How to Buy the Right Backpack for your Day Hike

How to choose the best backpack for a day walk

After boots, one of the other important items for a walker is the backpack. A poorly-fitting or poor quality rucksack can make walking a miserable experience, so it’s worth taking the time, and spending the money to make the right choice of backpack for your walking holiday. If you don’t have to be self-contained and … Read more

Hypothermia: What is it and How to Avoid it

signs of hypothermia

When you walk in the hills you should be aware of the symptoms and treatment of hypothermia. Even more importantly, you should know how to avoid it in the first place! What is Hypothermia? Sometimes called “exposure” hypothermia can be fatal. If a person is hypothermic their core body temperature drops lower than 35 C. … Read more

Planning a Walking Holiday in Europe? Let Us Help!

couple walking in the Swiss alps

Planning a walking holiday in Europe is an exciting proposition. But excitement can quickly give way to information overload as your research a myriad of walking tour operators, mountain regions, hotels, and transport connections. Although search engines will give you a lot of information – that’s not quite the same as useful information. Trying to … Read more

Snowshoeing – a Primitive Winter Pastime is Revived

snowshoe hiking

In our last blog post, we discussed how a growing number of winter resorts are additionally catering to those looking for a more serene outdoor experience away from the flurry and fast pace of skiers and snowboarders. Snow shoe hiking or snow shoeing is one such activity that allows you to escape the crowds. Not … Read more

Winter Walking in the Alps

Group of people winter walking

In the Alps, more and more ski resorts and surrounding villages/towns are realizing that not every outdoor fan is interested in downhill and cross country skiing or snowboarding. A niche market is developing for people who prefer a gentler winter experience, away from the crowds. Your mind might automatically think snow-shoeing, but there is also … Read more

For Comfort and Safety, Choose Proper Walking Footwear

Walking boots, hiking boots

Whether you are an avid hill walker or thinking of taking your first walking holiday, what you wear on your feet is crucial. It can mean the difference between an enjoyable experience and an uncomfortable nightmare. Wearing unsuitable walking shoes or boots can lead to a range of injuries, from throbbing blisters to a serious … Read more

The Via Alpina – Stage 5 – Blue Trail

Monte Rosa on Via Alpina

Monte Rosa (“Dufourspitze”) on the border between Switzerland and Italy,elevation 4,634 m (15,203 feet) Now for our final journey through the Via Alpina, we’ll traverse the Blue Trail, the fifth of the international trails. It passes through Italy, Switzerland and France, and consists of 61 costal and inland stages ranging between 7.3km and 25.3km in … Read more

The Via Alpina – Stage 4 – Green Trail

Eiger, Switzerland

The Eiger (3,970m/3,025ft), Bernese Alps, Switzerland Via Alpina’s Green Trail Offers the Best Hike in the World! We’ve tested our endurance on the Red Trail, explored historical landmarks on the Purple Trail and marvelled at geological wonders on the Yellow Trail. Now it’s time to trek through Liechtenstein and Switzerland on Via Alpina’s shortest of the five … Read more

The Via Alpina – Stage 3 – Yellow Trail

Bozen Bolzano on Via Alpina

Discover the Dolomites and Ötzi the Iceman in Bolzano (Bozen) Last week we walked through Slovenia, Austria and Germany by way of The Via Alpina. Today we’ll include a large portion of Italian Alps and explore The Yellow Trail, which connects with the previously discussed Purple and Red Trails. The Yellow Trail begins in Trieste, … Read more

The Via Alpina – Stage 2 – Purple Trail

Hikers on Via Alpina

Last week we introduced the Via Alpina, a series of long distance footpaths that connect the eight European countries that surround the Alps. The network of walking and hiking opportunities consists of five international trails. The longest of the tracks, The Red Trail, was described in our first blog post, An Alpine Walker’s Dream. Today … Read more

The Via Alpina – Stage 1 – Red Trail

Via Alpina stage 1 red trail

The Via Alpina, once discovered, is not only a hiker’s dream – it is also symbolic of a treaty formed between the eight countries that communally share the Alps mountain range. Just over a decade ago, a vision to formally unite Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and France via a transalpine hiking and … Read more