2022 Season Wrap-up
September is a month of mixed emotions in the Alps. On one hand, hikers setting out can enjoy the fall colours and quieter trails. On the other, it means the hiking season is coming to an end 😢
Snow has fallen a few times on high sections of the trails over the last couple of weeks which highlights the transition to autumn weather conditions. Although it usually isn’t until November when the winter snowpack starts building on the mid-mountain areas, the refuges are closing, and transport is now running on limited schedules during the shoulder season. It, therefore, makes multi-day hiking journeys in the mountains much harder.
Rather than share a typical trail update that would benefit very few people at this stage of the year, below you will find a collection of interesting data points on who is hiking the legendary trails in the Alps and how they customise their Tour du Mont Blanc, Walker’s Haute Route and Tour of Monte Rosa itineraries to suit their requirements and hiking styles.
Who hikes the LEGENDARY trails?
At the end of the 2019 hiking season, we sent out a survey to our mailing list to better understand who is hiking the legendary trails in the Alps. We were blown away that nearly 150 people responded!
This is what we discovered:
90% of people had hiked on a mountain trail before
57% were hiking in the Alps for the first time
Half were hiking with one other buddy
Half found the hike more challenging than they expected
Most had not self-guided a hike this long before
Does this sound like you? See the full set of responses below.
We’re planning to do an updated 2022 survey to see if the results have changed in the post pandemic world. Look out for it in our upcoming monthly newsletter.
How do they customise their hikes?
I’ve analysed data from free tools we offer on our website and also the 100’s of personalised itineraries people have created using The Hiking Club packages in the past year. Here are some interesting results on how people plan to hike the trails:
🚡 Over 50% of hikers used public transport during their hike
🥾 Most hikers want to spend ~7 hours on the trail each day
💨 40% of people think they hike faster relative to others
Do any of the results surprise you? It was great to see it was the first time more than 50% of hikers had previously been to the Alps! I’ve certainly fallen in love with this region of the Alps and keep returning to explore new trails and redo those trails that I dream of during the off-season.
I hope you found this alternative trail update entertaining to compare with your own experience, or useful if you’re thinking about hiking one of the legendary trails in the Alps one day. The way you experience these trails is really up to you, and we’ll be ready to support your journey 🥾
Brendan
Brendan is a pizza-making, craft beer-loving, peanut butter connoisseur that has been exploring the great outdoors since completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award in high school. He started The Hiking Club to democratise hiking and the benefits that come from spending time in nature.
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