The Alpine Pass Route is a long-distance hiking trail through the Alps in Switzerland, part of the Via Alpina route. It starts in Sargans in eastern Switzerland, and crosses the heart of country westwards to finish in Montreux on the shore of Lake Geneva. The total route covers over 325 kilometres (202 mi) and crosses 16 mountain passes, and takes 15 or more walking days to complete.[1]

Via Alpina signage

The route

Foopass (between the cantons of Glarus and St. Gallen) view toward Glarus.

There are a number of variations on the precise route, but the following stages are fairly standard:[1] The Via Alpina green trail follows the Swiss National Route no. 1 (previously known as the Swiss Alpine Pass Route from Sargans to Lenk, which then continues over a further four passes to Montreux.[2][1]

Kandersteg, a village in the Bernese Oberland
Montreux and Lake Geneva

The central portion of the route through the Bernese Oberland is the most spectacular, with many hikers choosing to hike a few passes rather than the whole route in one go. The excellent transport connections give many possibilities for breaking it up.[1]

Signposting

The trail is well signposted. Most of the signs carry the name of the next pass or town, but increasingly the green square "Via Alpina" signs are being introduced. This is now called route number 1.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Reynolds, Kev (2011). "Trek 10 - Alpine Pass Route". Trekking in the Alps. Cicerone. pp. 124–135. ISBN 978-1-85284-600-8.
  2. ↑ "Via Alpina". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.


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