Any hikers around...

[Forourfuture]

My daughter, who will be 17 next year has really got into hiking in the last few years (inspired by DOE I think). She wants to go hiking somwhere abroad for a few days next year, really likes the sound of Italy (mountains preferably) but I am a bit concerned that this might be a bit much but very happy to be corrected. She's done plenty of hiking around the UK so whilst not a novice, she's not super experienced. For context, her and friends are sensible and not really into drinking or anything.

I love her hobby but just want to make sure she's safe. Any ideas would be great.

She's best going on a organised trip or with a guide to start with.
They will know the route but also where there are shelters etc.
Italy is beautiful but mountains shouldn't be underestimated and its easy to end up on a roped or climbing section if the wrong turn is taken.

Thank you - Yes this is exactly the sort of thing I worry about.

I've hiked quite a lot in the mountains between Malaga and Granada in Spain, which is probably similar to Italian Alps in that everything is a lot more 'steep, rocky and loose' than the UK, so increases the risk of accidents.

It's a lot hotter a lot of the time. Maps with the clarity of OS maps aren't always available. There might be a language barrier if she gets lost or needs help.

However there are often waymarked trails, which are quite good. Also both Gozo and Menorca have round island coastal paths which, while not mountainous, are quite undulating. But you can't get catastrophically lost, because you just keep the sea on your left/right.

Madeira has the Levada trails, little canals that bring water down from the mountains, these are popular with hikers and the climate is more moderate than Mediterranean countries.

But a guided holiday might be a good start.

To add, if she does this, she needs to check her travel insurance as there's often limits on altitude or other exclusions.

There are plenty of companies that run guided walking holidays but they can be pricey. If she has friends who want to go self guided but organised can be a lot cheaper. I'm doing a long distance coastal walk in Portugal next week. I'm walking solo but I have telephone back up, GPS maps are provided and my luggage is transferred each day so I don't need to carry it.

If the specialist holiday tours are too pricey somewhere like KISC - which is a scout centre but open to all would be an option (especially as under 18 so a nice safe site for them) - can book small private rooms and then book guided hikes and other activities through them. there are some good low level hikes up to the lake etc that can be done without guidance. Trains are amazing to go sightseeing etc.

Anywhere in the Austrian Alps would offer what your daughter wants. Most ski resorts now have summer programmes and if she stays in an Alpine town she can take the cable cars up the mountain and do any number of easy hikes. The tourist offices issue free hiking maps showing the various hikes and the level of difficulty and some organise group hikes for the guests. As you've mentioned friends, I assume she is planning to go with other people as she should not hike alone on the mountains.

Resorts such as Saalbach or Zell am See offer summer cards to their guests which give free access to the lifts, pools, buses etc.

Andorra is very nice

I agree with the others, find an organised trip. There’ll be lots out there, catering for different abilities.

Has she looked at the Camino in Spain? lots of routes from France/Portugal, lots of women walkers do it solo or part of an organised group. It’s not hiking in mountains (some parts can be) but it’s a clear and well known route.

The German Alps are fantastic with plenty of easy to follow trails for every level. Hiking season runs roughly from mid April to September.

I agree with other posters that you cannot underestimate the mountains! Many areas in the Alps are very remote so caution is your friend.
I think if she wants to experience the Alps with all their beauty, she should have a little 4-5 days centre based holiday... then attempt the Alpine Crossing either E5 (very popular & difficult) or Ü for a gentler experience (basically minus the snow/ ice fields so still a formidable challenge!)

I’d stay somewhere like Chamonix - lots of trails accessible on public transport that aren’t too remote, well signposted etc
I did holidays there with groups of friends age 17 and 18.

Or do you mean travelling completely by herself?

She can walk a camino. Camino de Finisterre is 4-5 days with lots of cafes and shops on the way and very obvious and safe accommodation at the end of each stage. It’s forested and through villages, but no high altitude or technical bits. I would not recommend taking on any high altitudes without a guide and without a lot of training and preparation. Mountains in Europe are not like our DOE hiking here. She will need some more technical expertise for a lot of routes.

The camino above (there are many caminos but this is a short one good for your first time) is very manageable and she’ll meet lovely people along the way and will be very looked after. I did it as a solo female and even with 5am starts with a head torch in the dark (I like to start early, it’s not necessary though) I never felt unsafe.

There are easy flights to Santiago de Compostela from London and you get the bus back from Finisterre at the end (takes a couple hours, very easy). It will give her a walking adventure but a measured one where she can’t easily get lost or run out of supplies.

A long distance hut-to-hut route in the Alps
/Dolomites would be good. Easy to do self-guided (there are signposts!) but more importantly there will be dozens of other people, mostly young-ish doing the same route and staying at the same mountain refuges (which are staffed and provide a bed and a warm meal) every night, so she will quickly find an informal temporary community. The only hitch is they will probably need an over-18 with them to stay in the mountain refuges.

If this appeals google Alta Via 1, which might be a suitable route. You can do a section of it rather than the whole thing.

In the UK I would look at a route staying in bothies in Scotland. Unlike Italian rifugios these aren’t staffed so there are no age restrictions. For safety reasons it might be best to stick to popular bothies likely to have lots of visitors (although I’ve never heard of any bad incidents). One nice trip might be a four day there-and-back trip across the Cairngorms, staying at Corrour bothy (very popular in summer). Start at Aviemore train station, walk to Corrour, next day walk to Braemar, overnight in the youth hostel (showers!) then back to Corrour-Aviemore by a different route. Four days, only one night of paid accommodation, train station at beginning and end, big adventure. Maybe you could give yourself a nice little holiday and meet them at the beginning, end and at Braemar in the middle to buy them a slap-up meal (they will be hungry!)

Get her and her friends to plan the route very carefully in advance including potential Plan Bs if things go wrong. Make sure they can use a map and compass and know some basic first aid plus what to do in an emergency. Make sure they are carrying correct kit including waterproof clothing, warm clothing, emergency blanket, head torch. You can also consider a Garmin InReach or similar which would let you monitor their location (and swap text messages) even when they have no phone signal.

Chamonix is a good shout.
Morzine region too. Plenty of hiking trails easily accessible and both these are easy to get to from Geneva. Lift assistance can take the sting out of the climbs/descents too.
If she wanted to try some more technical trails, hiring a guide for the day would be easy too.

This is all so helpful - thank you. And sorry I didn't make it clear it will be her and a couple of friends who will all be 17 at the time and probably about the same level of experience.

For first-timers in the Alps, a hut-to-hut route or anything that might take them into places where they could need to climb rock faces or cross snowfields is far too ambitious.

They could stay in one central location and do easy day hikes using the lifts, and possibly join any hikes organised by the local tourist offices. In my experience as a former holiday rep, the average age of the people on organised hiking holiday is going to make this types of holiday of little interest to a group of 17 year olds.

Instead let them stay in an apartment or B&B so there is food and a hot shower available every day, and choose a village where a bit of life in the town in the evenings and where there are other activities (rope-parks, zip wires, rafting, indoor pools etc.) in case the weather means that they can't hike every day or for when they just fancy a change.

There is a recently reopened Camino in Sicily. Might that be of interest?

www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/mar/25/walking-sicily-newly-restored-pilgrims-trail-via-dei-frati

@Ineffable23 that looks lovely.

That Sicily one is tempting but definitely not one for summer. We went to Sicily in mid June a couple of years ago planning to spend a few days hiking but temp was mid to high 30s

No, definitely agreed it would have to be Easter to be okay, or maybe october half term.

Quite a few years ago now, but we did a week in the Dolomites staying at a hotel in Val di Fassa and just doing mostly low level walking through the forests and along the river. You can get cable cars up the mountains and walk down which is easier. The routes were all well marked and we had a self guided route map. We also joined a group hike one day. I’m sure she can find something similar. I am hoping to go back one day it was such walking.

@Ineffable23 I bet October would be lovely. Tempted!

Part of the Camino de Santiago is perfect if she’s determined to walk solo - it’s very popular so there’s going to be others she can tag along with if she wants company, plenty of help if she needed it and crucially all the services long distance hikers need along the way. You can do a section each year perhaps to complete the trails - the one through France and Spain I can recommend starting in the Pyrenees

Oh and there’s hostels, churches that let you sleep at the back etc so she could not carry a tent