A · NEWT 2019 (Naked European Walking Tour), by Martin and Andreas [20 July 2019]

Martin and Andreas provided a participant's report.
Note for English-speaking readers:.
The Naked European Walking Tour (NEWT) in 2019 took place in the Austrian province of Styria, or Steiermark in German. An ‘alm’, which appears in many of the place names, is an area of alpine pasture, very often the site of a farmhouse – at least from spring to autumn.

After Andreas and Wolfgang took part in the Naked European Walking Tour in 2015, Torsten and I joined it in 2017, we wanted to stay true to the good old two-year rhythm and be part of this unique hiking group again in 2019. Andreas, myself, and more than 40 other naturists from numerous countries joined to explore the area around the Dachstein…

In contrast to the Naked European Walking Tour 2017, this hiking report will be updated every day, so that you always may know immediately, what I experienced that day…

Our journey involved a good eight hours drive through the Czech Republic, then through countless tunnels in Austria to Ramsau am Dachstein.

At first, the world seemed to be in order, so Andreas and I unpacked our clothes, had a short chat with Lim from Singapore and John from Ireland, as well as some other participants, before I decided to jump into the swimming pool belonging to the property.

Pascal first got an okay from the owner, that we could walk naked to the pool. However, after this practical example, there seemed to be a reason for the owner, to inform us before dinner, that we should please keep our clothes on – even in the hut. The planned Naked European Walking Tour turned into a clothed European Bed and Breakfast…

However, none of this should discourage us, and so I went to the Bergerhof Farm next door, to take a panoramic photo of our accommodation with a view of Duregg Mountain in background.

“When I wake up in the morning with a headache, lying in my bed with my shoes on, I think I must have an allergy to leather.”

We spent the evening in a convivial group to exchange thoughts, opinions and all sorts of intelligent nonsense. Which included the above quotation from Horst from Thuringia.

Our accommodation, Duregg Mountain in background | 1

Azalea in the wild | 2

On the first day, we decided, to defy the weather forecast. So, we didn't let the morning rain stop us from visiting Rosemialm Farm. We drove our cars towards the alpine pasture and then started the hike – with a destination of Ahornsee Lake – in light rain.

For the first part of the hike, we followed a narrow path through Styrian wilderness. As the weather unfortunately was not in favor to photograph the landscape of the hike at the beginning, I decided to capture the first photos of the near surroundings on digital film and took a photo of a wild azalea…

After the first third of the hike, we finally arrived at a place, where an unexpected delay occurred. None of us knew what was going on, until it turned out after a few minutes, that Peter had to turn around with stomach pain and therefore could not participate in the rest of the hike.

We decided, to vote, whether we should continue the hike or turn back in the direction of the cars – at first, there was consensus, that we should go back. So, we descended the slope we had climbed minutes before, until Pascal informed us, that his wife Clarisse would accompany Peter back to the car. We hiked up the slope again through the Styrian wilderness – always accompanied by light rain, which partly stopped, to return again, as soon as we took off the rain ponchos.

Some time later, we reached the temporary end of our hike: When two clothed hikers approached us, while we were eating lunch, and told us about the slippery path we had planned to climb down, Pascal decided to stop the hike and walk back towards the cars. The rain-laden sky gradually cleared up, then rain intensified further towards the evening. So, we followed the northern route through the woods, where we took numerous photos of our hiking group.

Shortly before the end of the hike, Pascal suddenly told us, that we had to get our clothes out of our backpack at a hut in order to get dressed…

The reason for this was an – apparently – abandoned hut. However, Pascal didn't want to take any risks based on the experiences of last year. Then, we followed the last two kilometres of the hike up the slope. On the way, we took some videos and numerous photos, including two taken by Lim showing me lying on a bench. While the rest of our group kept their clothes on, I decided for this one moment, to dump this ‘load’ down and feel ‘human’ one last time a few hundred meters ahead of the end of our hike.

Being human again one more time before the hike draws to a close… | 3

On the second day, we intended a high-altitude hike to Seekarscharte Mountain Pass at 2,044 m. We started our hike at about 1,400 m, very close to an alpine hut, which also housed a small pigsty on the property. From the parking lot we followed the way up into the mountains, until Pascal gave the word after some time, that we could undress – since we started at about 12°C, Andreas and I decided to keep our clothes on for the time being and hope for higher temperature or a proper ascent. The latter happened promptly. So, we found ourselves after relatively short time as part of the nude hiking group again.

On our way, we also passed a small brook, which we had to cross – an opportunity for me, to use functions of some camera apps. The first meters of altitude behind us, we took not only pictures of the brook, but also photos of the impressive landscape, as well as our hiking group.

After we left the first meters of altitude behind us – the first rest was also over – we climbed the mountain further, until we stood at the foot of a valley. Of course, the climb was not totally done, the mountain gave us just a short rest before we needed to go further up a steep slope…

Big lake in foreground, big valley in background – unique lookouts in the Alps | 4

On the way up, Peter seemed to have problems again. I decided to take his backpack, so that he could breathe a little better – until lunch break at around 1:20 p.m. and having more meters of altitude.

Mountains. People. Adventure. | 5

At lunchtime, it was time for me, to get a picture of myself again. So, I asked Lim from Singapore, to take a picture of me and then Pascal, a few meters further on, to ask him to capture me in front of a panorama. It was natural, that Lim and Pascal also got photos of themselves – the view into the valley was utterly unique…

Lunch break doesn't mean a break from all activity, and so after this little photo tour I went out again to capture some good shots with the digital app ‘Spectre’ – it turned out that other fellow hikers were also impressed by the shots. I would like to withhold these photos from you (for the time being), as the next few days will certainly promise similar photos.

At the end of the break I also took the obligatory group photo – I'd like to offer it to you later. It struck me that I forgot to pack my trousers during the first break, so that I went through the windy passages of the Alps in “Marylin-Monroe-Style” during the further course of the hike. But as a nude hiker you quickly forget the unimportant things – trousers for example…

After this little ‘shock’, we continued on our way, because there were still some kilometres ahead of us and – from the peak – a long way back. We photographed some alpine florets along the way – also the rare blue gentian.

A few minutes later we reached the destination of our hike: Seekarscharte at 2,044 meters above sea level. As Horst was about to explore the vastness of the landscape, I decided to press the shutter button immediately…

Maybe, I should also mention here, that when we reached the 1,900 m level, we encountered small snow fields again and again, which we used for one or the other photo, as well as – later – a slide. Also at Seekarscharte, we found a small snowfield and I asked Andreas, to take a picture of me lying in the snow.

At Seekarscharte, a small part of the group decided to descend to the nearby village, because Peter wasn't doing well again in the thin air.

The others went further in direction of more snow fields. This took us to a height of approximately 2,060 m. The next snowfield was bigger, which Lim used, to prove to the rest of the group, that he is a real guy, and rolled through the snow. Along further snowfields, we also passed lakes created by melting snow of the last months – at one of the biggest lakes, we finally found a ‘slide of snow’ again – we should speak of a snow-covered slope here. Clarisse then said, that this would be ideal for me to slide down: A few minutes later, I was already 17 again and an appropiate chart song sounded in my ears…

Horst enjoying the distant view | 6

Snow in July – something special | 7

The cold lake was also a welcome occasion for some fellow hikers to go for a short swim.

At some point every bathing break comes to an abrupt end, because the destination of our hike was still far away. A short time later, we discovered a marmot on a ramble through the meadows of the Alps. Horst, Pascal and some fellow hikers at the end of the group had the opportunity to watch the small rodent's goings-on. A few minutes later we had the luck again to get one of these little guys in front of the lens, and I could get as close as two meters without frightening the rodent…

From this view on the fauna of the Alps, we continued in downhill, not without first capturing the panorama of the impressive landscape on digital film. The last big panorama of the day was finally a few meters away, which I will show you later.

Until the end of the hike, it was only a few more kilometres, which led us past an alpine hut – including a herd of cows – and over stony paths in the direction of the valley. The third day's hike promised so many beautiful photos, which I can't present to you all in one article.

The third day was to be one of the highlights of the whole Naked European Walking Tour '19 for me & – not only because of testing the limits of the app ‘Spectre’, even more the landscape we saw this day remaining a good memory for a long time to come…

“Beautiful things don't ask for attention.”

According to Sean O'Connell's quote from the film “The Amazing Life of Walter Mitty”, we were initially to head for the starting point of the hike at Ursprungalm without any great expectations. After we had once again financed the highwaymen ahem… the Styrians their ‘well-built sand roads’, we started at 13°C and quite a cool wind, to tackle the first almost 350 m difference in altitude over a distance of about two kilometres. On our way along Ursprungalm, we saw some strange-looking stairs as well as a lot of clothed hikers.

For Hans-Jürgen and me, there were plenty of opportunities, to photograph the flora of the Alps on the way up to about 1,900 m – for him on good old analogue film and for me using the digital version of the iPhone.

Arriving at the first highlight of the day, we saw the valley below us, until we went on and passed a wall of snow. Since Andreas and I were a bit annoyed in the meantime, to always have to keep our clothes on, Andreas even played with the idea of leaving the NEWT sooner – however, only if Rainer and I would see it the same way. This attitude was to change considerably towards the evening.

When we at last left the main path, we could finally put our clothes in our backpacks – whoever wanted to, because the wind was still not really helpful.

However, the sun came out at some point and we could start our hike in the buff – our friends from the USA, especially Dan, were already a bit ahead of us…

Clear, cold water – typical image of lakes in the Alps | 8

Panorama | 9

After the first lake, we passed an alpine hut, to feel tackling the next meters of difference altitude under our feet. Some paths reminded of Saxon Switzerland, even if the sharp-edged rock did not correspond to the sandstone there. After another short climbing tour, I decided to make the above panorama of the lake in the valley.

for the next kilometre, we followed the path, which always led us along the slope, past countless photo opportunities, like path markings or our hiking friends. I don't remember when, but after some time we suddenly reached a small hill at an altitude of about 2,150m, which I climbed up and stopped for a moment…

At places like this, beauty doesn't ask for attention. She's just there. So at first, I hesitated to pull out the camera to press the shutter button, because sometimes it's Sean O'Connell, who is in my head with his quotations…

If I like a moment,… me personally, then I don't want the camera to interrupt me.

I have rarely been speechless in recent years. This day, that 16 June 2019, was such a day. So, it is probably not surprising, that I remember the motto of LIFE magazine here:

To see the world, to dare something,
to look behind façades, to get closer to each other,
to find and feel each other.
This is the meaning of life.

However, enough about Sean O'Connell, LIFE, and Walter Mitty, even if this film plays a very special role in my (photographic) life.

A short time later we arrived at a larger snowfield, which had already been used by Milton for some sliding. He offered me his jacket (which is his sled for such occasions), gave me some starting tips and immediately I was going down the slope – I don't have to tell you that this was a lot of fun. Meanwhile Dan decided to take a bath in one of the adjacent lakes – at about five to eight degrees water temperature this is definitely just for tough guys, which also led to some applause among us.

Since we were hiking in relatively hilly terrain, it was also a good idea, to explore the surrounding area. So, we again found a view of the above panorama, this time from a slightly different angle. At the same time, Pascal decided, that we would divide the group and change the hike a little. Reason was the somewhat too slow speed, as we were a little over two hours behind schedule. We decided, that – after a group photo – a part of the group would wait there, while the bigger part of the group would continue to climb the mountain…

Shortly before this group photo, I decided to do the same as Dan and also take a bath in the nearby lake, which Andreas recorded on video.

So, we followed a path up the mountainside: Over numerous larger snow fields we steadily approached the level of 2,200 m. A few meters before this, we saw a lake, which was used again to capture some photos on digital film. On this lake, we also saw numerous ice floes. From this lake, we hiked a few hundred meters via a narrow path along a slope, until we decided to take the way back…

Shortly before we left, I decided to take a very special photo. In the end, I also took another photo with the app ‘Spectre’, which served as a test for the coming days. On the way back, I saw some panoramas and the flora of the Alps, which had to be captured. After a long hike, we reached the car park, where our cars were parked, at around 6 pm.

Not the first group photo, but by far the most beautiful… | 10

Breathtaking view of Dachstein Mountain in background | 12

The first three days of the Naked European Walking Tour '19 are behind us. Half time. On the fourth day, Pascal planned a medium hike, which became a little challenge even for experienced hikers like Andreas and me.

We started off at Felseralm, a youth hotel, which amused us with free roaming alpacas in the parking lot. Hubert, Hermann, and Enzo were quite tame and seemed to have no problem with so many people, who photographed them and called their names.

By the way, we should start by mentioning the tent group, whose luggage was a good 10 kilograms heavier than ours. It was all the more astonishing, that these seven hikers overtook us several times during our common tour.

For me, it was also an opportunity, to talk a little with Andreas from Thuringia. Already on the first ascent, beginning and end of our hiking group pulled apart more and more. So, I was astonished, that Andreas hastened away from all of us – the same applied to Roland from the Netherlands, the organizer of the tent group.

Our hike went during the first part along a slope, which reminded us a little of Saxon Switzerland. However, the steep slopes were missing – at least, hikers's safety was given. For some of our fellow hikers, this small passage was nevertheless a challenge. I took some photos of the closer and farther surroundings.

After we had mastered the first small challenge of the day, we headed towards the forest, not without first capturing the impressive panorama. From time to time, I also decided to set up my tripod and step in front of the lens myself.

Some hundred meters later, we encountered a small stile, which separated the cattle pasture from the rest of the forest. After a short climb, the time had come, to take a group photo – the hut group, united with the tent group. It is not easy, to get 35 people in one photo, but considering that not everyone wanted to be in the photo, we were 38 naturists from 10 countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, France, the United States, Slovakia, Ireland, Austria and Singapore.

Afterwards, we followed the path, until we reached the first alpine hut on our way, which accommodated a group of children sent out by the Upper Austrian Children's Cancer Foundation. A few meters before that, a photo was taken, which can be called a cliché…

Alpine meadows. Mountains. Cows. What more does an Austrian want? Or rather: What do his guests require for their satisfaction?

Alpine meadows. Mountains. Cows. Austria. | 13

See the world and dare something – sometimes it only takes a small step… | 14

Our common way led on and brought us to the first break shared between the hut group and the backpackers. Here Andreas from Thuringia unpacked his gas cooker and prepared himself a bag of “Chicken Curry”. Since Lim was on a photo safari, I joined him and took some very nice photos, with the unique landscape in the background. Afterwards, the way led us steeply up the slope – an achievement for all participants of the tent group, but this ascent was a challenge to everyone. The thought arose, that this way is more suitable for mountain goats than for humans.

A few meters before the end of the ascent, I decided to use the snow again for a little cooling and softening of my light sunburn. Unfortunately, we could only take a short break. However, at the end of the ascent Horst decided to climb a small slope, a few minutes later Hans-Jürgen and me were also there, a photo of the three conquerors of the summit was taken.

Further on, the hike went along the ridge and gave us a view, more beautiful than the other one – but this time without thinking about Walter Mitty and his film. The tent group was slightly behind after the common break, but their speed allowed them to catch up, and so we were reunited after scarcely one hour again, before we had to climb the next steep ascent… I already mentioned the mountain goat character of these paths? This ascent was no different and I made an offer to Andreas to carry his 15 kg backpack, which he kindly refused.

A few minutes later, we found ourselves at the end of the mountain goat ascent. After a short look into the distance, we decided that there was still a small slope to be climbed. After the first few meters, the slope was a bit steeper and when I thought the end was reached, a small slope appeared behind it, which was no longer a problem – even if it was exhausting to climb it, ambition won. In the end, a fantastic panorama was visible, which Joost from the Netherlands captured.

After some small jumps, we went down the slope towards Wildsee Lake, not without taking some pictures of some views. Arriving at Wildsee, it was said at first, whoever wants to swim can climb down another 30 m, and then – after bathing in water at around 5°C – climb up again.

The rest of the hike led us down 700 m of difference in altitude over another mountain goat path paved with uncomfortable loose rock, until we reached Felseralm, where Pascal invited us to decide if we wanted to visit Johannes Waterfall or not. One part of the group decided to drive immediately towards the hut, while the other part of the group explored the waterfall…

When I was just about to make the ascent back from the waterfall, I thought that a geocache would be a natural thing to find there and, as chance would have it, such was the case. So, Johannes Waterfall was transformed into a smiley during the golden hour of late afternoon.

Johannes Waterfall | 15

With a view of the Dachstein… | 16

On the fifth day, after the previous day's efforts, Horst, Rainer, and I decided to take a break. Since Jane and Nick from Great Britain also longed for a day off, we decided to take a short walk a few kilometres away from our hut. So, we walked about seven kilometres over normal forest paths, for which we did not need a ‘mountain goat licence’, as was the case on the fourth day…

During the hike, we saw not only our hut, but also the so-called ‘Skywalk’ on the top of the Dachstein, including the suspension bridge. As someone familiar with Saxon Switzerland, this reminded me a little of the Bastei and its touristic development. By simple ways, which we used the whole week, we managed to talk with one another and to get to know each other better. Jane, Nick, and Theo were three English-speaking friends that day, so Rainer, Regina, Udo, and me also decided to speak English, and we translated some things for the benefit of Sarah, our youngest fellow hiker.

With rain just beginning, we reached our cars and could return dry-footed to the accommodation, where Horst and Anton were waiting for us. For dinner, we had spinach soup, which Jane and Nick had prepared with love.

Our last day of the Naked European Walking Tour – alternatively the sixth day – took us to Rittisberg Mountain, after Pascal decided to offer only an easy walk. So we started directly from our accommodation and went to the neighbouring hill, which we could already see at the start of the hike.

Of course, we had to master some meters of difference in altitude right at the beginning of the hike, so that an ‘easy’ walk quickly became a challenge – especially considering, that some hikes were already behind us. But when I arrived at the first stop, I decided to unpack the tripod and take a seat in the picture.

Lim replied, that it was not wrong, to have a tripod with you! Since this hike was to be the last of our hiking week, we took the usual group photo – since Stephan, the ‘backpacking traveller’, was also part of the group, he was also allowed, to get in front of the camera once. From the view in the direction of the Dachstein, we went further towards the top of the Rittisberg, on which an observation tower was erected, which also houses a geocache (you don't need to ask yourself, if I collected it or not).

It was not only me using the observation tower for taking photos – also by numerous clothed hikers enjoyed the view of the Dachstein. So, we could get into some conversations and exchange thoughts. Andreas came up to me and asked for a business card for a man, who came from Zwickau. What happiness such a simple home-style “Glück auf” greeting can provide.

On Rittisberg – name of the mountain and a geocache on its summit | 17

App ‘Spectre’ used – result: unique… | 18

Each lunch break knows an end and after the cache was found, the way took us down the Rittisberg. On the way downhill, our youngest member Sarah decided to drop her clothes. She said the day before, that she didn't want to become a naturist – less than 24 hours later, she was nude in the group and hiked with us through the Styrian forests and mountains. In the end, this even led to her saying, that shortly before reaching the ‘dressing point’, i.e. the point, where we had to dress again, she would have preferred not to put on her clothes anymore, as she was so warm!

However, our hike wasn't over yet: Pascal suggested, that we could visit a small lake only two kilometres away. I don't know, whether he deliberately concealed the altitude difference or whether Pascal didn't see it on the map, because the path led us down a forest path a good 100 m before we could jump into the cool mountain lake, which was created to run a hydroelectric power station. We also crossed a bridge, to cross one of the mountain rivers to take a dip in it afterwards…

Sarah's father needed a little encouragement to let himself fall into the (estimated) 8°C cold water – what can you do for your daughter! It wasn't that easy for me either, but if my feet are already in the water to take a picture of the bridge and the whitewater stream, then the rest of me can get wet as well. After a short break, we went back on our way, to welcome the tent hiking group in our accommodation that evening.

In the end, this easy walk was a good 22 km with about 400  of difference in altitude difference – as I said, it was an ‘easy’ walk.

In addition to the ‘normal’ day hikes, Roland from the Netherlands had again gathered a small group of intrepid hikers around him, who set off on two three-day hikes in the Alps, each with tent and rucksack. For the first three days cool weather was announced and thus for the first two overnight stays two huts were rented, up at 2,100 m height.

On the first day, the weather was sometimes poor and the first climb was a steep one. After a rest on a mountain pasture, the weather improved considerably and we walked in a good mood to Südwandhütte Hut. Walking nude was only possible to a limited extent, but the panorama of the Dachstein was magnificent again and again.

On the second day, we took the cable car to the Dachstein up to 2,700 meters. Up there, at three degrees and 2.90 meters snow depth, winter clothing was the order of the day. I have Roland's words “we are just going down" still well in memory, when we went with cool temperatures first through fresh snow and then over innumerable snow fields and much rubble slowly downhill.

At some places, we had to work our way down in mountaineering style with 15 kg of luggage on our backs. Even if the whole thing had little to do with a nude hike, this descent was nevertheless an unforgettable adventure. We spent a nice evening in Guttenberghaus Hut at an altitude of 2,146 metres, before we went down to Ramsau on the third day and back on the Panoramaweg to our accomodation.

Start at Dachstein Mountain at 3°C… | 19

Overnight stay at Wildsee Lake, before the thunderstorm… | 20

On the fourth day we hiked together with the hut group to Wildsee Lake in best nude hiking weather. While the group started their way into the valley, we pitched our tents, which were then ready in time for the thunderstorms. The night was then also a kind of adventure, but everyone survived it somehow, and we were more or less rested again the next morning and ready to hike.

The weather was also beautiful on the last two days, so that we took the efforts of the hikes gladly, in order to enjoy again and again the marvellous alpine panorama. In the end, everybody was happy to have reached the cars again. As a crowning conclusion, we did then still a small hike without luggage to Johannes Waterfall.

The last day in Austria brought the question of whether the event should be in Austria again, because of the ‘scandal’ on the day of arrival, when the owner's sister demanded, that we should keep clothes on in the hut.

The idea arose, to organize NEWT next year in Germany or Spain. What is the outcome of this development? We don't know, but we hope, that the NEWT will continue to exist – even, if Spain is too far for us, for our friends from afar, this is certainly no problem…

So, we said goodbye. Like 2017, I made many new friends during this NEWT, like Hans-Jürgen and his daughter Sarah, Jane and Nick from Great Britain, Ernst from Austria, Joost from the Netherlands and many more. I hope, we will see each other again in two years, when the destination will be hopefully set towards the biggest, most international, and most beautiful nude hiking week in Europe.

Our accomodation, Dachstein in background | 21

With the last hike, the Naked European Walking Tour 2019 came to a worthy end and we – as a circle of Saxon naturist friends – can only thank Pascal, Clarisse, and Roland for the great organisation and realisation.

Without them, there would have been no NEWT in the last years after Richard Foley's witdrawal, and even, if the hikes were exhausting at the beginning, Pascal always ensured, that our group mastered all tours. We thank you so much for that.

Your Andreas and Martin