Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - from Sargans to Montreux Pdf

FREE ALPINE PASS ROUTE: EAST TO WEST ACROSS SWITZERLAND - FROM SARGANS TO MONTREUX PDF

The Alpine Pass Route is a kilometre miles hiking trail that spans the breadth of Switzerland. Starting in Sargans on the border with Liechtenstein, it passes up and over sixteen mountain passes before reaching its western terminus at Montreux, situated on Lake Geneva. I completed the Alpine Pass Route in August, Nineteen years and many hiking miles later, it remains one of my favourite European trails. A memorable combination of gorgeous mountain scenery, picturesque villages, great hospitality and some very cool side trips attention Sherlock Holmes and James Bond fans — see below for details. All information has been updated as of November, ………. Sargans train station Starting point for the Alpine Pass Route. Flew from there to join my wife on the Camino — there definitely were a lot of walkers on that and Sarrio to Santiago was a procession. Great info. You can forget wifi up in the mountains. Amazing Idea! Were in zermatt area this summer and i love the hikes. Thanks for the review. Thinking of going there in July but start from the Geneva Area. Which section do you think is the best for 8 days? Sounds like a good way to dust off winter cobwebs. Depending on the Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux, late June to early October. September is ideal; good weather and not so many people on the trails as school holidays are over. This hike looks terrific! We are looking for a challenging, beautiful hike and will be carrying all our gear tent, etc. In general what would your recommendation be for just some of this hike? Either direction would be great, and by going in early September you will miss the school holiday crowds. Best of luck on your trip. Did this route in long sections this summer, just still have to go from Gstaad to Montreux 38 miles. Were the cow swamps also a problem 20 years ago? Mountain farmers seem to have geared up with their cows heavier speciesmany pastures were really swampy and a mix from manure and deep holes in the ground. The ascent from Grindelwald to Jungfrau is near completely on asphalt and the tourist towns have a lot of new attractions for their obviously bored guests. Everyone seems to mention going from East to West on Via Alpina. Is there a reason for this, or any problem going from Montreux to Sargans instead? Not sure why most people go east to west. I used to live in Vaduz, Liechtenstein which is very close to Sargans. I have done tons of local unknown to tourist day hikes throughout Liechtenstein and the Sargans valley. Your post has brought back so many nice memories I had while living there. Hopefully, I can relive some of these memories while visiting again this year. Karen Portland, ME. Sorry about that. I just got back from Romania and there seems to be alot of hike trails. However, Romania has lots of bears. So, people have cautioned me to hiking alone in these trails without having lots of bear protection… I have really liked the Brasov area which is in Transylvania… still old world charm, 14th century fortressed walls, gothic churches, forts, clock towers, etc…. Regards, Karen. Romania certainly does pique my interest. It is a place I have thought about going for many years. I still have the book, though I suspect some of the logistical info may be a little bit outdated. Would love to hear more about the area, learn anything useful, share experience. Fred the sepo Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux here. Came across your site. What a treasure! Talk about a blast from the past……great to hear from you! Hope all is well with you in the States. I also hope you make it back to the Alps one of these days to finish off the rest of the Alpine Pass Route. Hey, I did it! It was about 2 years ago when I read this and thought I would go last year, but ended up going this September-October and ended up going East to West after all. Some tips from my experience…. Via Alpina as well as other alternative trails are fully complete in the app making navigation a complete no-brainer. I was late season and in some areas post-season so some huts were closed and in other areas places were swamped with tourists Asian holiday. This was a mistake. Likewise, there are places off of Via Alpina that are worth checking out and are very easy to get to by train if you want to take a break from hiking. I had a backpack Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux stuff from Oktoberfest and other stuff I wanted after the hike Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux they just took the backpack as is no box or anything and sent it ahead to Montreux. You can also ship to many places along the way if you want any special supplies. One of the things that took me a while to get used to was trying to be overly precise in navigating and following the right trail. This is especially true when it comes to viewing the topography and deciding whether or not you want to go a short steep route or a longer flatter route. Likewise, I ended in Saint-Gingolph, France which is a charming little village with a ferry to Montreux. I live in Switzerland and use this app for all my research, and for navigation on trail. A group of 20 or so of us from Signal Squadron British Army did this route in Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux prior to our winter training in the arctic. We split into two parties one leaving from Montreaux, the other from Sargans, meeting up in the middle for a beer or two. This remains one of the best long distance hikes I have done, probably only bested by the Grand Canyon. Wild camping was the main end of day routine but did use a regular camping site in Montreaux on the last leg. Farmers were always offering access to a barn or a field. The route described here ends at the terminus but we went to the lake and just dived off the pier. Hi Andy, What a great message! Thanks for taking the time to share your story. Cheers, Cam. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Email Address. Sign Me Up. Skip to content. Header Toggle. Lake Oeschinen Switzerland, Yours truly on pass 7. Share this: Email Facebook Twitter. Probably the central section through the Bernese Oberland region. Best of luck on your hike this year, and glad the post brought back some good memories! Hey Karen, Romania certainly does pique my interest. Thanks very much for the message! Hi Cameron! Hey Fred, Talk about a blast from the past……great to hear from you! Thanks a lot for dropping me a line. You just made my morning! Some tips from my experience… 1 Definitely use the Maps. Anyway, thanks Cam and others for the advice and inspiration. It was an amazing journey!!! Congrats, Kevin! And thank you very much for such detailed and up-to-date feedback. Hi A group of 20 or so of us from Signal Squadron British Army did this route in June prior to our winter training in the arctic. We used a book written by Jonathan Hurdle as our planning guide, still have it in fact. We were always met with a friendly face and advice, even if it was offered in 3 languages: The route described here ends at the terminus but we went to the lake and just dived off the pier. Cheers, Thomas. Swiss Alpine Pass Route: Sargans to Montreux

Free 1st Class postage on UK orders. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund. More information Many thanks to author Gillian Price for these comments from their September walk through the central part of the APR. Stage 6: an alternate descent is feasible we didn't do it but others did from the junction above Stabele p91 at the bridge. Take R fork says 1hr 10 for Furenalp then cablecar down. NB A bus runs from the lower Furenalp station very handy for the main route! Stage 8: p and start p If you're on the ridge via Balmeregghorn you detour the junction mentioned with the blue route so suggest remove as it could be confusing. Stage 9: p margin comment about path closure - still closed. Stage p line 2 It crosses the Schiltbach to Pension Spielbodenalp. Suggest remove the rest as it's clearly signposted p last para - a cable accompanying the steps was lying on the ground loose and many walkers found this stretch tricky me included. Stage p para 2 - Instead Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux 'The path now descends with cables' the situation has changed to 'You now descend a stony farm lane slanting down a cliff. At the foot you reach the alp of Unter Bargl This guidebook details everything you need, including route information and details of the accommodation options along the way. An indispensable resource. A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drives Kev's desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, photography and lecturing. Claiming to be The Man with the World's Best Job, he has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cicerone since the s, producing over 50 books, including guides to five major trekking regions of Nepal, and to numerous routes in the European Alps and Pyrenees, as well as walking guides for Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds. Find out the latest route changes with free guidebook updates. Available online or sent by email. GPX files are available for many of our books. Just sign into your account to access them. We have over books covering many countries, and our collection is growing all time. Search Terms. International Trekking Alps. Guidebook to the Alpine Pass Route following the Swiss Via Alpina 1, a km trek east-west across Switzerland, from Sargans, on the border of Liechtenstein, to Montreux, including prologue from Liechtenstein. Requires good fitness and experience. Seasons From the start of July through to September. August can be wet, and an early trek may find snow on the higher passes, so suitable additional equipment would be essential. Difficulty It's pretty tough: the route Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux over 20,m of ascent and nearly every day involves a pass crossing. Some higher passes and ridges present occasional exposure and technical difficulty. More Images. Subscribe to updates by email Be notified by email when this book receives an update or correction. GPX files. Trade Information. Kev Reynolds A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drives Kev's desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, photography and lecturing. Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux author profile. Free regular updates Find out the latest route changes with free guidebook updates. No quibble refunds If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund. International guidebooks We have over books covering many countries, and our collection is growing all time. Shop Extra Contribute. Alpine Pass Route | The Hiking Life

It passes through miles of mountains and valleys, crosses 16 mountain passes and gains over 59, feet in 15 daily stages. Each day the Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux wanders the trail for hours through valleys filled with wild flowers, streams and waterfalls. Then, after leaving the valley behind, the trail rises up past remote farms, hay barns and pastures to high alpine meadows. Soon the hiker climbs even higher, past mountain tarns, glaciers and past the great peaks of the Bernese Oberland. After reaching one of the many high passes he begins his descent back down into the next valley before stopping for the night at one of the picturesque villages along the way. Every one of the passes crossed by the route has its own special character: From the remote, slender crest of the Richetli to the broad, crowded Kleine Scheidegg with its close-up view of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. From the narrow rocky notch of the Bunderchrinde to the open grass saddle of the Blattipass that overlooks the Bernese Oberland. From the Hohturli with its awesome cliffs and glaciers nearby, to the Col de Chaude which overlooks Lake Geneva far below. It is not only the passes that make this route so memorable, but the villages visited on the way. These add their own character to the trip. After hiking hard all day long you come down, at the end of the day, to delightful little villages like Weisstannen and Elm, to Griesalp or Gsteig. These are flower bedecked villages whose balconies look out at the very mountains you have been hiking through all day. The Alpine Pass Route — The Route. The first stage of the route is a fairly easy one that climbs up into the mountains Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux low-lying Sargans, on the Rhine River. It then works its way southwestward into the wooded Weisstannental, a peaceful valley with little population but for the small town of Weisstannen. I spent the first night there. The next day I made for the head of the valley and ascended the steep trail up over feet to the Foopass. It was a foot saddle in a ridge linking the Foostock with Kleine-Schiben, followed by a long descent to the village of Elm in the Sernftal valley. The Sernftal is hemmed in by remote ridges accessed by hidden hanging valleys. To get from Elm to Linthal the trail ascends high pastureland. It crosses over the Richetlipass north of the Hausstock, a dominant peak that overlooks the next valley leading to Linthal. From Linthal the trail parallels the road that climbs out of the village and cuts through the former glacial valley of Umer Boden. This is a cattle raising pastureland dominated by the snowy Clariden. Beyond Umer Boden lies the Klausenpass which is crossed by a road leading to Altdorf. Just across the valley to the southwest lies Attinghausen, a small village that lies at the foot of the long climb to the Surenenpass feet. From the pass is a great view of the glaciated Titlis which is visible nearly all the way down to the town of Engelberg. From Engelberg, the trail ascends to the Engstlensee then over the Jochpass before descending to Meiringen, site of Reichenbach Falls, of Sherlock Holmes fame. Meiringen also marks the beginning of the Bernese Oberland portion of the route. From here to Gsteig these fantastic mountains dominate the scene. Grindelwald is the next goal and it is reached by way of a valley walk alongside the beautiful Engelhorner stream before rising to Grosse Scheidegg, Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux broad grass covered col leading to the famous alpine village of Grindelwald at the base of the Eiger. The walk from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen by way of Kleine Scheidegg is a world classic. The route passes the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau as it crosses over the pass and descends steeply past the village of Wengen. It then extends further down to the valley floor to the village of Lauterbrunnen. From Lauterbrunnen the trail ascends to the cliff side village of Murren and then continues up past the Schilthorn to the Sefinenfurke. After passing through the Sefinenfurke, the route makes a very steep descent on its western side into the Kiental. Here fixed cables on scree slopes provide security until the trail eases, crossing beautiful heather alps and at last enters the little enclave of Griesalp. The next stage crosses the Hohturli and is one of the most challenging on the entire route. The ascent is up a valley and then the steep scree slopes into a series of rocky spires. After weaving a route through these spires a final steep laddered ascent leads to the rocky cleft just below the Blumlisalp Hut. After resting here the day ends with a tortuous foot descent to the town of Kandersteg. From Kandersteg to Adelboden the trail crosses the Bunderchrinde, a narrow passage through a craggy ridge. This is the final rocky pass of the route and one of the most scenic. The next stage goes from Adelboden, where there is a fine view of the Wildstrubel, which remains in sight for part of the walk on the next stage to the Hahnenmoos and Pommernpass and then down to the town of Lenk. Two passes are crossed the next day. The first of these is the Truttlisberg which leads to the village of Lauenen. Then the trail continues on over the wooded Krinnen Pass which provides the first views of Les Diablerets before descending to Gsteig. So far, most of the route from Sargans has led in a southwesterly direction, but on leaving Gsteig the route veers away from the Bernese Alps and heads due west. It first heads up the Blattipass then across a pastoral landscape before winding down to the village of Col des Mosses. From Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux Lake Geneva can be seen nearly feet below. Alpine Pass Route: East to West Across Switzerland - From Sargans to Montreux final combination of forest path, track and service roads descends to Montreux and the end of the route along the shore of the lake.