The Via Alpina, a Pillar to Our Course

Setting up a route exceeding 10,000 km through as many parks and nature reserves as possible, without forgetting the villages, was not something without questions. What we were certain about all from the beginning was that we wanted to cross the Alps. We wanted to try to understand what makes the nature of these alpine regions so much different from other regions of the same country. 

The Via Alpina provided an ideal playground to follow across 3 countries: France, Switzerland, and Italy. All different routes mixed, we made more than 1,600 km, without a doubt the most demanding kilometres of this adventure. The Alps represented almost 100,000 m of elevation gain and their negative equals between the south of France and the Slovenian border.

Major Points

One of the most frequent questions we keep being asked by other mountain lovers is: "Which of these places are your favourite?"

We are sure this is also what you wish to know, so here are our best of, the winners, the cream of the crop:

- Dolomites, Sesto, Lagazuoi, Sella – Italy

- Le Grand Paradis - Italie

- Aletsch, Alpes Bernoises - Suisse

- Les alentours du Malinvern, Parco delle Alpi Marittime - Italie

- Monte rosa, Alpes Valaisannes - Italie

- Massif du Bernina - Suisse

- Mont Viso, Alpes Cottiennes - Italie

- Parco Prealpi Giuli, Alpes Juliennes - Italie

- Parc national du Mercantour - France

- Massif de l’Ortles - Italie

From July to November, the Alps have made us melted with their beauty. During four long months, these landscapes, one more majestic than the other, kept teaching us about the humility. 

At the beginning, we were quite unsure whether we would ever reach the end. Though our equipment is very limited, we keep our two computers, two cameras, a drone and many accessories and batteries with us. A both numerical and natural challenge that brings us to carry loads of up to 18 kg for Marie and 26 kg for me. We thought we would more quickly get used to it and become real hiking machines. We imagined that our backpacks would feel lighter from day to day. The reality could not be more different. While on certain days we got up with overflowing energy, we felt heavy physical pain and fatigue on some other days. However, there was no choice but to go on; sometimes just a few kilometres – but those few kilometres leading across a steep pass and often demanding more than 1,000 m of difference in altitude. Together with the Himalayas, the Alps are the youngest mountain chain in the world. An extremely brittle relief with prominences, massifs, some of them exceeding 3,000 m. 

During this 10,000 km walk across Europe, we also gave ourselves another challenge. That of making a gesture, however small, for the planet, to make these trails more hospitable for both the hikers following us and the locals. 1KG FOR THE PLANET, this is the challenge that we’ve been facing every day: picking up the waste we find on our way. We keep the limit at about 1kg, however, since our bags are already heavy enough. Meanwhile, we are several hundreds to take this challenge together thanks to those reusable bags we had made to make the trails cleaner and are now used by are many hikers!

Our Guide for an Adventure

Following the Via Alpina has allowed us to better coordinate our stages and food supply. We have often been provided shelters. Passing through villages, this is a trail completely open to any type of hiker, whether autonomous or not.  Sometimes we have decided to leave it for a while to reach one or another point of interest – or just to avoid going up and down when there was no use of it. We have never felt prisoners of this itinerary – there are just toom many options available. Taking such liberties has brought us to summits of up to 4,440 m, but also to some extremely low frequented places. Not always without risk, but giving us the opportunity to make pictures of decidedly wild nature, or approach large numbers of ibex and chamois. 

Alpine People

Through this crossing, we’ve also learnt that the identity of these alpine peoples does not stop at any state border. We have seen how the rich history of these regions has united people who share a common rhythm of life but who all have their history, their culture and their traditions. We have often been lost among all those languages and dialects still spoken in some villages. Mixing sometimes Italian, German, French. We discovered Romansh, one of the continent’s oldest languages. We have simply approached these hidden villages, carpeting in the valleys, far from urban worries and pollution, for which sharing is a principle of life. Often we were welcomed by generous, open people allowing us to discover bits of their lives, sharing their advice and knowledge – or a place under their roof.

Even when it was not everywhere so obvious to be welcome, overall, it was a very pleasant surprise to experience so much kindness from the people of the Alps.

In the shelters too, the welcome was warm. Explaining the guards what we were doing, we were often helped, sometimes we shared special moments and made friends with people we will never forget and whose smile helped us to move on.

We shared this alpine crossing with our five guests, hikers coming from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada who joined Two Steps Towards the Other for a week or more. Together we travelled through these wonderful regions and shared our discoveries and feelings through our social networks and our Youtube channel. An adventure that we invite you to make by yourself!

One of our guests is familiar with Via Alpina. Two years ago, he followed it from Trieste to Monaco and produced the film Via Alpina – Beyond the Trail. 

The crossing of the Alpine arc is now behind us. It was the centrepiece of our crossing the continent, a test that has certainly changed us to a certain extent. 

Our last alpine steps filled us with a joy without measure. We did it. We have made it... How to imagine a more beautiful to complete the first half of our way?

Still twelve countries to cross and some 5000 km to go!

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