PADDLING IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAINS

Always looking for new challenges in sports and everyday life, Thomas Oschwald always hits his limits.

Switzerland is famous for its mountains. Massive alpine peaks stinging next to each other in the alps builing up to a unsurmountable force. But in the middle of this barren mountain world you can find some real havens – The Swiss mountain lakes are a massive force of attraction. Not only because they are beautiful, also because they are concealed high up between the mountains. You can only reach them with big effort and hours of walk.

Sometimes I am hiking up to 8 hours up the mountains just to go paddling on a lake smaller than a soccer field when I´m up there. That might sound crazy and against all rationality, but that´s exactly what is appealing me to do it again and again. I never wonder why I force myself to walk all the way up while I also could paddle around any other lake on the ground level. I rather follow my yearning to escape from the daily routine and definining my life new every day like that.

Depending on how much time I have and how motivated I am I either plan a short tour with my bike or a a longer hiking trip for a couple of days. That is the belle of the Swiss alps – you have lots of possibilities with different degrees of difficulties close together – for sure something for everybody.

I often go together with my girlfriend and to save some weight we only take one SUP with us then. Like that we can split the gear into 3 bags and share the board up on the lake than afterwards. Sometimes we stay over in one of the mountain hut, quite often you can find those close to the lakes. So if you like to have a bit of civilisation on your tour this is for sure a good option – nothing wrong with a comfortable sleep and a good homemade breakfast.

Who ever experienced floating on a lake  up in the Swiss mountains and experienced the magic from there knows what I´m talking about. Some might look for the perfect wave, I am looking for the perfect moment high up in the alps. In the shadow oft he mountains, I can unfurl my personality each paddle stroke brings me closer to life.  Follow Thomas and his adventures via FANATIC