What do I need to pack?

Click here for our packing lists. Make sure to bring a good rain jacket! I don’t anticipate a lot of rain generally, but you never know, and a good rain jacket is often the difference between fun and suffering. It’s also a question of keeping you safe, warm, and healthy on the mountain.

Luggage

Most guests bring a suitcase and a backpack. All you’ll need while hiking during the day is your backpack. Your backpack should be between 22-32 liters in size. There will be a secure place to leave your suitcase during the day each day. We will be carrying our luggage onto trains (a short walk from our hotel) or taxis during the trip.

Shoes

These are moderate level trips, and your backpack will just have your personal things for the day and some shared group food, so it won’t be too heavy, so ankle support is not essential, but never hurts. The most important consideration in choosing footwear is to find something that is comfortable for you and won’t give you blisters. I prefer a Vibram sole or something with decent traction. Anything from trail runners to a solid hiking boot would be appropriate depending on your personal taste. These are the shoes I wear (the mid GTX version).

Where do we meet? 

• Switzerland - The group will meet at our hotel in Lauterbrunnen at 6:30pm for dinner and orientation. You will receive a train ticket for travel that day and instructions on how to get to the hotel. Count on 3 - 3.5 hours of train travel if you are coming from Geneva or Zurich (download the SBB app for time tables).

• Dolomites - The group will meet at the Venice Marco Polo airport at 2:00 pm.

• Mallorca - The group will meet at the Palma de Mallorca (PMI) airport at 3:00 pm.

When does the tour end?

• Switzerland - We will have a morning activity in Zermatt on the last day of the tour and a farewell lunch after which you can catch the train to the destination of your choice (a train ticket will be provided for travel within Switzerland). If you need to skip the morning activity and get to your next destination earlier than that, that is no problem.

• Dolomites - A private taxi will drop us at the Marco Polo airport in Venice by 1:00pm.

• Mallorca - A private taxi will drop us at the Palma de Mallorca airport in Palma by noon.

Weather apps

Your phone’s weather app generally has a very broad scope and is usually pretty bad at giving good weather updates for the mountains. For Switzerland, download MeteoSwiss, for the, or for a good mountain weather app for any area in Europe, download BergFex.

Bring a swimsuit!

This is my personal number one rule of travel. Always bring a swimsuit. You never know when you may need it. Well, sometimes you do know. Each trip has at least one hotel with a spa and heated pool, but you are welcome to bring your suit to take a dip in a frigid Alpine lake while out hiking as well.

What type of adapter do I need?

Switzerland, Italy, and Spain all use Europlug–type C. You can buy them here.