She is the alpine rose of Austria !
She is a globetrotting traveler !
As the “Walking” ambassador for the Austrian outdoor brand NORTHLAND, she is about to embark on a soul-enlightening journey to the Himalayas alongside Chen Kun’s “Walking the Power” initiative.
She is Susanne Borufka, the co-founder of the internationally renowned Austrian outdoor brand NORTHLAND.
At the age of 14, her parents gave her the first huge surprise of her life by taking her on a trek in the Himalayas. This marked the beginning of Susanne Borufka’s legendary outdoor journey. Many years later, she is returning to the rooftop of the world — the Himalayas. Before setting off, we step into Susanne Borufka’s world, follow her thoughts through our conversation, and let our spirits walk atop the high mountains.
Embracing Nature, Fulfilling Outdoor Dreams
“The outdoors isn’t just a sport for me — it’s a dream and a pursuit.”
—— Susanne Borufka
Austria is globally known as an “outdoor mecca,” but Susanne Borufka says that rather than calling it an outdoor mecca, it’s better to say Austria’s mountains and ski resorts are the best playgrounds. Children growing up there develop a wild love for nature.
In 1974, her parents took Susanne Borufka to the Himalayas for the first time, and it was this trip that helped her find the direction of her soul. In 1978, her coming-of-age milestone was climbing Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano at an altitude of 5,462 meters. Later, she summited Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as numerous mountains across Austria, Peru, Nepal, and India.
Through continuous walking and climbing, Susanne Borufka met Mr. Gerwalt Pichler, the founder of NORTHLAND, and was deeply moved by his outdoor spirit.
At the time, mountaineering equipment wasn’t very professional, with safety and comfort hard to guarantee. Many climbing accidents were caused by poor gear, and maintaining comfort while hiking or climbing was almost a luxury. For Mr. Gerwalt Pichler, safety and comfort in outdoor sports were always a priority, so he decided to establish his own brand and develop his own products to realize this dream.
Their shared outdoor philosophy and passion for outdoor living brought them together. Through their joint efforts, continuous exploration, accumulation, and innovation, NORTHLAND has now become a representative brand of international comfortable outdoor living. Its scope has expanded from the “extreme outdoor” series to encompass a full range of outdoor categories including “hiking,” “travel,” “urban outdoor,” “wild fishing,” and “skiing and snowboarding.”
Contributing to China-Austria Outdoor Cultural Exchange
As a public welfare project for spiritual development initiated by the famous actor Chen Kun, “Walking the Power” advocates finding tranquility and understanding the self through walking. This aligns perfectly with NORTHLAND’s brand philosophy of “comfortable movement, a free mind.” Therefore, Susanne Borufka believes this collaboration is a great opportunity for cultural exchange in outdoor activities between China and Austria.
In recent years, outdoor sports in China have seen vigorous development, but compared to more mature countries abroad, there is still a gap in both public understanding of outdoor activities and the accumulation of outdoor culture. More forces are needed to introduce advanced global outdoor concepts and product technologies to China, creating synergy to further advance the overall development of outdoor sports in China.
In Susanne Borufka’s view, the current situation in China shares many similarities with Austria in the 1970s. After World War II, through hard work, many Austrians achieved a relatively comfortable life and began to explore what else the world had to offer. They started traveling, exploring nature, and visiting distant lands.
For China, which is developing rapidly today, this outdoor spirit is also embraced by the younger generation. Susanne Borufka said: “Outdoor sports are extremely popular in Austria. Contrary to the common perception that the outdoors is only about challenges, many Austrians now increasingly value comfort and ease in outdoor activities. They hope to achieve better harmony and relaxation between the mind and nature through outdoor pursuits. As the ‘Walking’ ambassador for NORTHLAND, I want to share this outdoor philosophy and experience with more friends in China, allowing more people to feel the unique charm of outdoor sports!”