Frequently Asked Questions
I have decided to go on a hut-to-hut trek in the Alps. How fit should I be? What equipment do I need?
Great. Have a fantastic trip.
For fitness, the walking is no harder really than walking in Snowdonia, Scotland or the Lake District. Yes, it might take a day or so to acclimatise to the slightly higher altitude and you should take it steadily as you progress up towards 3000m (usually the highest on a trek in the Alps).
The main thing is that you need to be able comfortably to maintain your pace day by day for a couple of weeks. If not, you may not enjoy what should be a great trekking experience.
It’s not crucial that you have proved this to yourself by superhuman feats in north Wales, but you do need to adapt your walking style to be steady and smooth to get the best out of it.
For equipment, our basic answer would be ‘as little as possible’ then take less. Subject only to general considerations of safety.
There is a great article by Kev Reynolds on just this subject. Click here to view the article.
