2023-07-13 11:52:00
With 37 elephants, 50,000 soldiers and 9000 horsemen, Hannibal made his way from the Rhône to the Po Valley in 218 BC. The Carthaginian general thus succeeded in the first documented crossing of the Alps – and a logistical masterpiece. Overcoming the highest mountain range in Central and Southern Europe was to remain a challenge for centuries to come, especially on foot.
In a way, it’s still a Transalp today, but it’s no longer just reserved for the young and fit. Stefan Winter from the German Alpine Association (DAV) knows: “Hiking tours have always been popular with over 50-year-olds, as has Alpine crossings. But what caused the number to rise noticeably: Due to demographic change, there are simply more older people and people who are fitter for longer; on the other hand, they also feel like tackling such a larger tour.”
Ambros Gasser, Managing Director of ASI Reisen, the largest provider of organized Alpine crossings, confirms: “The Transalp trend is increasing year by year. And: our participants are over 50 years old on average.” The 30 or so summer and winter routes also include the most popular route on the E5 hiking trail from Oberstdorf to Meran. Good to know: the main route is quite demanding, as are some of the quieter side routes. This is how you walk up to the Rettenbachjoch at 2,996 meters.
On the “Traumpfad” from Munich to Venice
The performance scale is open to the top anyway. The most extreme example, the 161 stages of the Via Alpina, comes to 2455 kilometers – once straight through from east to west. The 550 kilometers from Munich to Venice seem like a piece of cake.
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Every year, several hundred hikers walk the route known as the “Traumpfad” in one go. A small part of them traditionally meets on August 8th. at 8 a.m. in front of Munich City Hall to set off together. On the route from Marienplatz to St. Mark’s Square, most follow in the footsteps of Ludwig Graßler, who “invented” the tour in 1974 – and is therefore considered not only the father of the “dream path”, but even of long-distance alpine hikes.
A hiker walks along a ridge path between Zams and Wenns, which is part of the E5 European long-distance path
Source: pa/dpa-ZB/Stephan Schulz
In 1987, the DAV Summit Club took up his idea. The special tour operator for active mountain and cultural experiences was the first to include the tour in its program and in 35 years has booked more than 2000 hiking enthusiasts on this route alone.
Also in 2022 there are several group dates of 28 days each, which are very popular. One reason: spurred on by the success of pilgrimage paths such as the Way of St. James, many hikers are increasingly looking for greater challenges. These can also be found relatively close by.
Hiking with hotel, guide and luggage transport
Also, new ones are being added all the time. For example the Alpe Adria Trail, which opened in 2012. In 43 stages, the route leads from the Grossglockner to Muggia on the Adriatic. The special feature: These are leisurely day tours that never extend into the high alpine area and are never longer than 20 kilometers. After all, hikers should have time for culinary delights and culture.
According to hiking studies, the greatest potential for hiking holidays lies with the target group of the “demanding” and “cosmopolitan with quality awareness” and less with the “down-to-earth” and “sporty” who have long since internalized the advantages of hiking. Ambros Gasser says: “Today it’s more about a safe, comfortable experience in nature than about the ascetic idea of setting off with as little luggage and few services as possible.”
Comfort means: pre-booked three- or four-star hotels in the valley instead of dormitories in mountain huts, as well as a guide, whether for hiking or “only” at the overnight locations. In addition, luggage transport, accompanying literature and, importantly, a good route including reliable signage.
The easiest tour over the Alps
Georg Pawlata took all of this to heart when he realized that most of the crossings of the Alps are technically (too) demanding. “That’s why I was looking for a route that even the average hiker can manage,” explains the mountain guide, who in 2014 devised the crossing of the Alps from Tegernsee to Sterzing.
What makes the one-week route the ideal, because it is the easiest Transalp route: many meters of walking altitude are saved by using means of transport, from the boat ferry at Tegernsee to cable cars to the Achenseebahn with its steam locomotives.
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Rupert Müller, 61, and his wife, 54, tried it out. After heart surgery two years ago and knee problems, he actually thought he would no longer be able to do big tours. “We were pretty untrained, but it’s not something where you have to be a top athlete,” says Rupert Müller.
Nevertheless, organizers and doctors point out that you have to be aware that you are partly in the high mountains. Mountain experience, sure-footedness and fitness for up to six-hour mountain hikes are necessary. dr Axel Klein, specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery in Dresden, warns: “It is also important to drink regularly and take in energy. Heights of over 1500 meters can cause problems, especially when lowlanders go into the mountains.”
More people dare to do a transalp with e-bikes
This happens less with the Transalp variant by bike, especially on paved side roads. It doesn’t go that far up, nor are the paths that remote. Stefan Winter confirms that biking is particularly booming anyway: “We don’t have any numerical surveys here either, but many guides report that thanks to e-bikes, many more people, including older people, feel confident about going on a Transalp.”
By bike across the Alps:
A lot has happened. Until a few years ago, anyone who wanted to cross the Alps had to laboriously look for their route from various maps and books. The general bicycle trend, the increase in active tourism, the digital age and in particular the boom in e-bikes have brought about decisive improvements.
Two cyclists are on their mountain bikes on the Via Claudia Augusta cycle path
What: pa/imageBROKER/Valentin Wolf
New routes such as the Via Claudia Augusta from the Danube to Venice or the Ciclovia Alpe-Adria were signposted across borders along bicycle-friendly paths and received top websites. The digital stage planning using GPS tracks makes the individual crossing of the Alps relatively easy, especially the packages from tour operators who pay special attention to bike-friendly hotels.
And with rechargeable batteries, which by default manage around 1200 meters in altitude and 50 to 80 kilometers per day, even those with average fitness can have an above-average transalp experience.
-> Three popular routes across the Alps:
“The Alpine Crossing” from Tegernsee to Sterzing is considered the easiest Transalp route, lasts a week and can be done and booked from June to mid-October. Every day, between six and 20 kilometers have to be hiked and up to a maximum of 900 meters in altitude have to be overcome, usually much less. A total of 95 to 110 kilometers are hiked (depending on the variant) and about 60 kilometers are covered by public transport or a taxi. Seven days in a double room with breakfast costs from around 750 euros, with luggage transport and half board from around 1000 euros.
On foot on the E5 hiking trail (and quieter side routes) from Oberstdorf to Meran. Medium-difficulty classic without means of transport, daily walking time of around five hours with ten to 13 kilometers, 800 to 1000 meters of ascent. With several providers in the program, bookable from the end of June to the end of September. Seven days in a double room with half board with luggage transport/without a guide cost from around 950 euros.
The Ciclovia Alpe Adria from Salzburg to Grado is the easiest bike transalp route. Around 430 kilometers long, 3500 meters of ascent, mostly paved and generally easy to master in six to eight daily stages, especially with an electric drive and/or luggage transport. Available and bookable from May to October. Eight days in a double room with breakfast and luggage transport cost from around 800 euros.
-> Organizer:
ASI trips: asi-reisen.de; Fire and Ice Tourism: feuer-eis-touristik.de; DAV Summit Club: dav-summit-club.de;
An overview of providers can be found at alpencross-anbieter.info.
This article was first published in July 2022.
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