VIA ALPINA TREK PART 2: DAY 1-5. HITTING THE TRAIL & FINDING MY EDGES

If you missed Part 1, you can find it here 🙂

Day 1-3: Beginning in Zurich & Adapting to Weather

I arrived in Zurich and went through customs where the officer asked what I was there for. I said I was hiking part of the Via Alpina over the next ten days. They asked if I was alone? Yes. Meeting a group to hike with? No. After a dramatic sigh and an eye roll, my passport was stamped and I was off on my adventure!

Before leaving and even while I was in Switzerland, plenty of people found it surprising (maybe even a little reckless) that I’d take on this trek solo. But here’s my advice: don’t let other people’s doubts, or your own, keep you from what calls you. Go explore this big, beautiful world. You might just discover how capable you really are.

In Colorado, two weekends before my trip, one of my girlfriends was in town and we got together for a hike. I told her I was heading to Zurich soon and we realized, by total coincidence, that she’d be in Europe at the same time. She rerouted her flight to meet me on my first day and it was so fun to land and see a familiar face before setting out on this adventure.

We kicked things off with a dip in Lake Zurich, grabbed lunch by the water and then she headed to her next destination. The following morning, I caught a train toward Meiringen, the starting point of my trek. I spent a few hours wandering around Luzerne, bought a few trail snacks in Meiringen (including the best cured raw beef sticks), and hiked up to scope out where the trail would begin.

Navigation on the Via Alpina is refreshingly clear. Each segment is marked by a green “1” sticker, guiding you along the route. Trail signs also list nearby towns, so as long as you follow the green “1” pointing toward your next stop, you’ll stay right on track. For added navigation reassurance, I downloaded the Via Alpina segment maps on AllTrails and periodically checked the SwitzerlandMobility app. You can never be too cautious when navigating trail systems.

The next day, I’d be hiking to Grindelwald covering about 14 miles with 5,000 ft. of elevation gain. While checking the forecast, I noticed rain was expected two days later on my planned “zero day” when I’d intended to hike to a high alpine lake. Not wanting to miss it in the sunshine, I decided to link the lake trail to my first day’s route instead.

Adding the lake detour meant an extra four miles, so I took a bus from Meiringen to a higher starting point, cutting out the initial three miles of the climb (something you can do on several stages of the Via Alpina). With that adjustment, day one would total roughly 15 miles and 4,000 ft. of elevation gain and take me on a slight detour from the official Via Alpina trail, but worth it for a clear view of the lake.

Day 4-5: Stage 10 Meiringen to Grindelwald- Water Refills, Farm Stands and Strong Legs

I set out the next morning in high spirits, immediately blown away by how stunning the views were in every direction. The trail wound through rolling green pastures, over mountain passes, and past endless herds of bell-clanging cows. Every so often, I’d come across a self-serve farm stand offering wedges of fresh alpine cheese, paid for on the honor system. I filled my water from spigots spilling into cow troughs, something that’s apparently a bit controversial. For the first few days, I drank straight from them, but after seeing more and more signs warning against it, I started filtering my water from streams instead.

By the time I reached the lake I’d added onto my first day’s trek, I was tired, sweaty, and sunburnt. I still had six miles to go before Grindelwald and my pack, suddenly feeling much heavier than it had that morning, was pressing into my shoulders and hips. When I finally walked into my hotel, my muscles were already sore and I was ready for a shower. The woman at check-in greeted me with a kind, upbeat energy, which was a welcome contrast to my exhaustion.

Once I made it to my room, doubts came creeping in. I questioned my ability to trek for the next six days. I started to think I overcommitted on mileage and elevation gain. I reminded myself that I’d planned a zero day next and said I’d reevaluate then. That night, I had dinner at the hotel, journaled about the day, and went to bed early.

The next morning, I woke up achy. I left my pack at the hotel and took the train to Interlaken, where I spent the day wandering town in the rain and walking the seven miles between the lakes with chocolate-covered strawberries in hand and a pep talk running through my head.

When I got back to the hotel, the kind woman from the day before was at the front desk. She asked how my trip was going, and I admitted my doubts. She smiled and told me that the first thing she noticed when I’d walked in the previous day was how strong my legs were. It caught me off guard as my late grandmother used to tell me the same thing, that I had strong, beautiful legs. Hearing it again felt like the universe (or my grandma?) reminding me I was capable.

Something shifted in me right then. I knew I would finish my planned trek stages. From that point on, my backpack did not bother me again, the soreness in my body left almost instantly and never returned. I started to feel a bit like the Superwoman I thought I was when I was planning this trek from the comfort of my couch. And the best was still yet to come.

To be continued next week in Part 3.

Happy trails.

-Hannah