From the 28. Until 30. In September, Transa transformed the Grisons of Laax into a place for outdoor enthusiasts. In the golden autumn weather we cooked, set up tents, calculated azimuths, balanced on the slackline, flown and sat around a campfire. LACRUX was a guest and attended various workshops.
A contribution by Jeannine Zubler
The audience was mixed, young and old combined a commonality: the joy of being outside, of activity and nature. Thanks to shuttle service from Chur, we were quickly in the base camp in Laax and gathered for the workshops.
Exciting workshops and cozy atmosphere
The festival visitors were able to register for a variety of workshops. Choice of choice: via ferrata, climbing, biking, rafting, cooking, looking for treasure, slacklining, kayaking, paragliding, river rafting, photography, alpine tours, hiking, yoga, to name but a few.
Climbing and bouldering we know well enough from LACRUX, so we grabbed the chance and tried something different: Orientation course. Map reading, navigate with compass and GPS. For who has never strayed on the approach of a beautiful multi-pitch. So I was curious and was happy to expand my knowledge.
Orientation course for beginners and advanced
Outdoor trainer Michelle from Plano Alto took us on a big lawn and in the middle of the world of maps. After some basic information on the Swiss national map, we tracked down collecting lines, searched for parking lots and forest roads, calculated the azimuths and picnicked in an idyllic forest clearing. The deliciously filled lunch bags were also part of the festival pass package. Who navigates together comes easily into conversation and so there was a lively exchange in the group.
Test devices of numerous brands in practice
In the afternoon it became technical. We were allowed to test GPS devices and watches from Suunto and Garmin. Thanks to a short introduction, it quickly became clear what the device was best for. Then we started, through the undergrowth, across the forest and then back on the trail.
I liked to try the devices as they pleased and play with waypoints, routes and settings. An exciting course in which even advanced students can deepen their knowledge and above all the devices could extensively test in the field, which is otherwise possible only after the purchase. For beginners, everything was explained from the ground up understandable. With one or the other the desire for more was awakened.
Cooking with ingredients from the environment
If someone can combine the simplicity of nature with fine dining, then the natural cook Rebecca Clopath. Grown on a farm in Lohn (Graubünden), surrounded by meadows and forests, she knows how to use nature's wild plants for the kitchen. Rebecca passed on this knowledge to the participants as part of a cooking workshop at the Transa Outdoor Festival. Stinging nettles, rowanberries, blacks, ribwort, dandelion were cut, stewed and processed. The result is truly interesting and tasty dishes.
Music, good food and a cool blond
In the evening we chilled in basecamp, had a drink from the bar and enjoyed live music by Me & Marie and William White. In a basecamp, of course, the campfire should not be missing and so there was a real camping feeling before everyone crawled into their tents. They met early the next morning for coffee and breakfast before the workshops.
A village of great gadgets
In the Brand Village at the valley station in Laax, you could take a moment to look at a selection of the brands that Transa stocks, try them out and get advice. For example, I asked a shoe manufacturer about the latest mountain shoe model and had the advantages of the new construction of the shoes explained to me. I got great coffee at a stand for camping accessories. Colorful brand worlds, competitions, music and many happy faces shaped the small “village”. Once again I was amazed at what you can buy for the natural, real outdoor experience.
Carabiners and slings could be tested at the Petzl stand
about the author
Jeannine Zubler is a freelance journalist and copywriter. She spends every free minute in the mountains and climbing and writes about everything that happens in the vertical. www.jeanninezubler.com