Gstaad and L’Etivaz—Worlds apart You couldn’t find two towns in all of Switzerland more different from each other than of Gstaad, our starting point, and L’Etivaz at day’s end. One is German, the other French-speaking. …
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Leaving Lenk and cruising over the Trüttlisbergpass This stage, and the remaining stages, could be more properly classified as “mountain walks” than “alpine hikes.” They’re more relaxing than demanding. More energizing than exhausting. Leaving Lenk …
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Over the Hahnenmoospass On the Via Alpina 1, Stage 15 from Adelboden to Lenk, I breathe deep knowing all the high passes are behind us. The Hohtürli and Sefinenfurgge are fading memories. Gone are the …
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Via Alpina Hikers: A New Breed of Stamp Collectors As I’m hiking the Via Alpina, a 230-mile trek through the Swiss Alps, I’ve picked up a new hobby—stamp collecting. No, I’m not collecting postage stamps. …
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Stage 14 – Kandersteg to Adelboden – Via Alpina 1 Kandersteg is another one of those Bernese Oberland towns that invites a longer stay. Coming down from the Öeschinensee you feel like you’re arriving in …
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Via Alpina – Stage 13 – Greisalp to Kandersteg Today we cross the highest pass on the Via Alpina—the Hohtürli. Like the Sefinenfurgge, our previous pass, the Hohtürli has never been a trade route. It’s …
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Via Alpina – Stage 12 – Lauterbrunnen to Griesalp This stage has so many highlights and so many options it’s hard to know where to start. It’s a long day—10 hours of hiking if you …
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Via Alpina – Stage 11 – Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen OK—This is where I break rank from the Via Alpina 1 on the Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen path. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m not the purest …
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