Alpenwild friends Kevin and Monique Damuth love taking up a difficult journey. They’ve been Alpenwild Self-guided friends beforehand on the Haute Route, the Bernese Oberland Traverse, and two cross-country ski holidays within the Swiss Alps.
Then in 2020 their heroic journey was bicycling 4200 miles throughout the US from Anacortes WA to Bar Harbor Maine. They loved that journey a lot they determined to do it once more in 2022, however on a special route.
Whereas they have been pedaling throughout the US on their 2022 biking journey, they have been additionally placing the ending touches on their plans to hike your complete Through Alpina throughout Switzerland in the summertime of 2023. The Through Alpina is the traditional mountain trek throughout Switzerland, beginning in Vaduz Liechtenstein and concluding in Montreux. It crosses 14 Alpine passes over the course of 230 miles (370km).
All that planning and preparation turned a actuality and fulfilled a dream final week as they accomplished the ultimate stage of the Through Alpina in Montreux Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva.
As you’ll be able to think about, maintaining with Kevin and Monique is hard, however we have been capable of schedule a fast name with them so they may share a few of their ideas and reminiscences in regards to the journey
What made you each wish to tackle the Through Alpina by means of the Swiss Alps?
Mo: It began once we did our first cross nation snowboarding journey in Goms Valley by means of Alpenwild, and we had a lot enjoyable cross nation snowboarding within the valley that we thought nicely we’d like to hike in Switzerland in order that’s the way it began. And we did the self guided Haute Route which was improbable so it type of went on from there.
Kevin: And after that we did the self guided Bernese Oberland Traverse after which that’s once we discovered of the Through Alpina and determined we want to do an extended distance trek by means of Switzerland. So it was actually from these prior experiences right here that we grew keen on Switzerland and we thought we’d get pleasure from as a result of since each of us are actually retired that we’d have the time to do an extended distance trek and what a trek it was.
We each actually benefit from the problem of all these adventures as a result of you recognize they don’t seem to be made for everyone—However you don’t need to be some super-human to do it.
Did you’ve got any pushback mentally? In that case, how did you overcome it?
Mo: I might say I didn’t. Two days the place there was fairly a little bit of rain, we frightened about slipping. It wasn’t about if we might do it, it was extra worrying about getting harm
Kevin: I might say we have been most involved about our wellbeing, as a result of you recognize, we’re within the mountains and the climate could be very unpredictable. [One of those days was from Gstaad to L’Etivaz. It was challenging because once we got to the pass, a major storm rolled in. We couldn’t see … the visibility was maybe a hundred yards ahead of us. It was driving rain, the winds were blowing, the temperatures were well below 40°F and the wind was blowing hard. My fingers were totally numb and I had gloves on! I was a little concerned, if one of us got injured now, we could have an issue. We do carry an emergency device [calling device], by no means felt like I had to make use of it.
You clearly need to be bodily match, however there’s a psychological part to it with any type of lengthy distance journey and I say that as a result of we’ve ridden throughout the US twice on our bicycles. You need to have the psychological capability day after day identical to this to rise up, put your pack on, go hike, and climb 1000’s of vertical toes of ascent. To me it’s extra psychological than it’s bodily.
What was your most memorable second on the path?
Mo: Faulhorn. Our hike to Faulhorn (above Grindelwald within the Bernese Oberland). It was in all probability our spotlight. The climate was beautiful, wanting on the mountains on one aspect and Lake Brienz on the opposite.
Kevin: It was like being on prime of the world! And we had such a memorable expertise at this traditional mountaintop lodge which was constructed virtually 200 years in the past. There’s no working water. They accumulate water profusely. No showers. You could have a water basin within the room. We love stuff like that trigger we’re massive backpackers so we’re probably not needing showers and get all dressed up. The rooms have been actually colder inside than what was on the surface. We slept with hand gloves on that night time within the room as a result of it was so chilly. All people did!
Mo: It was 42°F levels within the room. And we regarded on the beds! The room is slanted and so they needed to make the beds stage, so they’d so as to add wooden beneath the legs! Individuals have been taking part in playing cards, video games, and no one left the eating room till it was virtually time for mattress as a result of no one needed to be of their chilly room.
What have been some stuff you preferred in regards to the trek by means of Switzerland?
Kevin: Total it was a fantastic trek! We are likely to favor the distant, quaint mountain villages greater than the larger cities. We’re not massive metropolis individuals so therefore why we stayed simply exterior of Montreux in a city known as Caux. I can’t say sufficient good issues. We’re massive believers and you recognize being over in Switzerland is simply one other affirmation of God’s great creations, His magnificent creations.
Kevin and Monique Damuth are the primary Alpenwild friends to hike your complete Through Alpina, and on a self-guided foundation. Switzerland has a mountaineering passport the place hikers put a stamp of their booklet after finishing every stage. For his or her effort they obtain a certificates recognizing their accomplishment. We’ll test with the Switzerland mountaineering authorities, however we consider Kevin and Monique Damuth will probably be amongst solely a handful of North People who’ve accomplished your complete Through Alpina.
Alpenwild affords distinctive mountaineering and strolling holidays within the Alps, together with treks on the Haute Route, in addition to rail, culinary, and winter excursions. Discover us on-line at https://www.alpenwild.com.
