Weeks | Viajar a pie

St. Moritz to Zermatt

Where	Switzerland/Italy
When	September
Distance	425 km / 264 miles
Length	15 days

The Matterhorn/Cervino

This trip was only my third long distance hike in the Alps. At this stage, I have only scratched the surface of such a big and diverse mountain range. It can only be a good thing in the sense that there’s a lifetime of meaningful routes to follow.

In late summer 2024, I visited the border region between Switzerland and Italy for a multi-week, westbound hike between iconic spots St. Moritz and Zermatt. Lots of mountains in between and several lessons learnt along the way. I have now certainly broadened my alpine background.

See the menu to access all content for my trip in Swiss/Italian Alps.

Norge Midt

Where	North-Central Norway
When	July/August
Distance	825 km / 513 miles
Length	29 days

Saltfjellet

This trip was about making ends meet. I had been hiking in Northern Norway before, I had come back to hike some of the iconic names in the southern half of the country and I then started wondering about this narrow strip of the Atlantic watershed where the mountains meet the sea, a stone throw from the Scandinavian divide.

In the summer of 2023, I took a full month for a continuous hike to fill such long gap and get familiar with this rather off the beaten track region and reaffirm my love for travelling through the land on my own means.

See the menu to access all content for my trip in North-Central Norway.

Trollheimen to Hedmarksvidda

Where	South-Central Norway
When	July/August
Distance	464 km / 288 miles
Length	15 days

Mellomfjell in Trollheimen

The trip idea started with hiking in Southern Norway for 2 weeks. I chose a continuous line of travel through some of those evocative Norwegian names: Trollheimen, Dovrefjell and Rondane. Then I noticed this uninterrupted line of highlands going further south that eventually became the final leg of my trip through the Lillehammer and Hedmarksvidda regions.

Norway is well known for its spectacular scenery. I also realized how varied its landscapes can be and enjoyed both the remoteness and the Norwegian hiking culture.

See the menu to access all content for my trip in South-Central Norway.

Cantabrian High Route

Where	Cantabrian Ranges
When	June/July
Distance	434 km / 270 miles
Length	15 days

Our average crest faint trail

I hiked the western half of the Cantabrian Crest in 2011 and the eastern section in 2015. In 2021, I went back to join all the dots because there’s nothing like traversing a whole range, end to end. The green grass, the grey rock and the blue sky, never mind the misty days.

This is a magnificent range and a high route is a challenging way to walk its length.

Newfoundland IAT

Where	Newfoundland
When	July/August
Distance	415 km / 258 miles
Length	16 days

Western Brook Pond

Iceland North to South

Where	Iceland
When	July/August
Distance	546 km / 340 miles
Length	13 days

Across Iceland, north to south

GR 5 Alpine Traverse

Making friends at the Combe de Crousette

Where	Western Alps
When	August/September
Distance	852 km / 530 miles
Length	24 days

There’s lots of user information about the Alps already, yet traversing a significant section of the range while camping out most nights, packing several days worth of food at a time or not climbing any peaks is probably not the most typical activity people do in these mountains.

During the GR 5 traverse, I was never more than a couple hours hike from some kind of civilization and if I count on the stuffed huts that couple of hours happened very few times, if any. The Alps are no wilderness and the GR 5 is certainly not the most remote you can get in these mountains. It’s dead easy and requires no big planning effort to hike the GR 5 and get lodging every night.

In my very limited experience, lots of people use the GR 5 trail system but it seems not many try to hike it all and even less attempt any kind of extended self sufficiency. It will be odd to leave the last village only to climb up to some alpine meadow for camping but once there you’ll quickly forget the taverns you missed. It’s beautiful up in the alpine and these mountains are famous for a reason or two.

Colorado Trail

The Rockies are the most famed north-american mountains, a huge range of a size and extension owing to the local scale of things: everything is big in America and so is its mountainous spine.

Where	Colorado Rockies
When	August/September
Distance	800 km / 500 miles
Length	25 days

Cataract Ridge in the San Juan Mountains

I had barely visited a lesser section of the Rockies so this was pretty much my real introduction to the range. By hiking a significant section of their length, I’d hope to experience the same attraction that led my story in the ranges farther west.

The Rockies may be known for their rocks but it took several days until the trees allowed any significant rocky view. I spent many hours and days walking in the woods to the point that I started calling them “The Woodies”. Not sure I’m allowed to play with the words in a language I don’t know.

The Colorado Trail was the perfect length for my 4 week holiday window and it had been in the planning stages before. 2008 was the year I’d travel the Rockies.

Nordkalottleden

Baugevatnet, arctic Norway

Where	Lapland
When	August/September
Distance	800 km / 500 miles
Length	24 days

Hiking beyond the arctic circle may sound like a very extreme thing to do. I’d had pictured a world of summer under freezing temps and windswept barrens.

There’s such conditions north of the circle but Lapland has a weather of its own thanks to the Gulf Stream. There’s human activity up there. There’s even hiking trails.

Planning for this route wasn’t easy. At the time, there was little information, either on the net or in print, and only little bits could be found in English or any other language I could understand. In the following pages, I’ll try to fill that gap from the (necessarily limited) perspective of a one time hiker. Don’t expect a deep knowledge from the area here but I’ll try to stick to the facts as I perceived them and not make assumptions. Or say so when I do.

Pyrenean High Route

Camp below the Gran Astazu walls

Where	Pyrenees
When	July/August
Distance	800 km / 500 miles
Length	29 days

The Pyrenees are a magnificent range and it’s been amazing to cover their length through all the varied landscapes and environments within. I could see the range develop and fade away, it was like traversing its life story more than its length.

The High Route is as wild as it gets. 29 days, a good ratio of glory vs. misery and a great feeling about the long distance hiking coming home

"Viajar a pie" is Spanish for "Travelling on foot"

Tag: Weeks