What not to bring
Camping gear.
Most hikers sleep in hotels, inns, hostels, or--in the high mountains--Swiss Alpine Club
huts. Camping outdoors is illegal (except in official campgrounds), so you're unlikely to
need your Kelty Pack and pup tent.
What to buy in Switzerland
Maps.
You'll find a wide variety of topographical and hiking maps at Swiss bookstores and resort
shops that cater to tourists. The orange 1:50,000 Swiss Hiking Federation maps are good,
and Kummerly & Frey (the commercial map publisher) has a series of 1:60,000 maps.
Swiss maps tend to be high in quality but expensive. If you're hiking around a specific
resort, you can often save money by purchasing a local hiking map from the tourist office.
Chocolate.
In Switzerland, chocolate is considered a health food--especially if it contains milk.
(Okay, I'm exaggerating, but the average Swiss hiker feels no guilt in devouring a Milka,
Tobler, or Lindt & Sprüngli bar at the foot of the Jungfrau, so toss your tofu bar
and join the locals.)
Related article
Swiss and Austrian Hiking tours
A guide to escorted walking itineraries from more than a dozen specialists in adventure travel.
Swiss hiking Web sites
GORP -
Hiking Switzerland
Karen Walker of Ryder-Walker Alpine
Adventures dispenses general advice with descriptions of the Valais,
Bernese Oberland, and Engadine.
Wander-Site
If you read German, d'Wander Site's Swiss hiking and trekkking
itineraries will come in handy--especially since they include recommended
hiking maps. Translate with AltaVista.
Back to page 1
| 