. On the path, we discoverved a saga:
‘SAGENWEG – DER VERLORENE BROTLAIB’ [en: ‘PATH OF SAGAS – LOST LOAF OF BREAD’]
‘SAGENWEG – DER VERLORENE BROTLAIB’ [en: ‘PATH OF SAGAS – LOST LOAF OF BREAD’]
![2 Aug: ‘SAGENWEG – DER VERLORENE BROTLAIB’ [en: ‘PATH OF SAGAS – LOST LOAF OF BREAD’] | 2](/images/berichte2018/newt/album/Do-02/slides/20180803_respek-TIERE-deine-grenzen.jpg "2 Aug: ‘SAGENWEG – DER VERLORENE BROTLAIB’ [en: ‘PATH OF SAGAS – LOST LOAF OF BREAD’] | 2")
2 Aug: ‘SAGENWEG – DER VERLORENE BROTLAIB’
[en: ‘PATH OF SAGAS – LOST LOAF OF BREAD’] | 2
After that, we split up: Some continued the hike. The tent group went back. Some had decided to spend the afternoon in the ALPENTHERME GASTEIN [en: ALPS SPA GASTEIN]. There, they enjoyed the pleasure of bathing, sat in dry saunas or outside in a hot whirlpool with their heads in cooling rain. Others also returned, experienced an opening cloud cover, increasing sunshine and enjoyed again food and beverages at the same mountain alp minimally dressed as on 31 July.
Some of the English naturists visited the town of Bischofshofen and witnessed bicycle races for children, adults, music, and dance. They bought for money, which we had collected before by asking group members for a voluntarily donation, very nice, personal little gifts. In the evening, when we sat together after the jointly prepared and consumed dinner, they presented the gifts to the initiators to say thank you for the voluntary, labor-intensive preparation and the time experienced together.
Since four of us from Germany, Ireland, and Singapore go to Saxon Switzerland on Friday after breakfast to participate in the nudevents over there, Allan (England) and Antonis (Greece) have announced, to send pictures of the last hike of NEWT 2018 to natury.
We would like to thank the iniators (France), who made this time together possible for the second time in place of Richard Foley, and the longtime leader of the tent group (Netherlands). The latter has learned original Indonesian cuisine from his Indonesian-born mother and coddles us with it one evening at each NEWT. We look forward to an international reunion by 2019 at the latest.