Introducing Our Next Journey – Trekking the Planet Europe!

Sandy provides an overview of our next adventure, beginning in June 2018 – 500 miles of trekking in Europe!

We have had the great fortune to complete multi-day hikes in countries on all six of the world’s populated continents. This summer we will be traveling to Europe to seek authentic adventure by trekking in seven countries over a three month period.

Similar to our other journeys around the world, on the Pacific Crest Trail and to 27 of the U.S. National Parks, we will be focusing on the cultural and natural significance of the places that we visit. With this in mind, we are planning four different long-distance treks, totaling over 500 miles of hiking, to experience the best of Europe’s history and beauty.

1. Camino Portugues (150 miles, 13 days) – Portugal and Spain

Our first stop in Europe will be in Portugal, where we will begin our hike of the Camino Portugues in June.

The Camino de Santiago is a world-famous path also called The Way of St James. However, there is not just one, but many Camino routes. As far back as the Middle Ages, pilgrims walked from all over Europe to the cathedral in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, where it was believed that the remains of the apostle James were buried. Today, the most popular Camino trail is the Camino Frances, which runs across the north of Spain. About 60% of the 300,000 people walking the Camino in 2017 used this route.

We will be trekking on the second most popular path, the Camino Portugues, completed by about 20% of 2017 Camino hikers. This Camino will take us along ancient paths through forests, villages and historical cities. We will cross over bridges and hike on tracks directly descending from major roads that once formed the backbone of the Roman Empire. Our hike will consist of 12 stages over 13 days, and begin in Porto, Portugal. Prior to our trek, we are looking forward to exploring Porto’s old city, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996.

2. GR53 (65 miles, 6 days) – France

The Grand Randonnee (GR) system is a group of long-distance hiking trails. There are more than 100 GR routes in Europe, found primarily in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. Over a six day period in July we plan to trek on a small GR section in the northeast Alsace region of France – the GR53.

Our hike begins in Wissembourg, France, right across the German border. We will experience the beauty of the Vosges Mountains as we walk through the Regional Nature Park of the Northern Vosges, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Our hike will also take us past ruins of medieval castles dotting the area. We will trek close to about 10 of these structures, with some dating back from the 13th century.

This trail doesn’t see many Americans, so we are brushing up on our French as we venture into the countryside and the quaint villages where we will be spending each night.

3. Lechweg (80 miles, 6 days) – Germany and Austria

The 158-mile Lech River is tributary of the Danube, Europe’s second-longest waterway. In 2012 a long-distance trail was completed that runs from the Lech’s source, at the Lake Formarinsee in the Austrian Alps, to the city of Fussen, Germany (near the famous Neuschwanstein Castle). In late July we will hike the Lechweg Trail, starting from Fussen and going into the Austrian Alps.

We will trek for six days along the river, spending the night in inns along the way. As we climb toward the Austrian Alps, we will walk through the Tiroler Lech Nature Park. The trail passes several waterfalls, and we hope to see a variety of flora and fauna, including alpine ibex near the Lech River’s source.

4. Swiss Alpine Pass Route (230 miles, 23 days) – Liechtenstein and Switzerland

Our fourth and final trek is our longest and most difficult – a three-week journey across the Swiss Alps. The route we have chosen goes by several names: the Swiss National Walking Route 1, the Via Alpina Green Route, and the Swiss Alpine Pass Route. Our hike will begin in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, where we will walk across the Rhine River to enter Switzerland. From there, we will trek a total of 21 stages over 23 days through the Alps, crossing 16 mountain passes, before finishing on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux.

This will be our most challenging hike, not only in terms of elevation gain and loss each day, but because of the potential weather conditions we could encounter. We will be hiking in August, which is a wet month in the Alps. There is the possibility of sudden thunderstorms, poor visibility, and even snow at the passes. Fortunately, the opportunity exists each day to use public transportation to assist us in case we have to skip ahead. Our hope is to hike as much of the trail as possible, alternating our nights between stays in mountain huts and small towns.

Our Trekking the Planet Europe Route

In addition to our four treks, we have built an itinerary that will take us to several exciting places between our hikes. In the coming weeks before we leave, we will share more of our plans, as well as our hiking preparations and the packing challenges we have with carrying all our own gear on such a diverse adventure.