Switzerland is famous for it Alpine landscapes and astonishing beauty. Its world-renowned panoramic vistas draw thousands of outdoor fans all year round.
Apart from one of the best ski resorts in the world, Switzerland boasts dense network of well-posted, breathtaking hiking trails. From beginner-friendly to mountaineer only trails, Swiss Alps hold a treat for everyone.
Let’s find out how to get the most out of hiking in the Swiss Alps.
Swiss Hiking Experience
Hiking is one of life’s greatest joys. It helps you not only to stay fit and healthy but also to explore beautiful landscapes. You might also want to check our guided hikes in Switzerland to even push further your experience.
Fresh air, nature, exercise and good friends. It’s difficult to imagine anything better. Our guided hikes in Switzerland is really the best way to enjoy your weekend or your holiday – if you’re prepared. Here you can get some tips and suggestions how to be ready for your next adventure.
How To Get The Best Guided hikes in Switzerland
There’s a huge difference if you hike a few hundred yards around your neighborhood or a few hundred miles/km around the Swiss landscape. So let see how to get a better enjoyment out of your hiking trips.
Generations preserved the rich heritage of the outdoors and nature we now enjoy. Undoubtedly, dedication and effort have been rewarded by fantastic hiking opportunities.
But let me tell you a few things first. First, plan your trip well. Look at the Swiss hiking map and select a route that’s appropriate for your fitness level and health. You can check our guide on hiking classification to be sure you understand all the markings.
Always add one hour extra to the average hiking time in the guide. You will take breaks for food, water and pictures and don’t want to miss your connection.
If you don’t feel confident about your planning skills, you’re more than welcome to check out our guided hikes in Switzerland and Europe with the best-qualified mountain guides. Get the best out of your time and learn tons of great information from your local expert.
You can plan too little, but it’s tough to plan too much. Our guides can reduce drastically the hassle of preparation, that’s the most convenient way to enjoy the mountains and save your precious time.
Check the weather forecast
Put yourself in the best possible position to enjoy your sport. Check the weather forecast. Any weather different than you expect can turn a good hike into a not-so-good hike. Dress for success. Layer your clothing and be very sure of your footwear. Have the essentials. Your guide will help you with this. Take only what is essential and get the lightest gear you can afford – especially for longer hikes.
Be prepared for everything
Plan to be out longer than you think. Since hiking can be tricky sometimes, it’s better to be prepared. If you think you’ll spend three hours, plan for six. We also don’t want to scare you, but you need to prepare for the worst. Knowing the first-aid and CPR is a must.
Hydration is essential
Don’t forget to bring lots of food and water. It’s okay to ration food, but don’t ration water. If you are thirsty, you’ll definitely not help yourself by saving water. It should be noted that dehydration presents a bigger problem that you could ever imagine.
Decision-making skills drop drastically when you are dehydrated. Therefore, you need to slow down. If you are hiking only for exercise, you’re missing the best part. Since nature is all around, slow down and pay attention. You’ll be rewarded many times over. Take a friend along. Like most things in life, sharing your hiking passion with someone you care about is awesome.
Wear the appropriate clothes
Hiking in Switzerland (or anywhere for that matter) calls for appropriate attire. Wear clothing that works and fits the terrain and hike conditions. The right clothes could make the difference between an enjoyable hike and a very uncomfortable one. There are many options in your clothing arsenal. In order to keep yourself comfortable, here are a couple of pointers.
– Try and stay away from cotton. Instead, look for synthetic and natural fibers that pull moisture away from your body, or at least stay warm when wet.
– Also, go for layers to keep yourself warm, versus carrying around a huge parka, in case you are hit by a freak snowstorm.
– The two most important pieces of clothing for any hiker, are good socks and good shoes. Don’t underestimate the pain a hike can cause with uncomfortable shoes and socks.
– Remember that pests and insects are drawn to darker colors so it would behoove you to opt for lighter colors. Black and dark colors also have a tendency to draw heat when in the sun and would not be a welcome side effect when hiking up a steep incline.
– A hat in cold weather is a great addition since your body loses over half its heat through your head.
One of the benefits of guided hikes in Switzerland is that our guides will help you make decisions regarding clothing and accessories.
Preparations for Hiking
At the very beginning of hiking, you should keep a slow movement in order to warm up your body. After 5-10 minutes, you can speed up the pace. The team members should keep their distance in certain meters. That’s how they make sure the suspended walker and the advanced walkers will not affect each other. Usually, the suspended team members walk in the right side. On the other hand, the advanced walkers are on the left side. When meeting with the oncoming team, both sides should keep this rule as a respect.
A safe distance between the suspended members and the advanced members should keep in ten minutes’ distance. In the daytime it should be 200 meters, while at night the distance should be 5 minutes or 20 meters. It is also necessary to develop good habits when hiking. Focus on walking, do not laugh and disturb others. Avoid loud singing, because it will not only distract the others’ attention but will also make unnecessary consumption of their physical exertion.
Our experience with guided hikes in Switzerland and the Swiss Alps made us experts in paying attention to the group and individual pace of the hikers. Knowing that, we adjust the pace to be appropriate for all hikers.
Take breaks
The hikers should also take breaks when walking. The participants should combine short and long rest time. A short break should should last five minute. The participants don’t take off the backpacks and other equipment because such a break serves to recover the normal breath.
On the other hand, a long rest time should be performed every 60-90 minutes. The break time lasts 10-15 minutes and include taking the backpacks off. The first 2-3 minutes standing time serves to adjust the breath. Then you need to sit down. However, the advice is not to stop to sit down and rest because this will increase the heart rate. Therefore, hikers should spend time to massage the legs, waist, shoulders and other muscles among each other or just by themselves. On the other hand, they can choose to lay down to make sure the leg blood congestion will flow into the heart.
Come Hiking With MyMountains
Are you planning to go hiking? Check out our wonderful guided hikes in Switzerland. You’ll get to explore unique places off the beaten track with a professional local guide. We have a great selection of guided hikes in Switzerland. Just choose your next adventure; our guides will be happy to accompany you.
