Via Alpina - 14 Days on the Alpine Pass

 ** Trip Overview

What is the Via Alpina?

Via Alpina is a series of hiking trails in the Alps that cross 8 European countries: Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Monaco.  The trails run from Trieste, Italy to the Principality of Monaco, passing through many diverse cultures and taking the travelers within view of some of the most majestic peaks in the Alps.  The Via Alpina was created in 2000 by a group of public and private organizations from the 8 Alpine countries.

Via Alpina consists of 5 trails - Red, Purple, Yellow, Green and Blue, which consist of a total of 342 stages (point to point trail segments).

Our journey will be on the Green Trail, which traverses Switzerland, east to west.  We will hike 7 of the 14 stages of the Green Trail from Engelberg (just south of Luzern) to Lenk (about 50 miles from Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva). This journey will take us on a westward trek across Switzerland.  We will hike 96 miles through the breathtaking Swiss Alps over the course of 12 days. We will hike 9 days,  and take 3 days off of the trail to rest and explore some of the alpine villages along the way. Our rest days will take us to some of the most interesting and beautiful villages on the Via Alpina circuit. 

The trip is best suited for members with positive, adaptable, and flexible spirits. Excellent physical fitness and endurance are crucial as we will be hiking challenging terrain on consecutive days. That said, we are not out to set endurance records. Each day we will review our progress and physical status and discuss the next day’s plan. Hiking in such beautiful surroundings, we will allow plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, take photographs, rest and socialize while still hiking our average of 10.5 miles per day.

 Who are Walkers Britain?

Walkers Britain (WB) is a tour company based in the UK that specializes in planning outdoor activities throughout Europe and extensively in the UK.  They have been in business for more than 50 years, when they were originally known as Sherpa Expeditions.

WB is the tour company that has provided the very popular Tour de Mont Blanc (TMB) to the AOC for the past few years.  Traveling with WB offers a “no surprises” experience.  They will provide the following services in preparation for our adventure:

>> Hotel reservations for each stop on our journey

>> Door to door luggage transfer.  (Hikers will only need to carry daypacks on the trail.)

>> Three well-placed rest days to allow recovery from the trail in the most desirable and beautiful alpine villages (see rest day locations below).

>> Breakfasts every morning, 8 dinners, and the option to buy a packed lunch at most hotels. 

>> On the nights where dinners are not provided, WB provides a list of restaurants and stores where food can be purchased.

>> Detailed trail notes that include information about        refugios (mountainside rest areas), trail characteristics, alternate trails, hotel amenities, and transportation options (buses, cable cars, etc) if there is a need to skip a day of hiking.

Walkers’ services allow their customers to focus on the fun and leave the logistics to others.

 ** Travel Path and Daily Itinerary 

 Day 1: Arrive Engelberg hotel by 5pm. Trip kick-off meeting at 6:30pm.

 Day 2: Engelberg to Engstlenalp, 7 miles, 4.5h

 Day 3: Engstlenalp to Meiringen, 11.1 miles, 4.5h

 Day 4: Meiringen to Grindelwald, 13 miles 7.5h

Day 5: Rest day at Grindelwald

Day 6: Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen, 14 miles 6.3h

Day 7: Rest day at Lauterbrunnen

Day 8: Lauterbrunnen to Griesalp/Golderli 13 miles 9.5h

Day 9: Griesalp/Golderli to Kandersteg, 10.3 miles 7.5h

Day 10: Rest day at Kandersteg

Day 11: Kandersteg to Adelboden, 10.4 6.5h

Day 12: Adelboden to Lenk, 8.7 miles 5h

Day 13: Lenk to Saaren 8.7 miles 5h

Day 14: Group breakfast, goodbyes and travel home or to next adventure

Via Alpina | Switzerland Tourism (myswitzerland.com)

The Via Alpina in the Swiss Alps: A guide to the trek, by Alpine Exploratory

** Rest Days

Walkers Britain has scheduled our rest days in three beautiful Alpine villages - Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Kandersteg.

Grindelwald has 4000 residents and sits at an elevation of 3400 ft. It is surrounded by ski slopes, hiking and mountain biking trails and sits in the shadow of the 13,000 ft Eiger, one of the Alps most famous mountains.  From the village you can view the Martinsloch (Martin’s Hole), a rock window in the Eiger that the sun and moon often shine through.  The village has many shops and restaurants to enjoy on a day off from hiking.

Lauterbrunnen means “loud springs” and was named so because of the 72 waterfalls that surround the area of the village.  Two of the most spectacular falls are Staubbachfall and Murrenbachfall which stand at 300 meters and 750 meters, respectively.  The village has a permanent population of 2300 and its magnificent terrain was the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle earth world in his novels, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

Kandersteg is our last rest day on the Via Alpina. Kandersteg is a small village with a population of 1000. There is a cable car ride to the top of the Oeschinensee hiking area and a mountain coaster (which is a giant slide).  Easy to find on YouTube.

** Lodging

Lodging will be in hotels and guest houses for 11 nights, and huts/refugios for 2 nights.  Both hotels and huts will provide double occupancy rooms* for our group.

* Gender mix will be a factor in selection for participation on the trip and roommate assignments.

**Difficulty Level

 This event will be at the AOC D6 difficulty level. The total distance is 96 miles and the total elevation gain is 32,575 feet. There are 2-3 D6 days based on AOC difficulty ratings, and 5 D5 days. The “average” daily elevation change is about 3,600 feet gains and similar elevation descents on most days. The ascents and descents on Via Alpina are more abrupt than our local day hiking trails, which makes it feel much more difficult than the “average” number can convey. The continuous nature of daily hiking also adds to the challenge to our fitness and endurance.

 Some of the trail sections can be shortened if desired by the use of cable cars, train, or a local bus service.  These options can be used by any team member who feels the need for an easier trek on any given day.

**Preparing for the trip

It is imperative that all participants train well and be physically prepared before taking on such a challenging trip. Being in optimal physical condition enables us to enjoy the beauty of our surrounding rather than constantly feeling tired on the trail. We must do fitness training at least a few times each week for a minimum of 6 months prior to the trip. Hiking steep mountains such as Kennesaw, and many of the north Georgia mountains is the best way to train. I will schedule D4 and D5 hikes prior to the trip to assist with everyone’s training.

** Traveling to the trailhead

 The closest major airport to the Engelberg hotel is Zurich.  The next closest is Geneva, which is nearer to the termination of our trek, and will require a more lengthy train and/or car ride to Engelberg.

Specific instructions for ground transportation to and from airports to trailheads will be provided by WB as soon as our trip is confirmed.

**How to sign up

This web page is designed so that you can only put yourself on the waiting list. Once you’re verified to be suitable for this trip, you will be moved to the participant list.

** How to qualify

Group will be selected by:

>> Regular participation in the club

>> Recent D5-D6 experience with the AOC. (Recent experience means multiple D5 or D6 hikes with the club within the past year, using the AOC criteria for D-level hikes.)  If recent club experience is lacking or marginal, recommendations from Trip Leaders may be required.

>> Social compatibility

The payment of $25 only covers AOC Service Fee. All costs (transportation, lodging, meals & drinks, and etc.) are paid by members on their own. All costs are non-refundable.

Expenses

Expenses of 1 person for twin shared room are listed below.

$25 non-refundable AOC Service Fee

£2320 pay to the outfitter (assuming group size of 6 or more).  Price for less than 6 people is £2445.

This payment to the outfitter includes:

* 13 nights lodging (11 nights in 2, 3-star hotels, 2 nights in mountain huts) for twin shared hotel room, i.e. 2 twin beds shared by 2 persons.

* Luggage transfer - maximum weight 20 kg (42 lbs)

* 13 breakfasts and 8 dinners

* Information pack

* Emergency hotline

Refund Policy

* Non-refundable down payment GBP 250 at the time of registration.

* The balance payment is due 70 days before the trip start date, partially refundable according to the following terms.

* Cancellation 36 to 70 days before the start date, will be eligible for a refund of 50% of the trip cost.

* Cancellation 35 days or less before the start date, will not be  eligible for any refund.

Following items are not included in the payment to the outfitter:

* All lunches & beverages

* Dinners not included at lodging

* Ground transportations: bus and train tickets etc.

* Airline tickets

* Cable cars or local bus service to shorten some sections

* Souvenirs

* Travel insurance

* Other personal expenses not mentioned

Weather

Weather in the Alps can change quickly, so we must be prepared for variable weather conditions including sunny and rainy days, and even an occasional light snow.

State Department travel advisory

The State Department has issued a level 2 travel advisory for France; for more information go to Advisory.

The State Department has issued a level 2 travel advisory for Italy; for more information go to Advisory.

A non-refundable AOC Service Fee $25 required by AOC.

If you miss the payment date, you will be removed from the list.