Solo Hiking Adventure in the Swiss Mountains | The Swiss Outdoor Diaries with Sylvia

You probably don't remember when your parents tucked you into bed for the very last time, or the last time you climbed a tree. One day, you'll also watch your very last sunset and it will feel just like any other day. Basically, life's short, you get the point. For me, solo travelling used to be something I would absolutely dread. Especially as a woman, I would make plans and then be too scared to actually do it. I'd always wait for the right moment and the right people to follow along with my tomfoolery. The issue is, the timing isn't always perfect and neither are people. So over the years, I slowly stopped wishing my life away because every little thing I do might actually be my last and I won't even notice. I never know when will be the last time my body is capable enough to carry me for four days through the Swiss mountains. Switzerland is probably one of these countries that you just have to see before your knees turn into biscuits. However, I wanted to do it a bit differently. My first destination is probably not what you'd expect from a hiking video about Switzerland. It is far from the most viral places you can see on social media. Good news is, it doesn't make it any less beautiful or interesting. So this is Schwarze, a little alpine lake in the region of Fribourg. I got there from the Fribourg city around 4pm so I didn't have too much time to explore that day. I decided to hike which is a panoramic loop overlooking the area. Unfortunately, part of the trail was closed, which I didn't know at the time. There were diversions I could follow but I obviously couldn't be bothered to check the maps properly and took the closest turn instead and ended up back at the lake. To be fair, it turned out great because the area had so many quirks, I absolutely loved exploring without knowing it in advance. It might sound strange but I rarely hike for the best views. They still matter of course but what I value far more is actually the solitude and peace. I like places that spark my curiosity and Schwarze definitely did that for me. On my first day, I had met maybe 5 people on the trails and I immediately knew I hit a jackpot. I knew I was short on time as the evening was approaching so I decided not to rush and enjoy watching the sunset. I was excited to see more the following day however, things wouldn't be so perfect anymore. The aura of Schwarze changed drastically on that day. I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't for the fact that I had planned to scramble up Kaiserek. The weather is not very promising I'll say that. I couldn't be completely sure if the conditions wouldn't become dangerous so I decided to play it safe and instead of continuing up the summit, I planned a route that would always keep me within about 15 minutes of a mountain hut just in case I needed to bail. I do not have an internet so I can't check the weather map exactly but from what I can tell, I most definitely should not be climbing that so I will bail out down to the shelter and it's alright you know. Switzerland is absolutely amazing when it comes to hospitality and hiking culture. The trails are accessible and very well marked making it easy to navigate. I experienced the Swiss hospitality on my own skin eventually as I had to escape the rain. I accidentally stumbled on an entire family sitting around a table in one of the mountain huts. We had a bit of a chat with my very broken German but most importantly they let me pet their dog. Then the rain stopped for a bit so I decided to continue on with my hike down to the lake. That is about to pour oh my god and I can't see the ground. This is getting worse. Unfortunately I ended up getting poured on anyway but that was good fun regardless. Now that I think about it, it's actually one of the nicest perks of traveling solo and not getting poured on. I mean the most random interactions you would have never planned for. I spend the rest of my day chilling in the hotel sauna and having even more conversations with strangers polishing the same five words I know in German. The next day is supposed to be the longest day of hiking but hey at least it won't be raining right? Right? Good morning oh this is cold and it's raining. My favorite saying is um is we is and that was very much the theme for today. It felt like I still had some unfinished business there especially after bailing out on yesterday's hike. I could easily have spent another day exploring the area but I needed to make it to Chalmers before it got completely dark. Despite the weather I was probably in the best mood so far on this trip. I actually quite enjoyed the rainy aura of Schwarze. The trail itself was an absolute joy to hike. It gently traversed wide meadow covered slopes. Every now and then I'd come across one of the mountain huts and wondered what life would look like living in one of these. Just like a flower that's hidden away from the sun. I see my future and it is bright. That day I came across maybe one or two other people who were hiking in the area and I found it really surprising. I really enjoyed the solitude and the freedom. It was a great way to disconnect from the outside world and stay with my own thoughts. I feel like only after spending a good amount of time in nature without any distractions is when they truly become yours and that's what the outdoors should be about to be fair. About disconnecting from daily life and stripping your life to the basics all while challenging yourself. Hiking has become sort of a trend in the recent years and don't get me wrong it's amazing that more people are getting outside and I will always encourage it however a big part of it feels like nothing more but an excuse to consume. Whether it's having 10 different Gore-Tex items you don't really need or going to the popular destinations just because they're trendy. I really hope that with this video I can convince at least some of you that just because something is popular it doesn't mean it's bad. If anything if you're somewhat similar to me you'll have far more fun being away from people and discovering spots that haven't yet been photographed 10 billion times already. The sun came out oh I got this As I was approaching Charmé the sun finally came out and it felt like a nice breeze on a hot summer After hiking 26 kilometers I finally made it to my hotel where I had unreal rosti with lamp. Cheers to the lovely server who recommended that to me. Unbelievable find. I was so tired at this point even the bed made me unreasonably happy. I am oh my god I'm so happy look at the bed oh my god I can already tell you that day was my absolute favorite. I caught a coach from Charmé to Yarn to hike the Gaslossentour often referred to as the Swiss Dolomites. Those sharp peaks had caught my eye already a couple of days earlier when I was doing the bikepacking part of my trip and by the way if you're interested in seeing that I encourage you to of course subscribe and see episode two of the outdoor diaries. Thank you. The village itself is incredibly charming and you can even hike up a short route to the ruins on top of the hill to see the town's panorama. The Gaslossentour however is a circular route to the south of Yarn that offers incredible views and some of the most unbelievable meadows I've seen in my entire life. The hike is only 11 kilometers and has about 800 meters of elevation gain. I took a chairlift up to the beginning of the trail and began my walk. The weather was still quite fussy but at least it wasn't raining. Can't sit it's wet but imagine what I'm seeing here it's very nice cool shot. The first part of the hike wasn't quite spectacular but what came after left me absolutely speechless. As I reached the Chalet du Salat the sun started peeking over the clouds and I saw the Gaslossentour in their full glory. Now this hike understandably so was a lot busier in compared to the previous days and no wonder the view was unbelievable especially the meadows and I reckon it could easily pass as one of the windows' default wallpapers to be fair and it was also a good contrast to the views I saw yesterday. It's hard to believe that these places are less than 10 kilometers apart as well. The variety you can find in Swiss landscapes make you feel like you're traveling through at least three different countries at once. The rest of the trail went through the forest back to the chairlifts. I then had to rush and find my way back to Zurich where I would take a flight back to Poland. Fear is the tax for everything worth doing is the quote I heard the other day. I would say any kind of growth happens on the other side of something uncomfortable and while there is nothing wrong with not doing any kind of scary stuff over time they stack up into a life you just wish away. The trip that's been on your bucket list for ages, the hobby you really wanted to pick up, the new country you wanted to see. I think what scared me more than anything was the thought that one day I might realize I spent my last sunsets listening to my anxiety instead of following the heart and I'm not exactly sure which sunset will be your last but what I can definitely say is that the life you have is the last one you'll ever get.