The Silk Road does not only connect different cultures, but also a wide spectrum of landscapes. These landscapes have affected the cultures in different ways and grades of intensity. They are important for understanding those cultures.
Therefore, to explore the great variety of landscapes of the Silk Road is an essential component of the Silkroad Experiences. Our Silkroad Outdoor Experience will be an important part of the Silkroad Experiences. The Outdoor Team will take challenges on water, on land and in the air. One of the things that makes this team appealing is that the Outdoor team includes people from Europe, Central Asia and China. Never before a team have travelled the Silk Road in such a manner.Silkroad Experiences, offers a platform for intercultural dialogue. To experience this dialogue not only in the moments that put us to test, the challenging moments, but also in those successful ones, adds another meaningful element to all the other forms of dialogue created by the Silkroad Experiences.
Our multicultural Outdoor Team -formed by 8 to 10 people- is going to undertake this endeavour:
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Germany/Austria: |
Hot air ballooning in the Alps |
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Slovenia: |
Rafting on the Soca river |
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Romania: |
Transversal of the Carpathian Mountains (Trekking) |
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Turkey: |
Horse riding around Mount Ararat |
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Iran: |
Speed climbing at Mount Demavand (5610 meters) |
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Uzbekistan: |
Power kiting in the Kyzyl-Kum desert |
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Kyrgyzstan/China: |
Crossing of the Pamir range by mountain bike |
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China: |
Crossing the Takla Makan desert (Trekking) |
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China: |
Trekking to the base camp of Mount Tomur (7435 meters) |
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China: |
Trail Running along the Great Wall |
Bruno Baumann
Bruno Baumann is a prominent explorer of the remote mountains and deserts of Asia. He will supervise the Outdoor Team as a coach for trekking. Baumann has made numerous impressive tours. Just a few examples: While travelling on the Silk Road from Kashgar to Xian, he climbed Muztagh Ata (7546m). He cycled from Lhasa to Kathmandu on mountain bike. He crossed the Takla Makan and the Gobi desert on foot. Moreover, he was the first to cross the highest sand dunes of the Gobi desert without any support, a pioneering achievement that hasn´t been repeated so far. Bruno Baumann´s expeditions have been broadcasted on TV several times, especially on the German channel ZDF.
Günther Härter
Born in 1953 in Munich, is an excellent mountaineer, mountain guide and balloonist. He will be responsible for the hot air balloon flights during the Silkroad Expedition in 2011. Günther Härter has specialized on crossing the Alps on a hot air balloon. He is one of the most experienced German pilots for flights in high altitude, as well as over mountains. His personal altitude record: 6700 metres. Since 1970, Härter has exposed himself to extreme alpine challenges. Since 1976 he works worldwide, as a certified mountain guide and expedition leader. He managed to climb several mountains with an altitude of more than 8000 metres- including the second climbing of the south face of the Manaslu-. Günther Härter is Chief and owner of Top Mountain Tours and Landstettener Ballonfahrten.
www.landstettener-ballonfahrten.de
Alexander Huber
Grade 11 in sport climbing, Bellavista as the first route of this difficulty in an alpine wall. Various free climbing routes and speed records at the Yosemite´s big walls. First ‘red point’ climb of the legendary Eternal Flame at Nameless Tower. First ascent of Latok II´s western face. Free solo climb on Direttissima - at Cima Grande (The Dolomites). Those are the corner stones of his life as a mountaineer. Alexander Huber is, with no doubts, a star of the global climbing scene. His picture covers the front pages of specialized magazines and together with his brother Thomas, he is a frequent guest on TV shows. Based on his climbing activities, the 41 year old has seen many places of the world and he learned to appreciate its cultural diversity. Therefore, he is eager to support the Silkroad Experiences as a coach for climbing. There is a movie about the legendary Huber brothers titled Am Limit (To the Limit) that describes what climbing means to Alexander and Thomas. This movie has received many awards.
www.himalaya-karakorum-hilfe.com 
Wolfgang Renner
Wolfgang Renner is a three-time title winner of the german cross championships and a bronze medal winner in the world championships. He has been a friend of Bruno Baumann for many years and together they cycled across Tibet with mountain bikes. Moreover, they climbed Cho Oyu (8201m) and stood on the main summits of the Ruwenzori in Africa.
Michael Strohmann
Long distance running lead Dr. Michael Strohmann through Europe, the USA, Canada, Africa and Australia. He has a passion for unsupported solo-runs, preferrably in rugged mountain areas. From time to time, Michael enjoys a Sky run, in the Dolomites for example, on the island of Corsica or, like in 2009, at various peaks in Nevada and California/USA. He is familiar with Europe´s most fascinating trails - from the Montblanc region to the Verdon gorges or the Highlands of Scotland. In 2006, he crossed the semi-desert of the Namaqualand in South Africa together with runners from the Xhosa tribe. Although Michael has retrested from competitions, but his tremendous experiences from decades will be of great value for the athletes of the Silkroad Outdoor-Team. Strohmann will be the coach for all running activities.
