The varied climates and situations we experience require you to have all items on the first day of your trip. Forgotten items will be purchased with your pocket money. Do not pack more than is on the list. Your duffel serves as a storage locker. Remember to leave space for items you buy in Europe.
____Daypack or Backpack: Bring one Very large “school type” daypack or a small overnight backpack. Your pack will be used during the day to carry personal items PLUS on our three night overnight to carry your cloths. If you bring just a daypack, make sure your day pack has a chest and waist strap for hiking.
____Duffel: You are allowed one duffel. While engaged in activities, excess clothing is left in your duffel locked in the van. We suggest a tough, flexible soft-sided bag approximately 34”x16”x16” or smaller. No wheels or suitcases please, they become a loading hazard on the vans!
____Sleeping bag: A medium weight, mummy style, nylon bag with synthetic filling (Polar Guard 3D, Lite Loft, Qualofil, etc.) or goose down made for camping and backpacking and rated to 10-20°F. A stuff sack is required.
TRAVEL GEAR
____Passport
____“Therm-A-Rest” or foam ground pad for sleeping
____2 backpacking type water bottles, and/or a 1 liter minimum Camel Back type hydration system
CLOTHING
You need a 10-DAY supply of clothing. If you bring too much it gets in the way. We will wash laundry once, mid-trip. Synthetic is best.
Inner layer
____Ten day supply of underwear
____2 sets Long underwear shirt and pants; polypropylene or similar synthetic fabric is essential
____Pajamas
Middle layer
____2 pairs of jeans or khakis
____2 pairs of lightweight shorts
____6 short sleeve T-shirts
____2 long sleeve shirts
____2 swimsuits (1 pair must be a “Speedo racing” type. It is mandatory for males in France) *Every year boys get refused entrance to swimming pools in France because they are not wearing “speedo” like swimsuits. Even if you do not like the model, bring them just in case you want to take a swim.
Outer layers
____1 medium weight waterproof, gortex-type rain jacket
____1 polar fleece jacket (the fuzzy synthetic material)
____1 pair fleece pants
____Lightweight rain proof pants
____1 pair ski/snowboard pants
HEAD, HANDS & FACE
____1 Fleece or wool ski hat
____1 Baseball style hat
____2 pairs warm gloves/mittens (1 must be Gortex ski gloves)
____Ski helmet (mandatory)
____Ski goggles
FOOTWEAR
____4 pairs of hiking socks; a wool, synthetic blend
____3 pairs of ski/snowboard socks Water sandals that secure around your ankles (Tevas, Chacos or Nike)
____1 pair of sneakers (running shoes)
____Hiking boots: ankle high, lightweight & flexible (Hi-Tek, Merrel, Vasque, Nike, Asolo, etc.). Generous, comfortable fit is critical. Break in before trip.
TOILETRIES
____SPF 30+ sunscreen, chapstick with sunscreen
____Personal toiletries, prescriptions, meds, bandana, etc.
____1 medium towel/1 small towel
____1 package “Wet Naps” - small cleaning towelettes
____1 package of moleskin for potential blisters
____Laundry bag and small camping pillow
MISCELLANEOUS
____Headlamp or lightweight flashlight
____Camera (Phone and camera must be separate devices!), batteries/charger, plug adapter for charger
____Stationary and journal
____Cheap watch
____Mess kit: fork, spoon, knife, plate, bowl, mug & mesh bag
____If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please bring a spare pair of glasses, including a protective case. Yes, wearing contacts is okay!
____“Crazy Creek” camp chair
____Sunglasses with secure strap (Chums or Croakies)
Important Information Regarding Your Trip---PLEASE READ THIS!
SKI & SNOWBOARD EQUIPMENT: If you do not want to bring your own ski or snowboard equipment, excellent local gear is available for rent for $280 for the entire trip. If you do bring your own ski or snowboard equipment, we advise you to purchase insurance against theft or damage before your trip starts. Bold Earth does not offer such insurance.
Weather: Be prepared for varied weather conditions. Temperatures in the Alps can change quickly and range from below freezing to 80°F.
Time: Europe is 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time.
Identification: A passport which does not expire until 3 months after the trip is required. ID is often required to cash travelers checks. If possible bring along a picture ID, library card, school ID or state ID card. Passports will be held for you by your Trip Leader. A Travel Permission Slip is MANDATORY(available online 3 weeks before your trip). No visas are required.
Mail: Yes, we will have mail stops in Europe. Please use mail stops for communication other than emergencies. Allow plenty of time for your mail to arrive at mail-stops. From the USA to Spain, Italy, and France mail takes more than 10 days to arrive unless it is “Global Priority” or “Express” mail.
Spending Money: EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. ATM or Credit Card (Visa and Amex) are the best! Also bring cash. Europe is expensive but we suggest bringing approximately $75 per week. This is for personal expenses and gifts. If you run out of money, you have spent too much. Unless there is an emergency, Bold Earth will not advance money.
Safety: On the whole you have very little to worry about but common sense is the best guide to dealing with potentially dangerous situations. The buddy system will be required 24 hours a day.
Health: Many health problems can be avoided by taking care of yourself. Wash your hands frequently, avoid exposure to the sun and wear insect repellent when appropriate. Tap water is almost always safe to drink in Europe. As with any illness, especially involving foreign travel, contact your doctor if need be.
Laundry: You wash your clothes twice during the trip. We provide the suds, coins and know-how. Many participants have identical jeans, socks, hiking boots, etc. A good practice is to put your name on items which are not unique to you.
Trip Journal: Bring along a notebook to record the challenges, prides and successes of your adventure.
Reading List: The people, places and activities you will encounter on your trip are diverse and incredible. These are a few books offering background information. We suggest you consider reading these books before, during or after your adventure. Also, you might like to read Outside Magazine or Backpacker Magazine, available everywhere. For additional adventurous reading, check out Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time.
Scrambles Amongst the Alps, by Edward Whymper. Whymper is famous for his first ascent of the Matterhorn and for the accident coming down, in which four of his companions died when their rope broke. He was irritable and sour but also a true iron man of the mountains. His book ranks high among the classics of mountaineering in part for having helped promote the very notion that peaks are meant to be climbed.
Starlight and Storm, by Gaston Rébuffat. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the race was on in Europe to score first ascents of the most formidable routes in the Alps and Dolomites. Buoyed by the advent of artificial climbing techniques, teams from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Poland scaled the north faces of the Eiger, the Drus, the Matterhorn, the Grandes Jorasses, and other hallowed peaks, often pooling resources to obtain previously unimaginable success (and often tragedy), while the world below was ravaged by two brutal world wars. Noted French climbing guide Gaston Rébuffat lived at the center of this crucial era in mountaineering history. Starlight and Storm is his personal account of a rugged and glorious time before Gore-Tex, when men, soaked and chilled to the bone, sang to keep each other from falling asleep (forever).
Conquistadors of the Useless, by Lionel Terray. Terray's father once told him he'd have to be crazy to climb a mountain, "when there isn't even a hundred franc note to be picked up at the summit." Terray nonetheless spent his life making spectacular climbs in Europe, Himalaya, and North and South America, which he describes with French panache in this wonderful autobiography.
LEARNING • SERVICE • LEADERSHIP
