Best Hiking in Switzerland in the Valais, Bernese Alps, the Engadine and Davos

Book excerpt: This book showcases over 100 of the best hiking trails in the Swiss Alps focusing on the Valais, Bernese Alps, the Engadine and Davos.Switzerland boasts a stunning collection of majestic, glacier-clad peaks soaring above idyllic valleys cloaked in emerald green meadows and lovely forests. An extensive network of well-marked and maintained trails allows hiker's easy access to this spectacular alpine scenery.Day hikers will delight in the variety of base camps, ranging from villages and small towns to world class resorts, each with great trail systems containing more than enough hiking for a weeklong vacation. The country's excellent trail network connects the various base camps creating sensational point-to-point multi-day hiking trips.The trails in this opinionated guide will appeal to day hikers who like to go high and walk 5.0 to 12 miles/day. Elevation gains range from negligible to over 4,000-ft. Many of the trails offer intermediate turnaround points for hikers seeking shorter days. All the trails include detailed trail description with ratings, elevation profiles, maps and photographs.Hiking areas covered in the Valais are centered around Zermatt, Saas Fee, Zinal, Gruben, Les Hauderes and Arolla. Trails in the Bernese Alps feature trail systems near Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Griesalp, Kandersteg, Adelboden and Meiringen. This section also includes hikes in the Glarus and Uri Alps near Altdorf and Engelberg. Featured hikes in the Engadine Valley focus on St. Moritz and Pontresina in the Upper Engadine and Scuol in the Lower Engadine along with nearby Davos.Sections also include multiday hiking opportunities along the Walker's Haute Route in the Valais and the Alpine Pass Route (Via Alpina) in the Bernese and Central Alps.