Via Alpina — A Long‑Distance Hike Through the Northern Alps of Switzerland

Split into 20 daily stages, the Via Alpina is the perfect trail to experience the beautifully varied Swiss mountains.

When: 7 days in early July 2021

Background

With only a week free in July, we wanted to stay in the mountains as much as possible. The Via Alpina’s 20 sections of varying difficulty were the perfect fit.

Plan

• Train from Zurich to Grindelwald (since we only had 8 days, we skipped the opening stages to make it to Montreux on time).
• Hike west, camping above the tree line where it’s allowed.
• Reach Montreux in seven days, just in time to catch the end of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Day 1 — Grindelwald ➜ wild‑camp spot  About eight hours on the trail with full packs. We pitched near the path, cooked pasta and were asleep in minutes under a clear sky.

Day 2 — to Blüemlisalphütte (then too far!)  Perfect weather. After coffee at a hut we pushed on to Blüemlisalphütte for dinner — then, feeling ambitious, half‑descended before camping.  Lesson: always check MeteoSwiss. A night‑time thunderstorm tore through; we clung to the tarp and slept maybe two hours.

Day 3 — down to Kandersteg  Up at 5 a.m., squelched into town, booked a hotel and revived with a long shower and improvised quesadillas while our kit dried.

Day 4 — Kandersteg ➜ Adelboden We had a lot of ground to cover, and used a cool tiny gondola at one point to stay on schedule. The weather stayed sunny and we had a great day of hiking. We had booked a room in Revier Mountain Lodge Adelboden, and we were quite looking forward to it. The hotel had a nice vibe to it.

Day 5— Adelboden ➜ Gstaad Mixed sun and showers. A booked B&B in Gstaad was the highlight — our hosts even invited us in for tea while yodelling played on TV. They dubbed us “Da Guteboys,” delighted to see two muddy hikers enjoying themselves.

Day 6— Gstaad ➜ farm stay (rain, mud, bulls) Non‑stop rain and ankle‑deep mud. A farmer offered barn space for 10 CHF and — miraculously — fondue for dinner. Dry boots, fresh cheese, bulls below: perfect.

Day 7 — arrival in Montreux  Our friend Chris greeted us at the hotel. After confirmation that, yes, we smelled like cows, we scrubbed up and dived into the first post‑COVID edition of the Jazz Festival — clean, tired and very happy.

The Kit

Our main items included:

• Jetboil
• MSR tarp
• Snugpak sleeping bag
• Fold-up sleeping mat
• Hiking sticks
• Trail book — Had some good information for each section

Thank you, Via Alpina.

When I did this hike, Switzerland Tourism offered a free stamp booklet that you could have marked by the local tourism office at the start of each stage. Unfortunately, it seems to have been discontinued, which is a shame — I always looked forward to reaching the next town and adding its stamp.