Hello,
We plan to hike The-Greina-plateau-and-Arch trail for 2-3 days on April.
http://www.ticino.ch/en/explore/excursions/itinerary/itineraries/details/The-Greina-plateau-and-Arch/138452.html
I have a few questions and ill appreciate your assistance:
Any other tips for this specific trail?
Other recommended 2-4 day trails for this area?
Thanks,
Gidon
Gidon,
I'm not sure the group here will have much experience with sleeping on paths on the Greina Plateau. You might try posting this question on the Lonely Planet ThornTree forum.
Good luck!
Cool! THX)
I would sincerely doubt these trails are passable in April. Hiking in the high Alps is usually not feasible before early June.
Got ya,
Are you familiar with other 2-4 days hiking routes in this region ?
Not in Ticino. But if you want to hike anywhere in the Alps, you're out of luck for the month of April. The ski season doesn't even end until late March, and the snow pack doesn't really start to retreat until sometime in May. I suggest you head somewhere else, or reschedule your trip to June, at the earliest.
Aha,
Thank you Tom
You should look for European hiking forums, this is pretty specific stuff. Or a company like REI or A16 might help. Or perhaps a British site for Italian hikes, since they love their walkabouts.
We hike quite a bit in the Alps during the summer months. In April there will certainly be too much snow to hike this or any other trail at altitude. Even in June some of the trails are too snowed-in to hike.
In Switzerland I have never seen anyone "wild camping" in tents up in the mountains near paths. Tent camping is done in organized campgrounds lower down in the valleys. I doubt that camping off trail is allowed.
I have never seen anyone building fires in the backcountry of Switzerland. Norway, all the time! Switzerland, never.
I would highly recommend you take advantage of the hut system in Switzerland. They are beautiful, comfortable, and serve amazing food! You will meet interesting, like-minded people and have a cultural experience that is unique and worth it.
Again, though, you are going too early in the season. Many of the huts are closed due to snow in April and the trails will be impassable. Can you wait until late June or July?
Thanks guys great tips!
Unfortunately we can't postpone our trip.
Basically we will arrive Milan Italy and looking for 2-4 days hiking routes.
Are you familiar with other recommended wild challenging trekable zones on a lower altitudes (Not necessarily switzerland) ?
You could try the Swiss Jura mountains, which aren't nearly as high and should have minimal snow in April. I don't know anything about hiking trails through them, however, other than that they exist.
Instead of going north to the Alps, you could go south the Apennines. They are some pretty dramatic mountains, lower than the Alps and spring will get there sooner.
I'm not sure what conditions will be like in the Italian Alps at that time of year, but you could look at the area around Ortisei, Castelrotto or Alpi di Siusi.
