Kandersteg winter hiking vacation in Switzerland

Planet

Although the water in Switzerland is safe for customers to drink, on our vacation information sheet we encourage customers to purchase a discounted filter bottle which combines three different technologies to remove over 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants in water. This prevents the need for single use bottles.

We operate a ‘leave no trace’ policy on snowshoeing and winter walking days to help maintain trails for future generations. Our tour leader is trained to promote this message to customers whilst on tour. Some lunches are included, others can be purchased from mountain huts or from the hotel and we encourage customers to bring a Tupperware container to avoid plastic bags.

The focus of this trip is primarily snowshoeing however, there is some winter walking involved depending on the amount of snow. We aim to leave minimal impact in all the areas we travel. This includes sticking to the trails to avoid upsetting the delicate balance for plants and animals, as well as not feeding wildlife as they become reliant on tourists, plus maintaining a safe and respectful distance from wildlife.

We are committed to offering low impact vacations that benefit the country and communities we visit. This tour operates during low tourist season and utilises Swiss owned hotel, meals, services and guide.

Given most of the time is spent exploring on foot, the trip itself is low carbon. it is important that our staff, local partners and customers are aware of the delicate balance which exists in the places we visit, and leave no trace.

People

This tour operates during the quieter Swiss tourism season. This helps to curb the massive decline in tourism numbers following the busier summer tourism months and helps combat the negative effects of overtourism.

On this tour we stay in a family run hotel, in previous winter months the hotel has been known to struggle to fill rooms which highlights the benefit for spreading business into the earlier months also. The owner employs Swiss staff, provides equipment and most meals.

We cap this tour at the maximum of 12 customers (and one leader) so as not to impact on the fragile environment of the areas we pass through on foot. Smaller groups allow us to travel quickly and quietly. On this tour we include a rail card to utilise public trains and transport.

We ensure that our staff are equipped with suitable footwear and clothing to cater for the environment in which they are working on.