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Trekking for beginners: your first multi-day tour
For a start, three to five days with stages of manageable length, well-marked trails and easy access are suitable. Destinations such as Slovenia or La Palma are good examples. Adventure is a Swiss travel agency offering advice by video call.
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Schritt für Schritt
- Choose a tour with three to five stages and clear waymarking.
- Assess your daily performance honestly from your own walks.
- Train for several weeks with day walks and a packed rucksack.
- Reserve accommodation or camps early.
- Pack light and test the rucksack on a trial walk.
- Plan a buffer day for weather or tiredness.
Checkliste
- Stages of manageable length chosen
- Accommodation reserved for every night
- Rucksack packed no heavier than necessary
- Broken-in shoes and suitable socks
- Rain protection and a warm layer
- Water and food for every day
- Offline map and emergency numbers
- Travel insurance checked
The first multi-day tour is a big step, because from the second day endurance counts for more than daily fitness. With a realistic goal and calm planning, though, it becomes an experience you can build on. This guide shows which tour suits a start, how to prepare and which mistakes are common. With a little preparation, the first tour becomes an experience you can build on.
Which tour suits a start?
A good first tour has stages of manageable length, no great altitude and an infrastructure of huts or accommodation. Trails should be marked, and a shortcut or an exit should be possible.
Slovenia and La Palma are examples of destinations with a short journey, good infrastructure and varied scenery. More demanding destinations such as Nepal or Patagonia are better saved for after your first experiences. Also ask yourself how you want to stay overnight. Huts and accommodation make luggage easier, while camping demands more equipment and experience.
The second and third days are decisive
Most beginners underestimate the tiredness that builds up from the second day. Muscles, feet and shoulders make themselves felt, and motivation fluctuates. That is why the stages at the start should not be too long.
Before the trip, practise a weekend with two walks in a row. That way you find out how your body reacts on the second morning, and can adjust pace and luggage.
Plan a reserve, such as a shorter day or a rest day, in case weather or fitness do not play along. Eat small amounts regularly, even without hunger. An empty energy store quickly leads to slumps that are hard to make up. Raise problems early, such as pressure points or tiredness. Anyone who treats a blister on the first day saves themselves great pain on the third.
Equipment: less is more
Beginners often pack too much. Every kilo in the rucksack makes every climb harder. Concentrate on shoes, rain protection, a warming layer, food, water, sun protection and first aid.
You will find a detailed list in the [packing list for trekking](/m/adventure/planen). Try out the packed rucksack beforehand on a day walk. Get everything ready on the evening before the start. An organised rucksack saves time in the morning and avoids forgetting important things.
Test your equipment before the tour. Pack the rucksack completely two weeks beforehand, fill the bottles with water and walk a whole day with it. That way you notice whether the shoes press at the heel, whether the hip belt sits properly and which things you never touched. Everything you did not need during the trial stays at home. You should never wear new shoes for the first time on the first day of the tour, but have broken them in beforehand on several walks.
Training over two to three months
If you walk regularly, you need no special training for a beginner tour. Do increase the duration, though, with longer walks at the weekend. Supplement them with stairs, cycling or jogging during the week.
You will find more on building up in the guide on [fitness preparation](/m/adventure/planen). If you have pre-existing conditions or feel unsure, talk to your doctor beforehand. If you are unsure, you can choose a start with luggage transfer. Then you carry only the daypack, and the tour stays more relaxed. Keep a small training log with duration, ascent and how you felt. It shows whether you are really improving, and gives confidence before departure.
Avoiding common mistakes
Typical mistakes are overambitious stages, new untested shoes, an overloaded rucksack and missing reserves. Drinking too little and eating too late also lead to slumps.
Start early in the day, begin slowly and drink regularly. Anyone who turns back when the weather changes usually gains more than they lose. Begin each day with a look at the weather and the stage. If you judge the tour realistically, you recognise in good time when shortening it makes sense.
After the first tour: what comes next
After the tour, take time for a review. What was tiring, what was superfluous in the rucksack, where would you have needed more reserve. These experiences are worth more than any checklist.
Increase the next goal step by step, for example with more days or more ascent. If you suddenly choose a big goal, you risk being overwhelmed.
In a video call we discuss with you which destination suits as the next step and how to keep building fitness and equipment.
