Danielle Stynes

Why did you decide to start leading experiential travel tours?

The ski safari concept originated during an avalanche training course I had undertaken. Moving around the Alps during a 1-week intensive course, observing snow formations, each day had seen a different destination and each night was spent in a different hotel. The freedom of movement and the sheer amount of ground covered during that week started me thinking.

Spending each day on a ski safari, far from the groomed, manned ski runs and the crowds, on a pure, magical adventure amidst chamois and Alpine birds had given the group a real sense of connection with nature, and this is what a ski safari does – it takes you into the wild.

This was the beginning of SwisSkiSafari and SwissHikeSafari. This entailed taking groups into the wild, uncharted territory. Unlike the intense mountain training, these trips would be coming home at night to luxurious accommodation. It would have tailor-made days designed to match the activity level of each person and challenge the appetite of each group. Everyone would enjoy but still push themselves and leave feeling a new sense of satisfaction.

What do you hope to gain from showing people your environment and culture?

Our Safaris extracts its participants from the man-made world, and transfers them into the true wilderness. It is this wilderness that we need to protect, and people protect things that they love. Taking people off the beaten track and helping them explore it, at their level, not only gives them a huge sense of satisfaction but it helps them make a connection to nature and ultimately themselves.

What are you most excited to share with tourists?

We have always only operated small private groups. Because of this, we often find ourselves alone in this wonderful wilderness in the middle of Central Europe. We want to show people that just outside of the crowded resorts there are flowering pastures in the summer and virgin powder slopes in the winter leading to authentic beautiful sleepy Alpine villages.

What fears do you have about making your land and lifestyle more public?

We have always been concerned about our impact on the Alpine environment and so we have committed to staying small and leading only low impact private groups into the areas to show this environment to those who really understand and appreciate this sort of access.

What specifically about your culture/history/environment would be beneficial for a traveler to learn about before taking their trip?

Rather than learning something before coming with us we suggest that you engage in some physical activity before joining us. As we navigate the Alps by foot, ski or bike it is always more enjoyable if you have a basic level of fitness. We find this even more important than any skill in the activity that we will be proposing.