Hiking the Via Alpina, Switzerland

21.07.2023 - 07:45 / roughguides.com / Sherlock Holmes

Tamara Hinson meets marmots and treads in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes along the Via Alpina in Switzerland.

Mountains are my happy place – I'll take snow-capped peaks over beaches any day. That's why I jumped at the chance to conquer a stretch of the Via Alpina – the 20-stage, 390-kilometre hiking route which winds across six Swiss cantons and 14 alpine passes. The stage I'm tackling meanders through the Bernese Alps, starting in Engstlenalp and finishing in Meiringen, a small town famous for its connections with Sherlock Holmes, and a great place to experience some of the best sports and outdoor activities in Switzerland.

I spend the night before my hike at Hotel Engstlenalp, nestled at one end of a steep valley. The walls are covered with photos of alpine life in the early twentieth century. The hotel dates back to 1892 and rooms are wonderfully rustic, with flower-adorned ceramic bowls instead of sinks, and pastel blue shutters instead of curtains. In the reception area, there's a rubber stamp with which those who've conquered this particular stretch of the route can mark their Via Alpina passport. The lobby is a colourful tangle of walking sticks and discarded hiking boots.

A cow grazes in the Alpine meadow a Melchsee-Frutt, Switzerland © Copricorn Studio/Shutterstock

I discover that a handful of my fellow guests are schwingers – alpine wrestlers. They're here to compete in a nearby championship, so the next day I rise early for a spot of schwingen, a traditional form of wrestling with deep connections to Switzerland's alpine areas. Unlike today's wrestlers, competitors wear leather, not lycra. Leather breeches (known as schwingerhosen) are worn with belts which double as handholds for wrestlers. To win, a wrestler must throw their opponent with enough force to ensure that both shoulders touch the ground.

I nab a spot next to the grassy meadow doubling as the main arena. Bouts take place on small circles of sand poured onto the grass. During breaks, wrestlers take thirsty gulps from the wooden trough-style fountains normally used by cattle. Local children scramble up the hillside, lugging crates of beer and doling out liquid refreshment to parched spectators. It's all wonderfully friendly — there are no WWF-style jibes, and the prize is a cow, not cash. After every round, competitors dust the sand off each other's shoulders as a sign of friendship.

Traditional swiss wrestling, or schwingen © BrunoK1/Shutterstock

I don't know who bagged the bovine, because it's time to begin my hike. The Via Alpina route starts with a steep ascent along a narrow ridge winding its way towards Tannalp, a tiny hamlet. It's not for the faint-hearted, and our guide tuts wearily as a mountain biker flies past us. He