Summary

The 63 day journey was a continuous traverse of the European Alps from end to end without mechanical assistance.  It worked out at 1860 km with 121,000m of ascent.  That didn't seem such a lot at around 30km and 2000m of ascent a day, but it proved to be pretty relentless with the pack and testing ground, involving day after day of 12 hour effort.

I left on 11 June, starting in Slovenia and ending at Monaco on 14 August.  I used manned huts, open bivvies with a basic bag, bivouac huts, camp sites and hotels in equal measure.  The open bivvies were by far the best given the hot weather, and where I could, I'd have a pizza, icecream and beer in a village, then set off up the hill for a couple of hours before crashing out in a meadow. Hotels were also a good way of recuperating when I was short on sleep and wanted a nice shower and some privacy.

The weather was very good overall, but started poorly with repeated soakings and storms.  For the most part it was insufferably hot with temperatures often exceeding 30 degrees in the valley and reaching 40 degrees C in Zurich.  I struggled to cope at times with not enough water.

I carried an ice axe, Kahtoola crampons, harness, helmet and via ferrata kit; using running shoes for comfort.

Day by Day Details