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Trip Summary DayRouteHours WalkedAccommodation1SatTravel from home to Sargans, hike to Weisstannen4 HrsWildcamp2SunWeisstannen to Elm7.5 HrsBasic Campsite3MonElm to Linthal9.5 HrsHotel4TuesLinthal to Urnerboden5 HrsGuest Hotel5WedsUrnerboden to Brusti (incl. Atterhausen cable car saving 2.5 hours of ascent)9.5 HrsWildcamp6ThursBrusti to Engelberg5.5 HrsCampsite7FriEngelberg to Meiringen (inc. Tru …

Getting ThereMy first compromise on the route was to miss the initial section in Lichtenstein, which is basically a days walk, about 6.5 hours according to the guide, but getting to that start point takes longer than simply getting to Sargans, the Swiss start. As its presented as an option in the guide I made the sensible decision to start at Sargans, which is easily accessible by train.My taxi ar …

Getting BackSince the route more or less finishes at Montreux railway station the journey back to Zurich is simplicity itself, I caught the 11.48 train to Zurich with a change at Lausanne, and I arrived at Zurich central station at 14.28pm. My flight was not until early morning the following day (Sunday) so I picked a hotel in the centre of the city and got cleaned up. Booking a hotel is an expens …

Gear List Summary Weight (g)Weight (lbs & oz)Basic Gear Carried5690g12lb 9.1ozDiscretionary Gear Carried10735g 2lbs 5.9ozSubtotal 6763g 14lbs 15.0ozConsumables3576g7lbs 14.4ozSubtotal10339g22lbs 13.3ozGear worn about person2021g4lbs 7.4ozGear Carried - 5.690kg (12lbs 9.1oz) basic, 10.339kg (22lbs 13.3oz) with food and other consumablesTent Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo680gTent bag - Exped …

CostThe basic cost of doing this route was £1548. Though this did include accommodation in Lintal, Underboden, Greisalp, L’Etivaz and Zurich.I converted £990 to Swiss francs before I left and used this for everything except my stay at the Berggasthaus Golde on the 28th August, I used my debit card for this transaction as I knew I was running low on currency. As it transpired I only returned with 1 …

Via Alpina 2019Mark Richardson shuns wild camping this year in favour of hot showers and restaurant meals on a two week backpack across the Swiss Alps.I love the Swiss Alps, so the thought of a single route traversing the full length had great appeal. Being the European Alps though this route was never going to be a wilderness journey and a lot of it would be through managed countryside, albeit st …