The right preparation counts
Hiking is in vogue because it is good for the soul, the circulation, the performance and the immune system. However, these many positive effects can only be achieved with good preparation and careful selection of hiking routes.
Before the start of the trip
Choosing the right hiking area starts at home with extensive research. Depending on your hiking experience, you should choose an area that suits your abilities and offers a certain degree of variability. You don’t always feel in top condition in the morning and may want to take an easier tour for a change.
Another criterion is the presence of lifts. Some hikers avoid lifts at all costs. Others like to walk up and ski down.
The most important criterion for avoiding stress, however, is to thoroughly research whether the valley you have chosen for your hiking holiday is marketed as a paradise for mountain bikers. If this is the case, stay away.
Meeting mountain bikers on the mountain who usually train in gentle local hills and then have no control over their bikes downhill sometimes leads to serious accidents, but always to great stress.
Many a hiker who had to jump off the trail at the last second to get away from one or even several mountain bikers can tell you a sorry tale of how their recovery ended.
Take a look at the list of what you should have in your rucksack so that everything is within reach when you get there.
On site
Talk to experienced staff at your hotel, the tourist office or a mountain guide. Again, the question is: Can the hiking trail be used by isolated mountain bikers? If so, find another path.
You are usually safe from approaching mountain bikers on trails that have a large number of steps and in areas where there are no or few lifts. Detailed knowledge of the respective trails is usually available on site.
The Europe-wide mountain rescue number is: 112. Also ask locally for the local mountain rescue phone number and which weather app is recommended for the region. Locally, you will usually also know which huts are open if you want to stop for a bite to eat along the way.
