A comparison of

Saxon Switzerland (Saxony) with the

Rocky Mountains (Canada)

Saxon Switzerland

Amselsee

Bastei

Festung Königstein

Rocky Mountains

1. How to get there …

• Saxon Switzerland – by train: Dresden Hbf.

-> Bad Schandau• Advantage:

– you don‘t have to drive yourself

– 35+ Minutes– 5,50 € / person one

way or 23 € / small group ticket for the day

Rocky Mountains

– by train from Edmonton -> Jasper• Advantage:

– You don‘t have to drive yourself

– Scenic adventure• Disadvantage:

– No trains in Calgary or Banff– Expensive ($125/person)– Not very regular

– by car/car pool options from Edmonton/Calgary: • Edmonton to Jasper is 400

km• Calgary to Banff is 125 km• Can be organized by

university outdoors clubs• Bus tickets cost $30-$60

2. Size of area

93.5 km2

180 000 km2

3. History - Saxon Switzerland -

– General Information• Is a mountainous climbing area and national park around the river Elbe • Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it form

the Elbe Sandstone Mountains• Within the area: nearly 14 000 climbing roots on over 1000 rock towers

as well as a number of fortresses like Festung Königstein (built to proctect routes)

• 100 Million years ago it has been an ocean / weather causes massive erosions

– Settlement• Originally settled by Germanic people in Antiquity • During the Dark Ages by Slavs• In the 15th century it became part of the Saxon Margraves of Meißen

- Canadian Rockies -– General Information

• Is a large recreation area in western Alberta and eastern Britich Columbia, contains five national parks: Banff (1885), Jasper (1907), Kootenay (1920), Yoho (1886), and Waterton (1895)

• Is part of the American Cordillera, which runs from Alaska to southern Argentina and is the eastern half of the Pacific Ring of Fire

• Many established ski hills, hiking trails, and climbing routes• Formed by the British Columbia tectonic plate overthrusting the

Alberta plate, mostly limestone (Kalkstein) and shale (Scheifer)

– Exploration• First surveyed in 1870-1890 for the Canadian Pacific Railway,

which was completed in 1896

4. Highest Points

Großer Zschirnstein (562 m) (562 m)

Mount Robson (3,954 m)

4. Sports

5. Safety Risks – Reasons of Death

Rocky Mountains

In Saxon Switzerland the primary risk is:sports accidents

6. Climate Information

Canadian Rockies (Jasper) Saxon Switzerland (Rathen)

Open Questions?

(Please don‘t ask us!!!)