Photo by Sean Haworth
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been three years since my first traverse across Switzerland on the 242 mile Swiss Via Alpina. It was my first time traveling solo outside of the US. I booked the flight to Zurich before I even knew what my plan was or where I would go.
I learned about the Swiss Via Alpina simply by searching Fastest Known Time for trails in Switzerland that I thought could reasonably be completed within one week, which was exactly how much time I had given myself. I completed the trail self-supported in 6 days and 23 hours.
I learned a lot about myself then, including a lesson I often still need a reminder of: that when things are good, it’s okay to just trust in that and believe things are good. Just a couple weeks prior to the trip I met Chris for the first time. I liked him so much! I had all of those nervous and excited butterflies. I hoped I wasn’t setting myself up for heartbreak. Fast forward to this summer and we’re happy newly weds. I think it’s safe to say he felt the same way!
I had some brilliant-for-me days on that trek where I felt like, “this is what I’m made for!” And then I had other days where I seriously doubted my ability. I started to back pedal and set more conservative daily goals for myself out of fear of disappointment that I wouldn’t be able to reach the more ambitious ones. The last couple days turned out to be less hard than expected. I had braced myself for the worst, then it turned out to be not so bad. I wasn’t as far off as I thought and I wasn’t wrong for initially setting more ambitious goals for myself. There’s no reason to think I can’t do what I set out to do, though surely my brain will try to trick me when things get hard.
So here I am, back at the start in Lichtenstein. I know the route now, and I know myself a little better. I’m excited to get out there and embrace the challenge fully!
I’ll share updates on my progress here via my newsletter and snippets here and there on Instagram.
If you’re interested in seeing the gear I’m carrying, check it out here on on YouTube!
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Thanks for reading!
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Huge thanks to my sponsor Mountain Hardwear for making my outdoor adventures possible and providing the best gear. MHW items I’m bringing on the Via Alpina include the Lickety Split Pack 20L, Dynama Dress (same as the PCT!), Crater Lake Hoody, and Cloud Cipher Rain Jacket.
Thanks also to my affiliate partners for their support:
Mount to Coast footwear (I’m wearing the T1 on this trek). Use my code PINKFEATHERS for 10% off your next pair of shoes.
Strava - For navigation on the Via Alpina, I uploaded all my routes to my Strava app and made them available offline- it’s an extremely useful feature! Use my code PINKFEATHERS for 20% off your Strava subscription.
More from the trail soon! ~Liz
Time goes by in a blip and it was quite a bold decision by you to do the Swiss Via Alpina.
Looking forward to your "2nd time around" travelogue!