Solo hiking the Via Alpina, Switzerland 

Hello Luis, sorry for the late reply, it was the Berglistüber, on the Klausen pass road.

Merci beaucoup, c'est un mélange de Gopro et de mon appareil photo Panasonic TZ101

Hello Chris, I actually like to hike both solo and with good company. Both have some positive aspect. Just as you described it, when discovering those breathtaking landscapes I really feel I want to share those moments with someone. And when facing an uncomfortable situation, I'm glad to have someone to relate to. But for me hiking is not just a hike in the mountain, it is also an inner journey. I appreciate to have some days of solitude and let my mind flow. Also when I'm alone I feel my senses are more awake. My eyes and my ears are wide open to gasp those majestic peaks surrounding me. And lastly, I enjoy following my own pace, I can stop for every berry on my way if I feel like and then hike like a machine and not stop for hours :-)

Hello Kristine, First of all sorry for my late answer. The only place where i remember a difficulty with a dog was between the Sefinenfurgge pass and the Blümlisalphutte. On that stretch I didn’t go via Griesalp as per the official via Alpina way, but stay up the mountain and when past the bed of a glacier. There was a 6 meters high ladder where you would have to carry your dog... but if you don’t take this spectacular shortcut and go down to Griesalp, then there is no problem with a dog. However I do remember crossing some protected areas, so you might need to check if dogs are permitted all the way.

Hello ! I've met some people who takes their dog during this trip. The most difficult was to carry the meal for him... :)

I mainly used my Panasonic DM-TZ101 and a few shots were taken with a Gopro Hero3

Hello, I use a Millet Baikal 750 sleeping bag, I found it to be a good compromise between warmth, weight and price. You can check the specs on the internet.

I started in Mels, by first night was slighly after Weisstannen

Hello Eric, I didn't experience strong wind on the via Alpina

Hello Eric, you won't encounter a bear in the Swiss Alps, no need for a bear bag :-)

Hello, I did the via Alpina in summer 2018, so I guess you confuse me with someone else...

Bonjour, j'ai navigué avec mon téléphone en utilisant map.me (pas besoin de réseau mobile). Je n'ai pas téléchargé la carte du parcours au préalable et je n'avais pas de carte papier non plus. Même s'il n'est pas recommandé de ne pas avoir de carte papier (si plus de batterie), je dois dire que la signalisation sur le parcourt est très bonne. Tu peux aussi télécharger l'app de schweizmobil si tu veux plus de détails. Concernant les ravitallements, c'est super simple car il y a un supermarché dans quasiment chaque vallée, donc tous les 1-3 jours max si tu respectes +/- les étapes. Pour l'eau, il y a des robinets pour les abrevoirs à vache assez régulièrement et des fontaines dans tous les villages. Si tu doutes de la qualité de l'eau, tu peux toujours prendre un petit filtre à eau (genre Sawyer mini=>petit, efficace et bon marché) ou des pastilles de micropure. Je n'ai jamais porté plus d'un litre à la fois (mais ça dépend bien sûr de ta consommation). Bonne marche !

I hiked the Via Alpina on the first 2 weeks of August

I wouldn't start before July as the passes will still be covered in snow in May-June.

Hello, I'm not a professional athlete and I'm not even sure I consider myself as an athlete at all :-) It is just a nice way for me to explore amazing places and connect with the nature.

@@Celineschlegel Thanks for the reply! I also like exporing the Moutain during summer. I will get super tired after 4-5 days hiking even I stay and eat in hut... Therefore I was quite amazed and asked if you are one athlete :) Do you do some specific practice in front to get yourself ready before the 2.5w hiking?

@@pengqichen2612 I don't specifically train for long hikes, but I do run a couple of hours a week, so I have a good fitness in general.

Thanks for your message. The direction doesn't really matter in terms of difficulty and markings. But in general the marking was perfect in the German speaking part, but not as good in the French speaking part. Starting from the Valduz side give a feeling of progressive change of landscape and is a more gentle start, then comes the highlight of the Aia Alpina in central Switzerland, and finally reaching the Rocher de Naye with the magnificent view over Lac Leman is like a cherry on the cake and gives a great feeling of accomplishment. Doing it reverse would mean a very steep start from Montreux to Rocher de Naye (but then if needed you can also take the train up there...). Then if ending in Valduz, the last hiking day from Sargans to Valduz is not the prettiest ever. Actually, either direction you choose, I would consider skipping the Sargans Valduz etape. Also as a tip, on the Lauterbrunnen - Grisalp - Kandersteg etapes, I wouldn't go all the way down to Grisalp. Instead, when hiking from Lauterbrunnen you will reach the Sefinenfurgge pass, from there instead of following the trail to Grisalp (on our right), you follow the pass going to the left going to Gspaltenhornhütte. It gives magnificient view over the Gamichgletscher Glacier and will then reach the famous Blüemlisalphütte, the Oeschinensee and finally Kandersteg. If you plan to overnight in Bluemlisalphütte or Gspaltenhornhütte you should book in advance as they are pretty popular. Have fun !

@@Celineschlegel thanks for the fast and detailed answer. That are really good information to have and really helpful for my planning. Can´t wait to start :-)

Finished my Thruhike of the trail two month ago. Was really a unbelievable and beautiful trip. Thanks again for the information and inspiration. Hike on!

Hello, Yes I did the entire route from Mels to Montreux. Difficulty is something relatively difficult to describe. If you look at the profile, you will see that everyday there is between 1700 to 2500 meters of positive elevation in 20-30 km, that means about 10 hours per day taking a good pace. There is nothing technical, you just need to be mentally and physically ready for long hiking days. I slept every night in my tent, meaning I had to carry all my camping gear (17kg backpack including water and food). If you are not used to carry heavy loads, you might want to go for the huts. Except maybe the Blumlisalphütte (a really amazing spot), I don't think you really need to book ahead. But as you might have noticed, each etape goes from town to town, so if you decide to stick to the suggested etape length and sleep in towns rather than mountain huts, for financial reason it might be good to book a airbnb a few days ahead. But generally speaking there was very few people on the trail in August. You can find all the details about profile and distance here : www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-01.html

@@Celineschlegel thanks so much for the reply. I appreciate that difficulty is relative to ones fitness but I'm aware there are several passes to negotiate. I did the Tour Du Mont Blanc last year which I didn't find too bad so I think I'll be ok with this. Did it still take 3 weeks even walking 10 hours a day? I don't have a strong back and even though I'd love to camp, I'll stay at the huts. I love the freedom of travelling solo but meeting meeting other hikers in the evening is lovely. I've done numerous day hikes and 2 day hikes in Switzerland but it's time to do this trail. My sister lives in Montreux so it will be a lovely end to the walk😊. I'd totally recommend the Tour Du Mont Blanc by the way. Unforgettable. You can see it here. Look up Every Stept of the Tour du Mont Blanc solo trip.

@@CRyan71 Hello Conor, sorry for my late reply ! Yes it still took me 18 days even when walking 8 to 11 hours a day. You should definitely give it a try and if the days are too long, you can make your days shorter by alternatively slepping in bnb in the valleys and in guest houses or mountain huts a bit higher in the mountain. If 18 days is too long, you can also skip the first or last few etapes, or if you have enough while on the trail you will find public transports in every valley. It is very accessible, so no need to plan too much :-)

@@Celineschlegel hi. I would ideally like to do it all in one go like I did with the Tour Du Mont Blanc as it gives a greater feeling and greater sense of accomplishment. But it's very expensive and I know it's Switzerland. It would cost about €2000. In any case with Covid 19 I don't think there will be any holidays this year sadly.

@@CRyan71 I totally agree with you, doing it in one go is a great feeling and it is nice to "disconnect" for a few weeks. Indeed Switzerland is not the cheapest place... This is why maybe cutting short a few less impressive days at the beginning or the end can also be an option.

It was the Decathlon Quickhiker Ultralight 2. It is a tent for 2 people, total 1.9kg. It is already pretty light for 150 EUR, but next time I will invest a bit more money for a1kg tent. Every kilo counts when you carry all you camping gear and food...

@@Celineschlegel Thank you :-) Agree with you. I really like lightweight tents from Big Agnes and MSR but they are quite expensive.

@@Celineschlegel may i ask you what new tent you've bought? i'm looking forward to get into backpacking and would really appreciate some experiences/advices on tents. btw i love the video! i always come back every once in a while to watch it.

@@Deus_iusticia Hi there, the last tent I bought was the Flame's Creed Lanshan 2, it is a lightweight double walled tent for 2 person. Not to be confused with the Lanshan Pro 2 which is single walled, not as good with condensation in the European climate. There is also a 1 person version. It cost about 120 EUR. I used for 30 days hiking the Alpine Passes Trail (across the Southern Swiss Alps) and it is a good compromise between lightweight, price and quality. Of course lightweight also means more fragile so it should be used with care. Also there is no structure, you need to use your hiking sticks as a structure, so it is not a self standing tent which can be more tricky in rocky terrain. www.hikeroutlet.com/product/3f-ul-lanshan-tent-1-person-2-person-ultralight-tent-2-layer/

@@Celineschlegel thank you a lot! i was thinking about buying the duplex tent by zpacks but the price is a little high as a first tent. so i might consider buying the one you just said. best wishes for you from switzerland :)

Merci pour ton message, chaque étape commence et fini dans un village, donc l'accès en train et bus est facile, même si on veut faire seulement une partie de la via Alpina. Bonne marche !