Ratgeber
Trekking alone: is it safe?
Trekking alone is possible if you have experience, know the route well and tell someone about your plans. In remote regions or at high altitude, a group or a guide is the safer choice. Adventure is a Swiss travel agency offering advice by video call.
Von Adventure, Stand
Schritt für Schritt
- Choose a destination with good infrastructure and waymarked trails.
- Give a trusted person your route and return time in writing.
- Download offline maps and check mobile coverage and emergency numbers.
- Plan shorter stages than you would for a group.
- Clarify insurance, rescue and repatriation.
- Set a turn-back point that you do not postpone.
Checkliste
- Route and return time left with a trusted person
- Offline maps and charger packed
- Emergency numbers of the destination country noted down
- First-aid kit and personal medication
- Extra food and water
- Warm spare layer and bivouac bag
- Insurance covering rescue checked
- Regular check-in times agreed
Being on your own means freedom, but also that nobody is there to help straight away after a fall, an injury or a change in the weather. Whether a solo trip makes sense depends on the destination, your experience and your preparation. This guide shows what you should bring to the table and how to reduce the risk. Good preparation makes the biggest difference between freedom and risk.
Which destinations suit solo travellers?
Regions with waymarked trails, huts or accommodation and plenty of traffic are well suited. There you meet other people along the way, and help is within reach. Examples are La Palma, Slovenia or popular sections of Iceland.
Remote regions, high mountains and areas without a signal are less suitable. A simple fall can become serious there, because help takes a long time to arrive. The season also plays a part. In high summer more people are out than in the shoulder seasons, which gives solo travellers extra security. Check how busy the trails are and how long help would take in an emergency. A trail with huts every few hours is far safer than a lonely stretch.
Route, contact and emergency plan
Before each stage, tell one person your route, accommodation and expected return. Decide from what point they should raise the alarm if you do not get in touch.
Check which emergency number applies and whether mobile reception is available. In remote regions a satellite communicator can make sense. Practise using it before the trip.
Carry your name, the address of your accommodation and any medical information in your daypack. They help if someone else has to act for you. A phone with a full battery and a power bank are part of this. Switch to flight mode if needed to save battery, and check the level regularly. Draw up a short list of contact details for the accommodation along the route. It helps if your trusted person has to make enquiries.
Agree a fixed check-in arrangement. Give a trusted person the planned route, the overnight stops and a time by which you will have reported in at the latest. Also agree from what point this person should raise the alarm, for example if there is no sign of life by the evening of the following day. For each stage, plan a fallback route that you can take if the weather turns or you are exhausted. Check beforehand where there is any network reception at all, so that the arrangement stays realistic.
Your own limits and decisions
If you walk alone, you make every decision yourself, and nobody holds back a misjudgement. So set clear rules in advance, such as a turn-back time or a weather limit.
Walk more slowly and plan shorter stages than in a group. The reserve decides whether a small problem stays small. Also tell accommodations and guides about your route. Anyone who knows where you are will quickly notice if you do not arrive. Practise by doing a day walk alone beforehand, to test your sense of safety and your decisions. Afterwards you will know better whether the multi-day trek suits you.
The middle way: travel alone, do not walk alone
Many solo travellers book a group or guided tour and arrive on their own. That way you have company and safety without giving up your own planning.
Alternatively, choose an individual trip with booked accommodation and luggage transfer. In a video call we discuss with you which format fits your needs. If you are looking for company, shared accommodation and huts are worthwhile. They often lead to contacts with other walkers with whom you can share stages.
Insurance and legal matters
Check whether your insurance covers rescue, repatriation and activities, even when you are travelling alone. Read the exclusions regarding altitude and sports.
You can find the current travel advice for the destination country from the FDFA (EDA). Read more about protection in the guide [Travel insurance and safety](/m/adventure/planen). Also check whether your insurance covers rescue flights and hospital stays in the destination country. Many policies have limits that quickly become relevant on solo trips.
Planning accommodation and food on your own
Reserve accommodation in advance, especially in peak season. If you are left without a bed in the evening, you are easily tempted into decisions that are not safe. With booked accommodation, every stage has a clear goal.
Carry enough food and water, because nobody steps in if something is missing. A small emergency supply always belongs in the rucksack, even if the stage seems short.
Share your location regularly with a trusted person, as far as the network allows. It gives both sides peace of mind.
