Via Dinarica Trail mit Outdooractive erleben

„Terra Dinarica“ ist Teil der Outdooractive Plattform. Mit unserer Technologie wird das 2.000 Kilometer umfassende Fernwanderwegenetz in den Dinarischen Alpen abgebildet. Die Bloggerin Eva Smeele begibt sich nun auf dieses Abenteuer und wandert den ViaDinarica Trail. Durch die Kooperation mit Outdooractive kann sie Euch auf diese Reise nehmen und daran teilhaben lassen. Wer steckt hinter dem Blog „EVAdinarica Project“ und was erwartet Euch in den nächsten Monaten? Diese und viele weitere Fragen hat sie uns in einem Interview beantwortet.

Why do you want to walk the ViaDinarica Trail?

Last summer I cycled from Amsterdam to Cetinje, Montenegro. The Balkans were my favourite place and I wanted climb and walk these mountains instead of only looking at them from a distance. When I got back home, I searched on the internet for hiking in the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular. That’s how I found out about the Via Dinarica and I knew immediately that this trail would be my next adventure. It’s a new trail, everything is still in progress and I like that. It’s wild, undiscovered and I like to explore. The Via Dinarica is about nature, mountains, culture and connecting. The trail itself connects countries and people through nature, but to me it is also about me connecting with nature, connecting with myself, connecting naturally. I want to walk the Via Dinarica because it’s a beautiful mountain range, but also because it’s more than just a trail. Via Dinarica inspired me to move, to make a change and to keep on going. It’s not about the finish line, it’s the journey that counts.

When did you become a passionate hiker?

Since I was 15 I have done long distance hiking trips with friends. We started in the Netherlands and hiked the „Pieterpad“. My passion for mountains came a bit later and in 2008 I did an Alpine mountaineering course in Austria. From this moment on I have spent almost all vacations in the mountains, hiking and climbing. These courses and the experience I got from climbing made me feel more competent and safe, even when I’m on my own. Now I could start to dream about long distance hiking in the mountains. The Pyrenees were my first complete mountain range I crossed by foot. 7 weeks on my own, hiking, trekking, camping. I loved it!

What is special about the ViaDinarica region?

The Dinaric Alps are wild. There are so many parts people would never come to and only wild animals live. It’s pure nature and you can feel that power. Some parts are rough with pointy, sharp rock cliffs and deep canyons, other areas are very fairytale like with unbelievable green grass and blue water. The Dinaric Alps have extremely diverse landscapes, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country is often compared to New Zealand! And another special thing about this region is the culture. People in the villages still live a traditional way, but you can also see and feel the tradition that goes along with a Balkan vibe. It is really a different world compared to Western Europe.

What is your blog about?

My blog started as a sort of journal, I write about the things I think and feel, but also about what inspires me. By doing this, I hope to inspire other people. It grew out of a project, because my plan to walk the Via Dinarica was not just a long distance trail – this trail hasn’t been hiked the whole way yet and it is actually still not even finished. So I write on my blog about my experience on the trail, but also the journey on the trail. Next week I’m finally going to start the actual hiking, then I will share my stories on and about the trail.

Where do you see the biggest advantages of using the Outdooractive technology on your blog?

There are many travel bloggers these days. I never had the intension to become a blogger, but at some point people started to call me that. With the Outdooractive technology I will be able to show what I’ve done, where I’ve been and what it was like. Besides words and photos, now I also have interactive maps to share my experience and I can give useful information about the trail and the tours I make on my website. It’s great that people don’t have to click on a link to go to another page where they have to sign up and then finally can click a map to see where I am. They can immediately get an impression.

In what way does the Outdooractive technology support your blog and intentions?

From the beginning, I wanted to place the Balkans, the Dinaric Alps and the Via Dinarica on the map. I think that this region is still a bit of a blind spot in Western Europe and I would like that to change. I’m not saying that everybody has to come to the Balkans instead of Switzerland, but I do think the Balkans deserve better than this grey, war image they have. Since there are not many maps available of this region, the Outdooractive technology has been extremely useful. Because of its platform character, all the information people are looking for is now available. So this makes it possible even for the small adventure types to explore the Balkans and its wilderness.

And I like to be part of the community that this platform is creating with all outdoor activities in the Dinaric Alps.