Experience unforgettable adventures on a hut-to-hut hike in the Alps. A multi-day hike offers the perfect blend of physical challenge, natural beauty, and relaxation. Our comprehensive guide helps you plan your route, assemble your gear, and discover the most beautiful high-altitude trail
Planning and Preparation for Multi-Day Tours
Route Planning for Multi-Day Tours: Optimizing Your Journey with Komoot
You might already be familiar with Komoot. It combines a route planner, navigation app, and tour directory in one, featuring countless tours from simple jogging routes to long-distance hiking trails. Additionally, it includes a social network where you can record, share, and review your outdoor activities.
The Free Version of Komoot
Let’s take a closer look at Komoot in the context of multi-day hikes. Under the “Routes” tab, you can discover pre-planned and tested routes. You can search for possible routes on a map either from your current or planned location or specifically find multi-day hikes under the “Long-Distance Hiking Trails” category further down.
If you prefer to design your own unique tour rather than follow pre-planned patterns, the “Route Planner” tab is suitable for you. Here, you can precisely determine your start and end points, as well as plan specific waypoints. On the map, you can highlight interesting waypoints with the + symbol, such as scenic highlights or good overnight options. You can also view the elevation profile and terrain of your tour. As a general rule for planning: an easy hike should have a maximum of 200 meters of elevation gain per kilometer, a moderate one up to 400. If you want to climb more than 400 meters per kilometer, it becomes a challenging hike.
Komoot Premium
As you can see, you can already plan your multi-day hike well with the free version of Komoot. However, if you’re willing to spend a bit of money, Komoot Premium offers even more features for multi-day hikes, making planning even more comfortable. For example, you can divide your tour into different stages and view current weather data. It also provides more accommodation planning options.
Conquering the High Route Challenge: Tips and Tricks for Your Multi-Day Trek
First and foremost: get to know yourself. If you’ve never done a multi-day hike before, start small and hike over an extended weekend. Once you’ve gained some initial experience, you can really get going.
Before the Hike
It’s always advisable to plan several smaller hikes with your gear before your big hike, partly for conditioning and partly to see how you handle your equipment. You can test if you have everything you need or if you’ve packed too much, as you’ll feel every gram on long distances. Here, less is more.
If possible, also plan buffer or rest days. You may find a stage more tiring than expected or need to wait out a storm. Or you might just want to enjoy some peace in the alpine meadows.
Before you start your hike, make sure to check where you can restock your supplies and if your planned accommodations are available. During peak season, it’s worth reserving a bunk in a hut in advance. As an alternative, you can stay in hotels or guesthouses in the valley, which are usually less crowded.
If you have a DAV card, you’ll get discounts at many huts and be insured worldwide in the mountains. It’s worth looking into the benefits of a DAV membership. If you’re not a member of the German Alpine Club, make sure your health insurance covers possible mountain rescues before you start hiking.
During the Hike
Everyone knows to bring enough food and water. It’s interesting to note that at higher altitudes, the air is drier, and your need for fluids increases. If you are unsure which drinks you should pack, you can read our article “The right drinks for exercise”. For energy on the go, dried fruits or nuts are suitable. They don’t weigh much and provide essential nutrients and energy. Granola bars are also a good choice; but check the ingredients beforehand. If the bar contains a lot of sugar, it provides a quick energy boost for steep climbs. If it contains less sugar, it gives you sustained energy over a longer period for less steep sections. Do you want to know exactly what is in your energy bars? Then you can try our muesli Bar recipe. Whenever possible, have your main meals at huts or rest stops to avoid carrying too much food and save weight in your pack.
Packing List: What Do I Need for a Multi-Day Hike?
Pack larger and heavier items at the bottom and close to your back in your backpack. This saves energy and helps maintain balance.
For the Trail
- Layered functional clothing
- Hiking boots
- Headgear
- Weatherproof jacket and backpack cover
- Trekking poles
- Flashlight/headlamp
For the Backpack
- Change of clothes
- First aid kit with magnesium tablets
- Personal medications
- Enough water and snacks
- GPS device or map with compass
- Hiking guidebook
For the Hut
- Hut sleeping bag
- Deck of cards
- Earplugs
- Towel
- Toiletries
- Bag for dirty laundry
- Cash
Discover the Beauty of the Alps: Hut-to-Hut Treks and High Routes
Multi-Day Hiking trip on the Berlin High Trail: An Unforgettable Mountain Hike
If you want to explore the Berlin High Trail, you can follow the Komoot tour “To the majestic Zillertaler Alps on the Berlin High Trail – Great Walks”. This tour offers exciting stages over eight days with 73 kilometers and nearly 6000 meters of elevation gain. The highlight of this tour is the magnificent Berlin Hut, where you can stay overnight after the fifth stage. The tour start is easily accessible by public transport, and a bus runs regularly between the start and end points.
Multi-Day Hiking trip on the Heilbronner High Route Hut Trek: Unique Landscapes
If you’re interested in the beautiful Allgäu region, the Komoot tour “3 stages of summit happiness in Germany’s Allgäu – Heilbronner Way” is the right choice for you. This tour offers three day hikes with the option of an additional summit tour after the first stage. This makes it suitable for an extended weekend. Overall, this long-distance trail is just over 30 kilometers long and conquers about 2200 meters of elevation gain, making it suitable for beginners as well.
Conclusion
A multi-day hike offers the perfect mix of physical challenge, natural beauty, and relaxation. With the right preparation and helpful tools like Komoot, you can enjoy unforgettable experiences in the Alps. Pack your backpack, lace up your hiking boots, and set off on your next adventure!
