Interview from September 22, 2023
Fritschi ambassador Raphaela Haug
© Adidas Terrex / Julian Bückers
Raphaela is a German mountain guide, athlete and paraglider pilot. She has been living in Switzerland, in the Bernese Oberland, for several years. In addition to her work as a mountain guide, she also works as an athlete for various of her sponsors. In addition, she has also completed a degree in business administration.
Raphaela Haug grew up at the foot of the mountains, in Oberallgäu. From an early age, she was regularly out and about in the mountains with her parents, albeit for relatively long on paved paths.
«Exploring and discovering new landscapes was and still is in the foreground for me.»
The first deviation from marked trails occurred when she was fifteen years old. Raphaela found her passion for the mountains when she worked for her aunt at a mountain hut – in the Oberstdorf region. Here she used the respective short lunch breaks to go hiking in the mostly exposed terrain. She became fitter and fitter, the explorations steadily more challenging. Soon they became exposed mountain trails (difficulty scale T3). Raphaela tried to discover as much as possible in the nearly 2.5 hours. Lunch was therefore wolfed down in a few minutes before she was back to work.
The constant approach to the mountains
A little later – in 2012 – her boyfriend at the time took her skiing & climbing in the Oberallgäu. As a result, she got to know the local scene better and better. When she finally graduated from high school in 2014, she went to the USA and Canada from September to February. Three months of climbing and three months of ski touring were on the agenda. During this time, Raphaela also gained her first ice climbing experience. She also took part in ski touring races, although this didn’t really appeal to her, especially because of the pressure to perform competitively and the prescribed routes.
«Actually, at that time I much preferred to go ski touring on my own and experience a day where we would also find good snow conditions.»
© Adidas Terrex / Julian Bückers
© Adidas Terrex / Julian Bückers
© Adidas Terrex / Julian Bückers
Back in Germany, she continued with climbing and ski touring. While ski touring, she explored the Allgäu region on countless tours. About 2 years after her stay in North America it came as it should: Raphaela was nominated in 2017 for the Women’s Expedition Squad, a support program of the German Alpine Club. She had to compete in advance against several female applicants.
The expedition squad was made up of six women, the most talented young alpinists in the country. In the following three years, skills such as alpine climbing, ice climbing, big wall climbing, avalanche awareness, high-altitude medicine and more were learned and refined in training camps.
The three years were rounded off by a final expedition to the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, to the region around the mountains Ali Ratni Tibba and the Manikaran Spires. The alpinistically diverse challenges of this expedition, from rock to ice, reflected the goal of the expedition squad: to be able to independently realize first ascents.
© Deuter/ Julian Bückers
From the Allgäu to the Bernese Oberland
As if that was not enough, Raphaela obtained her paragliding license and studied business administration. She thoughtfully combined the former with the latter. She completed a work placement at the German Paragliding and Hang-Gliding Association and also wrote the bachelor thesis for this association.
The work placement proved to be extremely suitable for her future plans. After completing her thesis, she was approached by a Swiss paragliding company in the Bernese Oberland for a part-time job. This was an ideal match, as Raphaela was looking for a region with a wider range of mountaineering challenges after finishing the expedition squad.
Raphaela grew with the new task and so decided to do another training; the one to become a mountain guide. The time as a mountain guide aspirant was intense, Raphaela was on the road more and more with guests. Also, in the short remaining time, more and more expeditions were added, for example to Patagonia and Nepal.
«If I had to choose between a day trip or expedition, it would be the expedition.»
© Adidas Terrex / Julian Bückers
Passion mountain guide
So, it came that Raphaela ended her part-time employment about a year ago. During her time as an aspirant, she spent a lot of time with other mountain guides as well as with guests. This time secured her important contacts and a solid base of regular guests.
Raphaela is passionate about mountain guiding, she enjoys the flexibility of independence combined with being out in the mountains. She loves to discover new corners with her guests, there are still so many, beautiful tours to explore. She never runs out of ideas, because in addition to the Central Alps, as a mountain guide she would also like to explore all the other beautiful regions, such as Norway or Iceland.
«I have invested a lot of time and money into my mountain guide training. Now I want to perfect my skills, i.e. improve myself constantly.»
A couple of mountain guides
Raphaela and Simon Wahli, himself certified mountain guide and well-known athlete, can learn from each other. Both are not only on mountain tours together, but also in their free time as a couple. In January 2024, they want to go to Patagonia together for almost two months. They are deliberately leaving open which ascents and tours they will do from El Chaltén; the rapidly changing weather on site will decide. Raphaela is looking forward to this time. The trust is right, both harmonize with each other, they know each other and have the same awareness of risk and safety. If there is any uncertainty, it is discussed openly and constructively. Raphaela and Simon, that seems to work well.
«It is important for me to go on tour with someone I can trust completely.»
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The mountains as the best training location
The daily work as a mountain guide and the expeditions are extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. It is therefore all the more important to be in top shape holistically. Raphaela ensures this in particular through daily exercise and the application of her wide-ranging alpine skills. Only targeted stabilization and stretching exercises are additionally on the program.
© Adidas Terrex / Jan Novak
Leisure time as a scarce commodity
If Raphaela has a day off, she wants to spend as much time as possible outside. Not surprisingly, she is usually drawn to the mountains outside her front door.
© Diego Schläppi / www.diegoschlaeppi.com / @diego.schlaeppi
In winter she likes to go ski touring, with or without a paraglider. The latter especially in late winter, connected with carrying skis first, then the ascent with skis, to finally be able to fly into the snow-free valley. She appreciates the descent as a reward, while the ascent in a snowy landscape also has its charm.
«The experience comes first.»
A perfect ski touring day for Raphaela is when she can track the ascent herself in a freshly snow-covered slope and also finds an untracked slope for the descent. How long or spectacular a tour is, is a secondary matter. The experience is the focus.
On a free summer day, Raphaela enjoys climbing, ideally in challenging ridge terrain.
Raphaela’s binding
Raphaela wants to be able to fully rely on her equipment. Privately and as a mountain guide, she appreciates the reliability, performance and safety for which Fritschi ski touring bindings stand.
On her Black Crows skis, Raphaela uses the Xenic binding from Fritschi Swiss Bindings.
Instagram: raphaela.haug
