Via Alpina Red Trail Overview: Logistics, Time, GPS, Water

Рет қаралды 2,164

6 ай бұрын

on May 25th 2023 I started hiking the via alpina red trail across the alps from trieste, Italy to the royal palace in Monaco. This trail runa the whole length of the mounatin range thru 8 different countries and over 1300 miles. In this video i cover how long it took me, my favorite countries, water, camping, food, Gps, huts and much more.
#via alpina red trail #hiking cost #thru hike #european alps #long distance hiking #hardest hike in europe #Switzerland #austria #france #french alps

Пікірлер: 34

@pandorumization 5 ай бұрын

I'm a through-hiker. This is a good review.

@mountainrunner1955 6 ай бұрын

Hi Stefan. Nice Video. The one about costs will be interesting too. I have done the ViaAlpina yellow, (old red) and blue (GTA) 2017 in a similar style. low budget, small tent, no huts and on a budget. 10 Eur a day is very tight. 15 Eur is okay. you are right, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are the most expensive. everybody here knows it. Slovenia the cheapest, but prices raised since covid a lot. Unfortunately hiking the red VA trail misses a lot of the dolomites. even the yellow one is not ideal thru there. For me, the dolomites have been one of the best spots in the Alps. Triglav NP is pretty nice too, but less variation and only a few stages. anyway. by the way, "Alpkäse" is just the term for a cheese from the mountains. a harder cheese made from (mostly) cow milk, which graze during the summer on the "Alp" (high quality food). "Hofladen" is what you mean. the "little" or "tiny" shops connected to a farm. direct selling from the farmer. By the way, I love your videos about this trail. well done!

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, 15 euro a day!? Not anymore, a ramen cost 2€ now

@mantys9688 2 ай бұрын

Great material, really useful👍 i've watched all videos of your trip, some of them couple of times☺ the fact that you accomplished that with the sandals makes me laugh about myself..- trying to find perfect shoes for my alpine quest 😅 cant wait to see video about your gear🙂

@calveshikes 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, yes sandals, ive done all my thru hikes in them. Just finished the florida trail in them. Gear video will come out, some time this year been very busy with work..but ill get it done. When you do you start your via alpina?

@jackfabulous758 6 ай бұрын

Wow simply gorgeous. I’m surprised you had to buy food with all this eye candy 😉 Awesome post as always calves! 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼🥾♾

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

Thanks dude!

@ThierryPulver 2 ай бұрын

Hey Stefan, so happy I stumbled across your video, and that you liked Switzerland. We met on the PCT in 2022, I remember you well hiking in sandals, right? I think it was in the Sierras… well, if you plan to do the swiss part of the Red trail in the next years, get in touch, it would be a pleasure to meet again… 😊

@calveshikes 2 ай бұрын

Thanks man! I woupd love to go back and do the rest even if the official route is the green that i already did. But i will be in touch. Calves and yes i always wear sandsls

@christinez1234 6 ай бұрын

The Swiss Alpine Club apparently accepts non-residents as members, thus giving the ability to get the alpine club discount in huts in all the countries the VA goes through.

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

Yep, my friend bought the Slovenian one. They all work in affiliated huts, no matter its purchased

@brianrathgeber7775 6 ай бұрын

Such an epic adventure!! I'm really enjoying these videos.

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

@@brianrathgeber7775 thanks, im glad your enjoying them. 😉 ill keep on making them

@pandorumization 4 ай бұрын

I got an Austrian one from Helmut Ortler on the way.

@calveshikes 4 ай бұрын

@@pandorumization my friend got slovenian, they all work

@mountainrunner1955 6 ай бұрын

the missing (old) red trail is a tougher section of the red trail. probably I have that in my mind like this, cause I got (a little nit) sick on that part. but I remember more steep trails in Switzerland pretty straight up the "hills". lots of elevation meters too. sometimes steep downhill and a few ladders and cables too. harder for the dog, or me carrying him these tricky parts. on good weather no problem. bad in worse conditions everybody should be careful. the connecting blue VA (GTA) is a very nice trail to do too. lots of German 2 week hikers on that section. best (Italian) food in the mountain huts or post tappas.

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

Ill be back for more, you did it woth your dog? Thats impressive

@fauvedomitille1072 2 күн бұрын

Hi ! I am planning to hike this trail in Slovenia only, I have not watched yet all your videos. I am the feeling the first three days are not really interesting, I was wondering about starting the hike in Radzrto instead of Muggia (the fourth day of the official hike), do you think this is a good idea or which step woud you recommand me to start the via alpina in Slovenia ? I was also wondering if you easily found place to put your tent and buy food along the way ?

@calveshikes 2 күн бұрын

@@fauvedomitille1072 the skocjan caves are something to see so i would start there. Probably pretty easy to get transport to matavun i believe thays the ne of the village near the caves. I loved slovenia! I will be back next year to do the slovenia mountain trail.

@And-rc9yy 6 ай бұрын

Great advice Stefan, I'm going to get a club card (probably from the Austrian Club). I've had their card before. I forgot the fine details but I understand it does include some level of mountain rescue cover even heli' rescue. Good to know Slovenia is so dry. I'm also cheap AF, so hopefully I can stay out of refuges but it's good to have them available as a backup. Just one question; did you find some of them had a winter hut or another lesser luxurious hut where cheapskates could crash for free?

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

Not all, had winter rooms. But all the refuges in Slovenia 🇸🇮 had a winter room that could be accessed for free because all the huts didnt open until mid june or later

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

And yea, it does include some rescue insurance, it was in slovenian so im unsure of the details on that

@user-ue6bf5ll1g 6 ай бұрын

FYI, I have used a Garmin InReach Explorer+ satellite communication device for three years. While the maps provided by Garmin and its trail uploading capabilities are terrible, ... and the device heavy... and the InReach interface seems from the 80's (!), one can purchase a worldwide rescue insurance (up to US$ fifty thousand per incident) for only US$35/year. Note that the device has to be used to contact the Garmin Rescue HQ for the insurance to kick in. They will contact the local rescuers. You also need a Garmin subscription ($14/month and up). It's a good alternative to having to buy alpine memberships in multiple countries. I am not aware of a cross-boundary Alpine Club membership. Does that exist? Membership probably gives discounts in some club refuges. Happy trail.

@And-rc9yy 6 ай бұрын

Baring in mind that some of the refuges won't let you inside without a reservation I'm guessing none of them would refuse to allow you to fill water bottles?

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

In some cases, you were not allowed in, mostly Austria. They would charge you to sit down. 😒 many places urged you not to drink the water 😒. The same place would also sell water for €6-10 1.5 liter bottle. I even saw signs dont drink the glacier water 🙄

@And-rc9yy 6 ай бұрын

@@calveshikesPrice gouging m'fers

@And-rc9yy 6 ай бұрын

I never experienced anything like this on other Euro hikes

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

@@And-rc9yy they know, that Europeans dont have water filters, they dont even sell sawyers or any water filters for that matter in europe. In all mountain huts they sell water for veru high prices, i slovenia at crna prst my friend paid 6€ fo 1.5L, there was a water catch right out front filled with alpine salamanders that i grabbed my water from. I blught one bottle the whole trip, on Mont Blanc

@And-rc9yy 6 ай бұрын

I used Aqua Mira drops in the States and while I've been able to get that in Europe before it's not so easy to get now. I think AQ stopped making it. Thankfully i found something comparable on Amazon. My stomach can usually take anything but I got sick on the GR5 which made the last 5 days quite a struggle. I'm currently busy on Christmas Day marking all the springs on my Red map curtesy of OsmAnd.@@calveshikes

@marco.nef.photography 6 ай бұрын

Hi Stefan, thank you for this great video! I wanted to add two comments because I think you misunderstood two points. First "Alpkäse" is just German for "Cheese produced in the Alps". That is never the name of a any kind of shop, it's a produce. So you can't buy yoghurt in an Alpkäse ;-) Second there are no via ferratae along the VA. What you encountered were secured paths that provide a fixed line to help you get support and safety. But they are still hiking trails. A via ferrata on the other hand is for climbing while you are self-securing yourself using a fixed line and some other installations like ladders, typically in vertical or even overhanging rock walls. Hope you can do the whole Red VA in future :-)

@calveshikes 6 ай бұрын

I did it, they changed the red trail route. If you watch the video i correct myself and call them hofladen in text. There are several via ferratas just off trail and if you dont pay attention you will end up at one.