Wild At Heart
Land Water Adventures stands for experiencing adventures in nature. We always develop our tours on land and water with a pinch of this spirit of adventure: Going on the water with the first rays of the sun, following the course of wild meandering rivers, roaming through vast forests, mastering challenges and experiencing deep tranquillity at the same time. As different as the motives may be, we register that many people are attracted to wild places and that being on the move in natural, atmospheric landscapes does something with the participants. To experience wilderness is touching. The call of the wilderness may originate from the longing for an untamed place, the desire to expose oneself to the elements or simply the idea of being able to feel untouched vastness with all one's senses. We at Land Water Adventures would like to make those a real experience.
The motivation to experience wilderness is sometimes sporting, sometimes very personal, but the need is deeply rooted in us. Breathing forest air, being overwhelmed by natural spectacles and, in particular, being on the move without many aids, where you experience that you can do more than you might have dared at first glance, is good for you. We are convinced that nothing feels as real as what you have fought for and worked for yourself. To open oneself up to impassable terrain and to endure the adversities of the elements, to push oneself to one's limits and to go a little beyond them, expands one's own horizons and lets some people deal better with stressful situations in everyday life and go through life a bit more relaxed.
Experiencing a stay in near-natural or even wild regions as something positive is closely linked to one's inner attitude and competence to move appropriately and intuitively outside, to be able to orient oneself and assess weather developments, and ultimately to know a great deal about the natural areas in which one is staying. All of us being nature-loving outdoor enthusiasts ourselves, the Land Water Adventures team would like to offer their training, tour and expedition participants personal wilderness adventures that do not always have to include several hours travel by plane.
With the aim to make adventures in the "Outback" possible not far from our own homes, we also move in the last wilderness areas of Central Europe. The protection of these natural "islands" both as an ecological niche for flora & fauna and as a place of retreat and experience for humans, is just as important to us as being on tour carefully and returning with unique impressions to keep for a long time. We believe that the personal, positive reference is crucial to experiencing wild landscapes as worthy of protection. In any case, this is how it is for us and we do not only want to stay in these landscapes, but also actively contribute to their preservation!
What are we talking about when it comes to the wild?
An approach that the European Wilderness Working Group sought in 2013 and which was adopted by the WWF is interesting here: "Wilderness areas are large, unaltered or only slightly altered natural areas that are dominated by natural processes and in which there are no human interventions, no infrastructure and no permanent settlements. They are protected and cared for in such a way that their natural state is preserved and they offer people the possibility of special mental and spiritual experiences of nature".
Wild On Tour
Being on the move with Packrafts is a form of travel that is fundamentally in harmony with nature and enables conscious immersion in remote natural spaces. The joy of "immersion" and the protection of these areas, whose wildness and beauty we specifically visit and whose accessibility is important to us, is close to our hearts - on land and at sea. We therefore orient ourselves along the Leave No Traces Ethics and try to cause as little disturbance as possible. On the river passages, we take care to drive in the middle of the current line, so that contact with the bottom remains as minimal as possible and unnecessary disturbances in sensitive spawning areas, the nurseries of the fish and the sunbathing places of cube snakes and other species, such as those still present in the vicinity, are avoided.
The robust, yet lightweight inflatable boats have a relatively high buoyancy, so that the boats, even loaded with heavy luggage, have little draught. Both on the trainings and on the tours and expeditions we build paddling technique from the beginning. Through refined paddling technique and clean manoeuvres, we want to increase driving pleasure and safety on the one hand, and on the other hand ensure that shallow shore areas are recognized and avoided early on.
Since we specifically visit near-natural areas and clear, unpaved wild rivers, we would also like to secure that our everyday behaviour ensures that this remains the case. In order to preserve living waters, we support agriculture that avoids the excessive use of environmental toxins and eutrophication and advocates species diversity. When it comes to equipment, we rely on durable, high-quality material, which we always keep in good condition in order to minimise wear. We are also interested in which manufacturers use recycled materials and sustainability in their production.
During trainings, tours and expeditions we follow guidelines based on the "Leave No Traces Ethics":
- We are travelling in small groups
- We leave no rubbish behind and leave hardly more traces than the flattened grass under our tents
- We make campfires where it is permitted and so that there are no residues, we use largely natural tinder
- We keep a respectful distance to wild animals and behave calmly
- We use completely biodegradable detergents on the way, but because they still take too long to degrade, we use little of them and prefer to bathe longer ; )
- The shovel for the spade walk is always there on the multiday tours
- We rely where possible on public transport and local shuttle service
Wild Future
LWA travels through areas of particular scenic beauty and ecological value that do not always enjoy protection status. For example, the last wild rivers in Europe, such as Soča, which are threatened by the construction of dams. With our presence at these places, we would like to draw attention to the conflict of use and speak out in favour of the protection of these untamed landscapes, which are important for nature and mankind. In the spirit of sustainability, it is important to us not only to provide sustainable impressions, but also to contribute to ensuring that this remains so in the future.
We live adventures today and we want to live adventures in the future! Therefore LWA supports the campaign "Save the blue heart of Europe" of the foundation Euronatur regularly with 1% of the proceeds from the participation fees of our whitewater courses in the Soča valley and in Tyrol. Our first donation and the beginning of the support was our season end 2018 with the participants of our multiday courses and expeditions.
A project close to our hearts: Albania and the Vjosa River
Nature conservation was a project close to the heart of our employee Susanne. In this spirit, she has developed and maintained the LWA nature conservation concept. Following her passion, her love for the country and her feeling for people and nature, Susanne captured impressions of the country, the tour and the local people during the first realization of the Packrafting Expedition Tour Albania and processed them into a short film. Experience our previous employee Susanne in her passion and immerse yourself in a fascinating country with her film:
Contact person within LWA
Sebastian is the contact person at LWA for questions relating to nature conservation. He is taking over from Susanne, who designed and maintained the LWA nature conservation concept. As Susanne herself has traveled from Albania to Norway as a guide with our guests, she has combined the LWA nature conservation concept with her travels in nature in a very practical way.
Please refer to our contact page if you have any questions about nature conservation.
