Hiking. climbing and Longevity.

Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places in the world to go hiking. I am probably a little biased... :) but there are miles upon miles of hiking trails here. All of them are very well marked and usually pretty easy to follow so you won't get lost. It even tells you how much time to expect to finish your trek.

Hiking here is a national pastime, everyone does it, usually as a family, with younger and older people walking together, little kiddos are often carried on parents' shoulders, in a special carry-backpack so they do not miss the fun. Switzerland is very much a "walk-everywhere" kind of country anyway, and everyone is used to it, so it no wonder to see trails so well used by everyone. You do not have to walk quite that far though...

There is nothing better than to load a picnic into your rucksack, and just go! The views are magnificent, you often find little streams where you can dip your feet and cool off on a hot summer day, or even chill your drink or a small bottle of wine to go with your sandwiches! There are also cows everywhere, in the middle of the rhododendrons.

You might even see a few hang gliders take off from a summit, gracefully sliding through the clean air on their way to the valley below.

But one thing Switzerland is also well known for is mountain climbing. We have peaks galore and many try their luck on the Matterhorn or some less well-known summit, just as difficult as the more renowned mountains. When in Zermatt, you can see them climb, and see their lights at night when they camp out, mid-summit, dangling on their suspended platforms.

One of my all time favorite climbers is Marcel Remy, currently 99 years old, who climbs every Monday in his son's indoor climbing gym, just down the road from where I write this, and who opened many climbing routes on the surrounding summits over the course of his life. I had the pleasure of sharing a bottle of wine with him on the terrace of a mountain restaurant, a few years ago, and listen to him recount his many adventures. He is truly a character and his zest for life is totally contagious. He climbed the Mirroir d'Argentine, a sheer 500m wall, as a present to himself for his 94th birthday, and with his sons and a camera crew to record the journey. Once at the top, he then flew down with a tandem hang glider back to the valley floor. If his adventure interests you, see the documentary that was made about him below. He is such an amazing inspiration to all, especially the younger generation of climbers, as he proves that age can be just a number, and not something to be feared.

Where will your walk take you today?

As always, keep moving, stay healthy and above all, stay curious! Cheers!