2024 – Trail Running Switzerland

I did 29 mountain runs and hikes in the Swiss Alps this summer and autumn, 12 times over 3000m asl. It’s such an incredible scenery; your Heart and Soul always feel better and get more clarity during and after the trail. After over 600 trail runs, I still have not seen every corner of Switzerland, and I’m very thankful to live here in this great country with beautiful mountains and lakes. The fall season is often my favorite time for trail runs, especially when the leaves of the larches and other deciduous trees show their most colorful side. I look forward to lingering and dreaming in the golden hours in the following weeks of late fall.

I did the following four runs/hikes in Graubünden:

  • Piz Julier [3380m asl]
  • Piz Ot [3246m asl]
  • Alp Flix
  • Corn da Tinizong

Eleven in Wallis/Valais:

  • Platthorn [3345m asl]
  • Weisshornhütte and Wisse Schijen [~ 3265m asl]
  • Oberrothorn and Hohtälli [3414m asl]
  • Kleines und Grosses Bigerhorn [3626m asl]
  • Hörnlihütte [3262m asl] and Trockener Steg
  • Jegihorn [3207m asl] and Hohsaas [~ 3137m asl]
  • Le Luisin and Col de Barberine
  • Sasseneire (Col de Torrent) [3254m asl]
  • Cabane de Tracuit [3259m asl]
  • Dom Hut (200m above) [~ 3140]
  • Baltschiedertal Suonen hike

Five in Uri:

  • Erstfeldertal with Älplilücke and Guggital
  • Göscheneralp with Chelenalphütte
  • Göscheneralp with Bergseeschijen, Voalphütte and Salbithütte
  • Bälmeten, Hoch Fulen and Gross Spitzen
  • Nätschen, Schneehüenderstrock, Pazolastock and Tomasee (Graubünden)

And nine in the canton of Bern:

  • First (Kandersteg)
  • Blüemlisalphütte (under Wildi Frau) [~ 3100m asl]
  • Schwalmere with Lobhörner
  • Niesen
  • Chrinnenhorn with Glecksteinhütte
  • Schreckhornhütte
  • Gantrisch Trail
  • Blausee & Oeschinensee
  • Harder Kulm or Top of Interlaken

Most of them between 2500m and 3500m asl.

You can find some impressions here.

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URI 2024 – The Heart of Switzerland

My favourite hiking canton(s) in Switzerland? Ufff, that’s tough, but I would go for Uri, Ticino and Grisons. If I had to choose one, it would be Uri. Such a diversity in a region with an area of 1,077km2. It is the centrepiece of Switzerland, especially geographically. Uri is one of the founding cantons, the “original” canton par excellence. From myths and legends to heroic epics. It’s full of exciting stories! I love the landscape, that is engraved in my heart. It is the glue that holds the Swiss regions together and connects them – South and North, East and West. Both a water castle and a mountain colossus, Uri is a natural paradise! Watch out – the morning and evening hours over Uri are unmistakable, unforgettable!…

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Life is too short to be indoor – ◉utd◉◉rs is the way ◉ut

Nature teaches us so much. It doesn’t take much to absorb the full power of nature. We are animals of nature and movement. When we physically move in nature, we feel alive and fresh. Exploring nature without digital distractions is one of the greatest feelings for me. It is one of the most beautiful memories of my life. I believe that we are not made for an almost exclusively indoor life. The more digital (distractions) we experience, the more the call for physical encounters and wilderness is activated.

Södra Kungsleden 2024

We long for deep, lasting encounters.

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Bodyscan ◎

In today’s fast-paced world with so many distractions, a regular body scan is all the more important. A body scan is about interoception, sensing signals from the body. The more we connect with our physical bodies, the more we feel what is good for us. Everything we suppress will sooner or later show up in our physical bodies. That’s why body awareness is so critical to our health. Don’t neglect it, it speaks volumes!

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When a heart-driven decision is made, go with it!

This week I decided to start running again after so many setbacks the last couple of years. That means I’m gonna try run faster, longer and better – stay tuned for the second half of 2024!

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Please show me your b⨀dy language

Your energy is not just in your voice but everywhere in your body. So why should you focus your energy on verbal communication alone when you have so much more to offer? Your body has the power to show your energy level in a much more impactful way than words alone. Verbal communication can be enhanced by non-verbal cues, such as tone of voice and facial expressions. But to really level up our body language, we should make our message more impactful by looking at our body as a landscape of communication. Your body is an expression of your personal communication style. When we are involved and play more with our non-verbal body parts, such as gestures and posture, we reveal the most powerful communication tool. That’s why being mindful of the message as well as the messenger who sends it out can change our lives.

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Femoroacetabular impingement

Hip impingement, also known as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), is a condition where there is abnormal contact between the bones of the hip joint. This can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion in the hip. There are two main types of hip impingement: cam impingement, where the head of the femur is not round and cannot rotate smoothly in the hip socket, and pincer impingement, where there is too much coverage of the hip socket, causing the labrum to be pinched. In addition, there is the mixed impingement, which is a combination of both.

Treatment options may include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and in severe cases, surgery. As you may know, there are no guarantees in life, and so far I have tried to “overcome” it with physical exercise and a cortisone injection (which brings temporary relief but not really root cause improvement). Maybe I will opt for surgery in the future to counteract the mechanical situation…Only time will tell.

I had so many disappointing and regretful moments in the past. But there is always a learning in it, right? Thanks to this painful diagnosis, I have discovered so many new things. My conscious field of movement has increased enormously, and I feel my body more deeply. I’m not just rushing through an exercise but try many different approaches to enhance my experience. There were so many new adventures to welcome and I’m deeply thankful for everything! When we open our lens and see it more as an opportunity, we gain so much. And since the doctor makes the diagnosis and God makes the prognosis, there is always hope😊!

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Simply move your B⨀dy

What happens if I don’t move my body for a day?
I feel less alive, unbalanced, stressed and my natural clock gets messed up. When we only use our brain, or overuse our control tower, we feel more burnt out than when we have a good mix of physical and mental exercises. Find time and space for a physical activity that gives you so much. For me it’s almost always excitement and pleasure – before, during and after the activity.

Our bodies know that they belong to this Earth. It is our mind that always drifts away. Give your body the attention it deserve!

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Our skin – a masterpiece of the universe

Often underestimated and overlooked, although often seen. Our skin obviously seems to be overlooked! For me, it is one of the most fascinating organs of our bodies – a masterpiece of the universe. It is one of the most important boundaries and thresholds between the inside and outside body, between the individual and society. However, it is not a fixed, hard boundary, but an adaptable and permeable one. The skin is not only the largest organ of the human body, but also the heaviest. It breathes air and absorbs and releases moisture.

The skin with its different skin layers is simply a miracle!

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An ode to geographical Switzerland

Switzerland is WONDER-full – where in the world can you find so many wonderful things in such a small space (not so small, if you flatten the relief)? Switzerland is a unique country with many different facets that contribute to its overall charm and character. Where else in the world can you find so much water diversity (the blue gold of Switzerland or the water castle of Europe) in an area of around 41,000 km2? Rivers and lakes characterize Switzerland, as do mountains and hills. The two triple watersheds of Europe are unparalleled. One lies on the border between the three cantons of Uri, Valais, and Ticino, the other on the Lunghin Pass in the canton of Graubünden. They give birth to long European rivers, namely the Reuss → Rhine, the Ticino → Po, the Inn → Danube, and the Rhone.

The geographical diversity of Switzerland is impressive. The Central Plateau is bordered from southwest to northeast by the Jura range of hills and the main Alpine ridge. Only the northernmost area, Basel-Stadt, and the southernmost area in Switzerland, southern Ticino, lie outside these two striking rock formations. There is everything from glaciers (I call it the white gold of Switzerland) with their perceived northern temperatures to a southern Mediterranean climate feeling. Even in a relatively small canton, like the canton of Uri, there are countless lakes, mountains, and valleys that will make your heart beat faster.

48 of the 82 4,000-metre peaks in the Alps are in Switzerland (an Alpine record), more than 40 of them in the canton of Valais, with the Dufourspitze in the Monte Rosa massif being the highest peak at 4,634 m – WoW!

The linguistic diversity is also impressive. With four main languages and numerous dialects, there is something for everyone. The four seasons each show their impressive side and let the Swiss landscape to blossom. Yes Switzerland, you are so BEAUTY-full!

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