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MTB - Swiss Nationalpark - Graubünden

2025-09-01T17:03:42+02:00

Swiss National Park - From Pfunds to Brusio

We began our journey in Pfunds in Austria beginning of September 2025. The whole trip was 192km and accumulated height of 5.130m.

Take a look at this video to get an impression about this trip:

Day Trips

Day 1 - Pfunds - Nauders

Length: 22km, cumulated height: 780m

The first day was a relaxed ride to Nauders, although it was already raining. I recommend taking the route from Altfinstermünz via Martina (Switzerland), as the alternative involves cycling on the busy main road to Nauders, which includes several tunnels.

Altfinstermünz

Day 2 - Nauders - Scuol

Length: 47km, cumulated height: 800m

We took a small detour to Reschensee to visit the famous church tower submerged in the lake. From there, we returned to Nauders and continued via Norbertshöhe and Naturteich Mösle to Scuol.

City of Scuol

Day 3 - Scuol - Santa Maria (Val Müstair)

Length: 27km, cumulated height: 1.220m

This is the first true mountain biking trail of our journey. There are only a few short sections where you might need to walk your bike.

Pass da Costainas

Day 4 - Santa Maria (Val Müstair) - Livigno

Length: 42km, cumulated height: 1.180m

This day was particularly challenging due to a grim weather forecast that included thunderstorms. In reality, the conditions turned out to be even worse than expected, with hailstones adding to the ordeal. We were freezing as we made our way across Passo di Val Mora.

Passo di Alpisella

Day 5 - Livigno - Bernina Pass

Length: 28km, cumulated height: 1.130m

Although this route is only 28 km long, it takes a significant amount of time to complete. I always make the mistake of thinking that once we reach Passo Forcola di Livigno, the hardest part is behind us. However, that’s exactly where the most challenging section begins. We ended up having to push our bikes quite a bit.

Passo Forcola di Livigno

Day 6 - Bernina Pass - Brusio

Length: 26km, cumulated height: 210m

This section is truly beautiful, but I wasn’t aware that the Bernina Express trail (S2-S3) would be so challenging. Depending on your skill level, you might need to walk your bike downhill.

Giardino dei Ghiacciai

Hiking - GR20

2025-06-15T17:03:42+02:00

GR20 - From Calenzana to Conca

The GR 20 (Grande Randonnée 20) is often cited as one of Europe’s toughest and most spectacular long-distance footpaths. Traversing the length of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, it delivers a rugged immersion in high-mountain granite landscapes, chestnut forests, emerald tarns and airy granite ridges.

Total length: ~180km, accumulated height: 12.000m, duration: 12-16 days

We did the tour in 15 days in mid-June 2025. Snow was already gone and the weather was perfectly fine (already 33-36° on sea-level). You are getting a lot of sun on GR20, but as long as you are in the mountains, the temperature is not so high as on sea-level.

I can recommend the guidebook "Trekking the Corsica GR20" from Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks. It has a lot of useful information like water sources and which sections are difficult and where you have to be careful.

Take a look at this video to get an impression about this trip:

How did we do GR20 ?

We did it on our own. What I saw, most people do it on their own and less people are joining a travel group. At least for the northern part, I would recommend to either have the tracks on your mobile phone or on your watch - it is not always easy to follow the waymarks.

We carried our own tent and some food. The weight of the backpack was ~20% of the individual person weight. Be aware, you have to do this for 12-16 days including climbing/scrambling. For us, the GR20 was much more difficult than what we experienced in the past in the alps like for Tour de Mont Blanc or from Munich to Venice.

Looking back, I was glad we did not have any weather issues. We started 8:30-9:30 in the morning and arrived at 5-7PM in the afternoon. That worked quite well for us, but it might not work in July/August due to bad weather to be expected in the afternoon. Many people started at 4-6AM in the morning.

We booked all the campsites upfront to avoid double costs. In our case, it was working. However, I am wondering what to do, if the weather forecast suggests not to continue. With our own tent we were flexible - the worst thing would have been to skip some reserved campsites. I was told, that +/- 1 day for reservation is not an issue.

Would I do it again? I would love to do it again with much less weight. However, I am not sure, how to reduce weight - except to book very early and to sleep in the refuge beds facing the potential issues of potential bedbugs.

Day 1 - Calenzana to d'Ortu di u piobbu

Length: 11km, time: 6h30min, up: 1.450m, down: 160m

Except for the accumulated height of 1.450m, the first day is more or less easy going. You are getting used to the heat. The campsite at d'Ortu di u piobbu is nice, there are only cold showers. The view from this campsite is already fascinating.

After day 1, I thought, that GR20 is not so difficult/challenging as I read. Hence, I was looking forward to the next days.

View from campsite

Day 2 - d'Ortu di u piobbu - Refuge de Carozzu

Length: 7,6km, time: 7h, up: 705m, down: 985m

This trip contains already a lot of climbing/scrambling, so that you are getting used to GR20.

I changed my mind, about the GR20 and was wondering, if GR20 continue like on this day, whether we would be able to finish GR20.

Check the weather

Day 3 - Refuge de Carozzu - Refuge d'Ascu stagnu

Length: 4,9km, time: 6h, up: 840m, down: 690m

Going to do Ascu was a descent of about 35°. Very soon, you can see Ascu, but it will take a lot of time to climb down. Ascu is nice, the Refuge is nice and there is also a hotel. In case your shoes are already broken (yes this can already happen, this is the chance to buy new shoes). This is also a good possibility to decide to not continue, since the place can be reached by cars.

I personally recommend to take the dinner in the hotel, it costs almost the same, but is much better than in the refuge.

Mountain view

Day 4 - Refuge d'Ascu stagnu - Refuge de Tighjettu

Length: 8,4km, time: 8h, up: 1.200m, down: 955m

This is the queen stage of GR20 and I personally wouldn't do it on bad weather conditions. You have to do a lot of climbing and it will take more time than you expect.

Getting more cloudy

Day 5 - Refuge de Tighjettu - Refuge de Ciottulu di i mori

Length: 6,6km, time: 4h30min, up: 690m, down: 400m

Now, it is time to relax. The trail is relatively easy.

Challenging to pitch up a tent

Day 6 - Refuge de Ciottulu di i mori - Refuge de Manganu

Length: 24,5km, time: 8h30min, up: 700m, down: 1090m

The trail is easy, but 24km is a lot to hike. We did not really manage to go to Manganu. Instead we stayed at Bergeries des Inzeche (~ 1.5h before Manganu). The advantage is, this etappe is a little bit shorter, there is really good food at the bergerie, but the etappe on the next day is of course longer and should not be underestimated.

Nice lake and trail

Day 7 - Refuge de Manganu - Refuge de Petra piana

Length: 8,5km, time: 6h, up: 855m, down: 615m

The queens etappe was already done, but this etappe has similar challenges and the guided time of 6hrs is probably very optimistic.

View from campsite

Day 8 - Refuge de Petra piana - Refuge de l'Onda

Length: 10km, time: 4h30min, up: 480m, down: 885m

Now, it is time again to relax a little bit. Easy going, hiking under trees. Nice campsite with very good food. You can even pay with credit card.

Enough space for tents

Day 9 - Refuge de l'Onda - Vizzavona

Length: 10,4km, time: 6h, up: 680m, down: 1190m

Arriving in Vizzavona, the northern part has been completed. The campsite in Vizzavona has a good shop to buy stuff and there are a few restaurants for dinner (probably most GR20 people go to "La Refuge")

On the picture, you can see, how trails on GR20 look like (at least in the northern part, there are less visible trails - you have to look out for the waymarks)

How a trail looks like

Day 10 - Vizzavona - E. Capannelle

Length: 13,9km, time: 5h30, up: 990m, down: 310m

Capanelle again can be reached by car. Looks like that people can go for skiing in the winter. You can have dinner/breakfast in Gite Fugone. We enjoyed dinner very much.

Getting greener

Day 11 - E. Capannelle - Refuge de Prati

Length: 17,3km, time: 6h30, up: 945m, down: 725m

It will take time, but the trail is not so challenging than before. Prati is a nice campsite, there is a lot of space for tents.

Finally trails

Day 12 - Refuge de Prati - Refuge d'Usciolu

Length: 10,6km, time: 6h, up: 755m, down: 830m

Hiking on crests will take time and you need to climb.

Nice trails

Day 13 - Refuge d'Usciolu - Site d'Asinau

Length: 15,8km, time: 8h, up: 975m, down: 1185m

We hiked directly from d'Usciolu to Site d'Asinau via the variant and not going to Matalza. It will be a long day - the trail is not really challenging, the only challenge for us was that the waymarks for the waymarks have been removed (overcolored with "stone" color. If you go that way, it is probably a good idea to know the trail you have to hike). Signs also suggest, that this variant has been officially been "closed" by the national park (I personally do understand the motivation of closing this variant, since it is not really challenging - the only challenge currently is to find to "overcolored" waymarks)

Campsite Refuge d'Usciolu in the morning

Day 14 - Site d'Asinau - Refuge de Paliri

Length: 15km, time: 6h, up: 610m, down: 1.090m

It looks like almost everybody recommends here to take the alpin variant. Yes, the alpin variant has some challenges but the view is extraordinary and cannot be captured by pictures. On the southern part, this variant is probably the most beautiful part - don't miss it. You can go for a coffee/crepe in Bavella.

Alpin variant to Paliri

Day 15 - Refuge de Paliri - Conca

Length: 13,3km, time: 5h, up: 405m, down: 1.230m

Final etappe - almost done. The only challenging issue is the sun/heat which is getting more and more intensive the more you are going down.

That is our way

Our Learnings

Every refuge has breakfast and dinner. Except for saving some costs, there is no need to carry food
You have to fill-up your water bottles at the refuges - we were two persons and everybody had 3 liters of water and we were happy to find some more water sources on the trails. We used the filter "BeFree" from Katadyn and had no issues
Have enough sun-blocker - usually you are hiking 90% in the sun
Most people stay in "rental tents" to save the extra weight of a tent. That is up to you - you have to book very early to always get "rental tents" or even "beds"
We had our own tent and for some campsites it was challenging to find a "good" place to pitch up
You will climb a lot. I would recommend to put everything inside your backpack, otherwise you will face the challenge that some items will struggle with the rocks
Check your shoes upfront and ensure they are in a good shape - it looks like several people have to face with broken shoes after a few days

MTB - Sella Ronda

2024-09-02T17:03:42+02:00

Sella Ronda - From Sterzing to Bozen

We began our journey in Sterzing, near the Brenner Pass. The entire trip covered 245 km with a total elevation gain of 6.200 m, and we completed it in 5 days, ending in Bolzano.

To make the trip smoother, we pre-booked all our accommodations. This saved us the hassle of searching for a place to stay upon arrival or during the day. Finding accommodations at the planned stop can sometimes be challenging, which might require adjusting your daily itinerary.

Take a look at this video to get an impression about this trip:

Day Trips

Day 1 - Sterzing - Bruneck

Length: 75km, cumulated height: 750m

The first day of the journey was mostly downhill, with the exception of Bruneck, where we stayed near the cable car station leading up to Kronberg. The photo showcases the river in Sterzing.

Sterzing

Day 2 - Bruneck - San Martin

Length: 30km, cumulated height: 1600m

Since we chose to cycle up to Kronberg instead of taking the cable car, the day involved a significant uphill climb. San Martin is a small town with only a few restaurants available for dinner.

St. Martin

Day 3 - San Martin - Arraba

Length: 34km, cumulated height: 1400m

Arraba

Day 4 - Arraba - Campitello di Fassa

Length: 45km, cumulated height: 1400m

This was the most challenging yet most beautiful day, particularly around Ronda. The climb up to Passo Pordoi already took quite some time. Unfortunately, we ran into some bad luck at the cable car ticket station, which was closed for a lunch break. We had to wait an hour just to purchase tickets for the bicycles, and it was around 2:30 PM when we finally started the round trip.

The scenery up there is absolutely stunning. Along the way, especially during the descent, you might occasionally wonder if you're still on the right track. From Saltria, the route climbs again to Passo della Torba. The descent to Campitello di Fassa begins steeply—you’ll likely need to push the bike for the first stretch.

We eventually reached Campitello di Fassa at 8 PM, just as darkness was setting in.

The photo below shows Arraba.

Campitello di Fassa

Day 5 - Campitello di Fassa - Bozen

Length: 60km, cumulated height: 900m

This was one of the more relaxing days, with most of the route being downhill. The main concern was ensuring the brakes didn’t overheat during the descent.

The photo captures one of Bolzano's churches in the evening.

Bozen

Hiking - Tour du Mont Blanc

2024-06-30T16:44:54+02:00

Tour du Mont Blanc - From Les Houches back to Chamonix in twelve days

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a circular route, typically starting and ending in Les Houches, France. As one of Europe’s most famous hiking trails, it’s well-documented, with plenty of information available online. There are even websites that allow you to book accommodations in refugios along the way.

We planned to do the tour in early July and started organizing about two months in advance. However, we discovered that we were already too late to secure all the necessary refugio bookings. As a result, we opted for a mix of refugio stays and camping. We only booked refugios where camping wasn’t an option, giving us more flexibility for our daily hikes.

It’s worth noting that some areas along the route lack official campsites, and wild camping is generally not permitted. Additionally, by late June, there was still significant snow at higher elevations, making camping at those altitudes less appealing. Length: 180km, cumulated height: 12.000m

Day Trips

Day 1 - Les Houches - Auberge du Truc

Length: 16km, cumulated height: 1500m

While most people take the cable car in Les Houches, we chose to start hiking right away. Our plan for the day was to camp near Rifugio Miage. However, it started raining early in the day, and the rain only intensified as we progressed.

To avoid setting up a wet tent on the first day, we called Auberge du Truc to check for availability. Staying there turned out to be a great decision, as the rain continued heavily throughout the night.

The photo below shows Auberge du Truc.

Auberge du Truc

Day 2 - Auberge du Truc - Camping du Pontet

Length: 16km, cumulated height: 830m

The rain persisted into the second day, making for a less-than-ideal start to the tour. However, the campsite was excellent, offering both dinner and breakfast. Surprisingly, the food was even better than what we had at the auberge. This was likely the most modern campsite we encountered during the entire trip.

Camping du Pontet

Day 3 - Camping du Pontet - Chapieux

Length: 17km, cumulated height: 1450m

Our original plan was to stay at Refugio Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and continue the next day via Col des Fours. However, due to the significant snow still covering the route, many sources advised against taking it.

Instead, we hiked down to Les Chapieux, where we found a few restaurants and a free campsite. The campsite is quite basic—essentially a flat area with two toilets and cold water—so don’t expect much in terms of amenities.

Chapieux

Day 4 - Chapieux - Refuge Combal

Length: 18km, cumulated height: 1200m

While some people opt for the bus from Les Chapieux, we chose the hiking trail. The weather had cleared up, making for a pleasant and sunny hike. After crossing Col de la Seigne, however, the rain started again and continued until we reached Refuge Combal.

This small refuge turned out to be the most beautiful place we stayed on the tour, and the dinner there was easily the best meal we had throughout the trip.

Refuge Combal

Day 5 - Refuge Combal - Courmayeur

Length: 16km, cumulated height: 800m

At the start of the tour, we weren’t sure whether we could take the balcony trail due to lingering snow or if we’d have to take the route via Val Veny. In the end, we chose the balcony trail, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful sections of the entire tour. The snow had mostly melted, making for a pleasant and straightforward hike.

Upon arriving in Courmayeur, we stayed in Entreves, where we booked a hotel and extended our stay for an extra night to relax and explore Courmayeur.

Courmayeur

Day 6 - Courmayeur - Rifugio Elena

Length: 17km, cumulated height: 1200m

Since we stayed in Entreves, we didn’t follow the usual route via Rifugio Bertone. Instead, we took a bus a few kilometers into Val Ferret and hiked up to Rifugio Elena. The bus ride itself turned out to be a surprise, as it only reached the first stop, leaving everyone to continue on foot due to a closed road.

This became one of the most intense days, as heavy rain soaked us by the time we arrived at Rifugio Elena. However, the refugio had a spacious and well-equipped drying room, excellent showers, and surprisingly delicious food.

Rifugio Elena

Day 7 - Rifugio Elena - La Fouly

Length: 12km, cumulated height: 600m

Thanks to the drying room, everything was completely dry by the next morning, allowing us to continue without any issues. This was one of the easier days, leading to La Fouly. The town has a large campsite with a pleasant location, including a warm, well-equipped area where you can prepare dinner and relax for the following day.

La Fouly

Day 8 - La Fouly - Champex-Lac

Length: 15km, cumulated height: 600m

Another relatively easy day, except for the final section leading up to Champex-Lac, which took longer than anticipated. The weather was sunny, and Champex-Lac is a beautiful spot where you could easily spend more time to relax. The town offers plenty of restaurants and options for breakfast. We stayed at the campsite, which could use some modernization.

Champex Lac

Day 9 - Champex-Lac - La Peuty

Length: 17km, cumulated height: 100m

Our original plan was to take the route via Fenetre d'Arpette, but it was still closed, and few people attempted it. Instead, we opted for the easier route to La Peuty. The campsite there is simple and affordable, with basic shower facilities.

La Peuty

Day 10 - La Peuty - Tre le Champs

Length: 13km, cumulated height: 1100m

In Tre le Champs, there is a very small campsite located opposite Auberge la Boerne. At the time, camping was only allowed if you also had dinner and breakfast at the auberge. Since we didn’t want to go down to Argentiere, we opted to stay here and were glad we did. The campsite offered basic shower facilities, making it a convenient and pleasant stay.

Tres le Champ

Day 11 - Tre le Champs - Flegere

Length: 8km, cumulated height: 1200m

This part of the tour to Lac Blanc is especially stunning. However, it’s the only section where you need to be cautious about where you source drinking water—both in Lac Blanc and Flegere, water needs to be filtered. If you stay at La Flegere, drinking water is available for free.

Flegere

Day 12 - Flegere - Les Houches

Length: 12km, cumulated height: 400m

We had initially planned to take the balcony route, but the rain was relentless, and the visibility was almost zero. In light of these conditions, we decided to hike directly down to Chamonix and took the bus back to Les Houches.

Les Houches

Hiking - München / Venedig

2023-07-22T12:38:00+02:00

From Eng to Wolkenstein

There are several guidebooks available for this renowned hiking trail. If you plan to complete the full route, it typically takes around 30 days. However, we opted to explore a portion of the trail over 12 days.

We traveled from Munich to Lengries by train and then switched to a bus with Eng as our final destination.

Length: 191km, cumulated height: 13.300m

Day Trips

Day 1 - Eng - Karwendelhaus

Length: 16km, cumulated height: 1.200m

On the first day, we experienced some light rain, cold weather, and foggy conditions. As a result, during our first stop at Falkenhütte, we only paused briefly for a drink before continuing to Karwendelhaus.

Karwendelhaus was extremely busy, making it challenging to find a free space for dinner. Despite this, we managed to get a meal and prepared for the next day.

Day 1

Day 2 - Karwendelhaus - Hallerangerhaus

Length: 15km, cumulated height: 1.450m

The ascent to Bikkarspitze was already a bit challenging due to its steep incline. However, the real surprise came on the descent. I had initially thought the Munich/Venedig trail was suitable for families, but it became clear this is a more demanding hiking route—especially with a fully loaded backpack. The trekking poles proved invaluable during the descent.

Day 2

Day 3 - Hallerangerhaus - Glugenzer Hütte

Length: 20km, cumulated height: 1.100m

This was a more relaxing day, though rain began to move in, leaving us uncertain about how the next day would unfold. Glugenzer Hütte is charming and simple, with no showers, but it provided a cozy place to stay.

In the photo, you’ll see neither Hallerangerhaus nor Glugenzer Hütte, but rather a Biergarten along the way. It was closed when we stopped by.

Day 3

Day 4 - Glugenzer Hütte - Lizumer Hütte

Length: 10km, cumulated height: 650m

This day didn’t go as planned. During the evening dinner, we were informed that the normal route to Lizumer Hütte was impassable due to storms and heavy snow, making it too dangerous. There were no viable alternative routes, so nearly everyone opted to take the cable car down, followed by a taxi, and then hiked the remaining section to Lizumer Hütte.

Day 4

Day 5 - Lizumer Hütte - Tuxer Jochhaus

Length: 16km, cumulated height: 1.200m

The normal trail was not recommended due to lingering snow. However, since our previous day had already become an unplanned detour via taxi, we—and a few others—decided to proceed with the trail to Tuxer Jochhaus. As shown in the photo, the snow made it difficult to locate the trail, and GPS was crucial since trail markers were almost invisible due to the heavy snowfall.

The weather improved throughout the day, though at times the fog was so dense that visibility was limited to just 10 meters ahead.

Upon arriving at Tuxer Jochhaus, the location sounded promising, but the refuge could use some modernization and improvements to both the facilities and the food.

Day 5

Day 6 - Tuxer Jochhaus - Olperer Hütte

Length: 15km, cumulated height: 900m

The rain had cleared, and we were expecting a beautiful day. Our original plan was to hike to Dominikshütte at Schlegeisspeicher, as Olpererhütte was fully booked. However, upon a second look, we found some available beds at Olpererhütte—known for its famous bridge with Schlegeisspeicher in the background.

Day 6

Day 7 - Olperer Hütte - Gasthof Stein

Length: 14km, cumulated height: 420m

It was time to cross the border into Italy, and the weather started to warm up. Gasthof Stein is one of the few accommodation options in this area. The room, dinner, and breakfast were all excellent.

Day 7

Day 8 - Gasthof Stein - Gasthof Brugger / Pfunders

Length: 21km, cumulated height: 1.150m

This was one of the easier days, though some people opt to take the bus to shorten the route.

Day 8

Day 9 - Pfunders - Kreuzwiesenalm

Length: 27km, cumulated height: 1.400m

A long day, though not overly strenuous. Kreuzwiesenalm is a beautiful spot and quite busy, as it’s accessible by car for hikers who only cover a short section. They produce their own cheese, which we enjoyed extensively during breakfast.

Day 9

Day 10 - Kreuzwiesenalm - Schlüterhütte

Length: 25km, cumulated height: 1.300m

Day 10

Day 11 - Schlüterhütte - Puez Hütte

Length: 11km, cumulated height: 780m

Puez Hütte is one of the few locations accessible only by helicopter, resulting in slightly higher prices. The accommodation was fully booked, including even the emergency camp, as some hikers were caught off guard by an approaching storm and needed a place to stay for the night.

Day 11

Day 12 - Puez Hütte - Wolkenstein

Length: 12km, cumulated height: 400m

On our last day, we left the Munich/Venedig trail at Grödner Joch and hiked down to Wolkenstein. From there, we took a bus back to Munich via train. It was bittersweet to finish, as we had grown accustomed to hiking every day—even in less-than-ideal weather.

Day 12

Hiking - Iceland is amazing - You will like it

2019-08-19T11:10:22+02:00

Iceland Laugavegur hiking trail and Fimmvorduhals with tent - August 2019

How to get there

Reykjavik is probably the only internal airport. Hence, you have to check how to flyin to Reykjavik. From this city, you have good connections to all the other destinations.

To reach the highlands, there are various companies offering daily busses to Landmannalaugar, Langidalur, and Skogar. You can check the web page General bus overview or Sterna Travel

Trip

Day 1 (Reykjavik - Hraftinnusker)
From Reykjavik by bus to Landmannalaugar and hiking to Hrafntinnusker (absolute elevation: ~1000m). Overnight in a tent. It was very cold (~0°C this night) and very windy. I almost thought, the tent will break down. Fortunately, nothing bad happened.

Day 2 (Hraftinnusker - Alftavatn)
From Hrafntinnusker to Alftavatn. Here, we stayed at the hut, since it was possible to book it ahead. In Alftavatn, there is also a small restaurant, in case you are already running out of food. Just keep in mind: it is horrible expensive.

Day 3 (Alftavatn - Emstrur)
From Alftavatn to Emstrur. Again, we stayed in the tent. If you arrive early enough, there are places to camp where it is not windy at all. Really nice. There is also a tent where you can sit and cook.

Day 4 (Emstrur - Langidalur)
From Emstrur to Langidalur. We stayed here as well in the hut. However, the camping area is really nice (everything green) and there is enough space. There is also a small supermarket.

Day 5 (Langidalur - Skogar)
From Langidalur to Skogar. We did the Fimmvorduhals in one day. Originally, I wanted to stay overnight in one of the two huts on top, but it was not possible to book them. However, we did not regret to do this tour in one day, since there is almost nothing special to do at the huts (just too cold outside) and if you have good weather conditions, it is really easy to do this trip in one day. If you have nice weather, this is probably the most amazing part of the whole journey.

Recommendation

The best part is really if you continue Laugavegur with the Fimmvorduhals trail. In that case, the landscape is even more amazing and the way down to Skogar is full of waterfalls you have never seen before.
You should really go from north to south, since the wind is usually north to south. If you walk the other direction, it will be much more exhausting and cold.
You can do Fimmvorduhals in one (long) day. Most people do it. Just start early and have enough food. The way down from the top huts is really easy to walk, but still takes some time. In our case, we started at 8:30am at Langidalur and arrived at 7pm at the camping area in Skogar - however, we were taking lots of pictures.

Food on the way

In the meantime, there is a restaurant at Alftavatn. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is very small and very expensive. There is also a small supermarket in Langidalur (in case you continue the Laugavegur trail to Skogar (Fimmvorduhals Hiking Trail).

Water is usually not a problem. There is plenty of it on the way. I recommend to have at least one liter with you.

Packing list (extract)

Hiking

Trekking shoes to cross the rivers (4 of them) and to stay in the huts/tent. If you are very sensitive to cold water, then neopren socks might help.

Food

For each day and for two person, we calculated: ~100g nuts, 40g dried meat, 100g Haferflocken, 100g Sesam snack, 125g nuddles. Sometimes, you can get some Snickers/Chips in the huts in case you are running out of food. Be prepared to have enough food with you.

Sleeping

Tent (it should be lightweight ~2kg but also robust to rain and wind). Do not underestimate the wind during the nights.
Sleeping back (in case you sleep in a tent, you need a sleeping bag with comfort level ~0°C)
Earplugs (necessary to not get disturbed by the noise of the wind)

Gallery

Amazing Landscape

Crossing a river

Do not underestimate the wind

Everywhere is hot water

Secret Waterfall

Hiking - Nepal Anna Purna Circuit

2018-11-01T10:08:43+01:00

Hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal - November 2018

How to get there

You probably need to fly to Kathmandu. This is not really a nice city, so do not plan too much time here. However, in Kathmandu you need to get the two permissions for the hiking trail. From Kathmandu, you can take a bus to Besisahar (in case you walk the normal counter clock-wise route). Keep in mind, that due to traffic, the bus takes 6-10 hours.

Trip

Day 1 (Kathmandu - Ngadi Bazar)
We took the bus from Kathmandu to Besiahar. We started at 7am in the morning, but the traffic was so bad, that we arrived at ~4:30 pm in Besisahar. It was also raining and almost getting dark, so we decided to take the bus to the first overnight at XXX.

Day 2 (Ngadi Bazar - Jagat)
XXX

Day 3 (Jagat - Dharapani)
XXX

Day 4 (Dharapani - Charme)
XXX

Day 5 (Charme - Pisang)
Upper Pisang is much nicer to stay than Lower Pisang, since you have a very nice view. However, in our case, it was also very windy and here it was one of the coldest night of the whole trip.

Day 6 (Pisang - Braga)
XXX

Day 7 (Trip to Icelake)
A trip to the Icelake is very good to get used to the altitude, since the Icelake is located on 4.800m. If the weather is good, the icelake is incredible beautiful (see main image of this description).

Day 8 (Braga - Manang)
XXX

Day 9 (Manang - Yak Kharka)
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Day 10 (Kharka - Thourong Phedi)
XXX

Day 11 (Thourong Phedi - Muktinath)
XXX

Day 12 (Muktinath - Kagbeni)
XXX

Day 13 (Kagbeni - Marpha)
XXX

Day 14 (Marpha - Kalopani)
XXX

Day 15 (Kalopani - Tatopani)
XXX

Day 16 (Tatopani - Sikha)
XXX

Day 17 (Sikha - Ghorepani)
XXX

Day 18 (Ghorepani - Pokhara)
XXX

Day 18 (Staying in Pokhara)
XXX

Day 19 (Staying in Pokhara)
XXX

Day 20 (Pokhara - Kathmandu)
We took a bus at 7am in the morning back to Kathmandu. You can buy tickets in many travel agencies. Back to Kathmandu, you recognize how quiet it was on the trip.

Recommendation

There is no reservation necessary. There are enough places to overnight. Usually, if you stay there and pay for dinner and breakfast, you get the night for free. This is no longer true, the more you are closer to the highest point at Thorong La Pass.
You should follow the general advice to never sleep on the highest elevation you reach at one day. According to our guide book, you should go down at least 300m for overnight. We followed that advice (and did some late afternoon walks to achieve this) and did not have any problems with the altitude sickness.
I do recommend to do the counter-clockwise tour. Otherwise, you have one really hard day before Thorong La Pass, where you have to hike up ~1.800m in one day without a possibility to stay somewhere and also water supply. The counter-clockwise direction is much better to get used to the high altitude.
We spent approximately 15 EUR per day in average. However, we did not buy water in bottles. Instead, we used the "clean water initiave" and we drank the water without further cleaning. If you are part of a travel group, they don't take you to those clean water stations, since that would be too time consuming. If you are on your own, I can recommend those water stations - check your travel book where they are located. Otherwise water is getting expensive the higher you hike. Also tea is getting much more expensive the higher you are, but tea is the best hot drink you can get there.
The higher you hike, I recommend to eat more garlic soup. In the beginning it might smell strange, but then you really like to eat it, and it really helps with the high elevation to avoid altitude sickness.

Food on the way

There are plenty of restaurants on the way. You do not need to worry about food. It is very cheap and also delicious. You will also find enough water. We used the general tablets to get rid of all the unwanted bacterias.

Packing list (extract)

Hiking

Normal trekking shoes are sufficient, the trek is not really difficult. I recommend to use hiking sticks, since there is at least one day where you hike down ~1.800m which is really a mess without sticks.

Food

You don't need to plan for something special. If you take breakfast where you overnight, take lunch in a restaurant on the trail and dinner where you sleep, that should be sufficient. If you are looking for some fruits, that can be a challenge.

Sleeping

A sleeping bag is sufficient. However, it still can really get very cold. I recommend to have a sleeping bag with comfort zone at 0° Celcius. The rooms are usually to 2-4 persons, so you normally don't need earplugs.

Gallery

Cables

Thorong La Pass

Hiking

Momos

Sunset