Media Center
This page contains a press kit for media professionals who would like to cover the unique story behind and novel tour products of TRANSALP RIDERS eK. We encourage fair and unbiased evaluation of our operation but would like to be informed of the media coverage we receive in various parts of the world. Please consider the information provided below as an open invitation to get in touch with us for more in-depth, Transalp facts and lore.
Press Releases
Electronic Brochures
Link to Our Photo Gallery
Media and Information Contact
Answers to Some of Your FAQ
Press Releases
Press Release – March 28, 2004
Dollar strengthens against Euro, increasing Old World appeal as summer destination
After months of watching the value of the greenback melt like snow in the springtime sun, anzy travelers are eagerly noticing a correction in this trend. Now may be the time to book that trip to Europe you’ve put off for so long. After all, economists around the globe seem unanimous in their prediction that this unexpected break in the dollar’s exchange value will be rather short-lived and may only last only until the end of the summer.
There are other reasons to consider Europe top value for this year’s summer vacation. Much adventure and many unexpected ecotourism opportunities await the savvy traveler who is willing to get off the beaten path, pounded for years by the types who rely solely on the scripture of the (guide-)book. There really is a lot more to Europe than stuffy cities, stodgy museums and stiff restaurants bills. Adventure tour operators in the picture-book Alps (and countless ecotourism companies in the twelve new member states of the European Union) currently offer outstanding value to budget-conscious travelers. Their tours, be they raft trips or wildlife viewing ventures, are typically at least one-third less the price of comparable packages in the U.S. and even Canada – enough of a balance to pay for your ticket to Europe.
If the standard fare of adventure pastimes earns little more than a yawn from all of you seasoned travelers these days, there should be respite on the horizon –and, low and behold, in Europe of all places. A new mountain bike tour company, TRANSALP RIDERS, offers what their name suggests – long-distance, XC mountain bike trips for young-at-heart cyclists who want to escape the hype of the ‘Tour’ and yet still breathe the spirit of a phenomenal bike race.
Enter the TRANSALP CHALLENGE, an annual, mid-summer mountain bike race where 800 world-class XC racers crank across the Alps and four countries in 8 days, adding up enough vertical along the way that will put all but elite polka-dot specialists to shame. The event is indeed stealing thunder from many of the traditional road race events these days and, if you hadn’t heard, has rung in a new era in the development of mountain biking as a serious sport.
TRANSALP RIDERS, the only company that offers paired-down and thankfully more leisurely versions of the race exclusively for an English-speaking clientele, explores four different transects of Alps in their 2004 tour roster. What clearly sets these tours apart from any other MTB holiday though, is a well thought-out educational component that adds an altogether different dimension to what, by itself, would be a rewarding adventure. This unexpected ‘value-added’ component of TRANSALP RIDERS tours doesn’t come as a surprise, once you find out the company director’s background as a former academic in the environmental sciences. All of a sudden, Europe reveals a previously unknown and genuinely exotic face, manifesting itself as an bona fide adventure and ecotourism destination.
As winter is finally loosing its grip on the mountains and the dollar rebounds from its recent freefall, travelers the world over will feel the growing desire to head out on new adventures and to explore unknown places. In the face of global security angst, the Alps offer great value and comfort this year – from lofty vantage points few travelers will have seen before.
Press Release – February 13, 2004
Crossing the Alps by Mountain Bike re-defines XC riding even for avid riders
TRANSALP RIDERS, a mountain bike tour company specialized on traversing the Alps on single- and double-track, recently moved operations to Europe. The company, originally founded on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, relocated to be as close as possible to new developments in XC mountain bike riding. The benefits of such ‘proximity to the source’ become evident through several imaginative one- to two-week tour itineraries, which link up to four countries via spectacular trails without missing out on famous natural and cultural sights along the way. The roster of trip destinations includes any combination of countries that share a portion of the Alps and clearly fills an exciting niche in the spectrum of English-language bicycle tours offered in Europe.
While TRANSALP RIDERS’ trips are not for the faint-of-heart and require solid riding skills, most tours offer a daily choice between epic and easy stages. This option and meticulous route planning now make a traverse of the Alps feasible for most dedicated mountain bike enthusiasts – all under their own power. The company’s decision to help their guests accomplish a Transalp ride without support vehicles is explained by the Dr. Christoph Gnieser, a former Canadian university professor who founded the operation and acts as head guide, as being coherent with the company’s pledge for authenticity and sustainability in travel. "The use of a support vehicle would not only violate the spirit of the Transalp tradition but also require us to travel ‘on-the-beaten-path’ at an environmental cost, something we consider inconsistent with our business philosophy. We take pride in showing our teams of riders the ‘Wild Side’ of Europe with its many hidden treasures and traditions that don’t easily coexist with motorized recreation. Much of what our guests come to treasure are experiences that most would expect to have vanished from the European landscape a long time ago".
The many challenges of operating trips that cross political, cultural and linguistic boundaries on an almost daily basis also provide the greatest rewards for the Gnieser and his accredited local guides. "Not a day goes by without memorable impressions, may be a traditional cattle drive, an unexpected invitation to a wine tasting, or a sunrise over a millennia-old palazzo crowned by imposing mountain walls. Whether we choose to be on an epic climb through the high alpine or a leisurely spin through fruit orchards, guides and clients know they need to operate as a team in an environment where variables are constantly changing. These dynamics, it doesn’t matter whether they be environmental or social, are what make these trips and my job so fascinating, fun and worthwhile the long months of preparatory work".
In view of the logistical challenges of Transalp trips, it may not be surprising that TRANSALP RIDERS is still the only mountain bike tour operator catering to the tastes and whims of overseas mountain bike enthusiasts. Given this virtual monopoly, however, it is surprising that tour prices provide remarkably fair value at this time of unfavorable currency exchange rates for travelers to Europe. TRANSALP RIDERS currently provides a unique address for active travelers who would love to explore the diverse treasures of Europe but who, at the same time, don’t want to neglect their sportive passions.
Electronic Brochures
Please feel free to compile a document that addresses the specific information needs for your media piece by printing or saving individual web pages from this site. We recognize the diversity of interests of journalists, trade show representatives, newsletter administrators, etc. Rather than providing a pre-made brochure that may not address your specific needs, we encourage you to pick and pull from our website to your heart’s desire. We have formatted our documents for easy printing, which provides you with nearly 100 pages jam-packed with information.
Link to Our Photo Gallery
If you would like to include our photo material in your media piece on TRANSALP RIDERS, please help yourself to the images in the Gallery. However, we do request that your article be about our company and issues appropriate photo credits. Please refrain from using our images if use thereof is unrelated to the specific operations of TRANSALP RIDERS.
Media and Information Contact
You may have additional questions about TRANSALP RIDERS or the background of our personnel and guides. Please direct your inquiries to our management either by email: christoph@transalpriders.com or by calling toll-free at 1-800-920-ALPS (ext. 83) during our office hours Monday through Friday between 9am -5 pm (EST).
Answers to Some of Your FAQ
How long has TRANSALP RIDERS been in business?
The summer of 2004 will be our inaugural season. However, all of us live in or originally grew up in one of the Alpine countries. Our guides are experienced, local riders with extensive knowledge of the history, culture and natural environment of the Alps.
What are the qualifications of the guides at TRANSALP RIDERS?
Our head guides have all been accredited as mountain bike guides by agencies, such as the German Alpine Club, the Mountain Bike Academy, or equally recognized training facilities. All are fluent in English in addition to the official or unofficial languages used and understood in the countries they guide in. With few exceptions, our guides hold Graduate university degrees and are chosen on the basis of their profound knowledge of natural history, regional politics and cultural lore. Problem-solving skills, great personalities and an infatuating love for what we do are a given.
How many trips does TRANSALP RIDERS offer?
We pride ourselves on offering only a small roster of seven tours every year to prevent guide burnout and to allow all of us to pursue our first careers in the off-season. This keeps us fresh and interested in the fascinating individuals and eclectic groups we meet as well as the challenging environment we operate in.
How do the various tours differ from one another?
No destination we have selected for our tour calendar is alike another – historically, culturally, or in an environmental sense. It is difficult to compare the experiences from a TransDolomiti tour to that of a Mont Blanc Glory trip even though both are rated similarly in terms of difficulty. While the format of all our tours promise first class customer service and similar daily schedules, even repeat clients may be surprised by entirely different trip dynamics that are a function of different biophysical environments, social customs and regional lifestyle choices. In our effort to be authentic, we try to "do as the locals do".
Why Europe instead of exotic riding locations around the world?
Against contrary belief, the Alps of Europe ARE exotic and provide an incredible diversity of people and landscapes – even what North Americans understand as bona fide wilderness. Europe is all too often underestimated as a destination to experience adventure, raw nature or wildlife. If you’re still doubtful, join us for instance in Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy, this year or in the Carpathian Alps of Romania next year. Besides, Europe is a relatively safe environment to travel in and mountain bikers from other parts of the world will soon find themselves welcome amongst the locals.