The weather was great, the scenery was great, the climb was breathtakingly steep, the chamois was so close and the cable car was dizzyingly high. This is how walking stories sound. There are also meters in altitude and kilometer runs. But there are also scary, unpleasant and obvious experiences. Because if you act in nature, sometimes you get more nature than you want. And that doesn’t mean bad weather. Our readers describe the shocking moments they experienced while hiking. To make sure it doesn’t get that far, read up on safe walking tips here.
lucky
The fallen tree trunk was perfect for a short rest while hiking. I sat down, took off my backpack, and as I sipped my tea, something big hit my legs. It was apparently a wild boar camped in a hollow under a tree and fled in panic at my unexpected visit. But not only the boar, I also had the shock of my life.
Hint: wild boars avoid humans. If an encounter occurs: stay calm, do not corner the animal, move away slowly. If the animal makes threatening movements such as hissing or snoring, stretch and clap your hands loudly. A tree or large rock provides safety in an emergency.
dangerous curiosity
When I lived in Los Angeles, I used to hike Runyon Canyon every week. I discovered a snake once. Fascinated, I approached the animal, after all I wanted to capture this moment with my cell phone. As I was only a short step away from the one meter reptile, a woman behind me shouted hysterically. “Are you suicidal?” he asked me with wide eyes. “It’s a rattlesnake and a bite is deadly,” she explained. I felt completely naive but told him that I came from Switzerland and that no poisonous animals lived there. Well, I gave the rattlesnake a wide bed – no photographic evidence – and kept walking. As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, the second animal encounter did indeed happen. With a tarantula. A bite from this spider, though not deadly, scared me a thousand times more than a rattlesnake. I gave up hiking for a while and now I’m happy to be back in Switzerland where I don’t have to be afraid of poisonous or scary animals.
Hint: Switzerland has only two types of venomous snakes: the asp viper, which is mainly found in Ticino, Valais, and the Jura, and the viper, which lives in the eastern part of the Alps. If you encounter a snake, stay calm, stand still, or back away slowly so it has a chance to escape. Snakes do not attack people unless they feel threatened.
walking tired
A good friend of mine went for a walk with a handful of acquaintances and asked me if I wanted to come. “I can handle four hours, but no more,” I told him. Confirmed. Two weeks later we went to Alpstein. I’ve never been there, so I gulped at first: It felt like everything was going uphill. Particularly silly: A pair of combat walkers promptly sat at the head of the group and set a pace I could barely keep up with as a recreational walker. In the end, we were on the road for six hours instead of four, because we had completed three lake tours: from Brülisau to the Sämtisersee and the exit to Fälensee, to Meglisalp and from there – we went dazzlingly. up and down – to the famous Seealpsee where we stayed. Even at the first stop in Meglisalp, I was out of strength. Yet I dragged myself down hill and valley for the rest of the day. The next day we went up again, this time to Wildkirchli and then down the mountain on the other side. When I finally got home, I had herpes and was vomiting from overexertion. This was a lesson for me. I will never go for a walk again with people whose performance I cannot evaluate. And today, despite peer pressure, after lunch at Meglisalp I would say: “Thanks, but no, I’m going home again.” Because going beyond your limits while hiking can not only make you sick, it can also be dangerous on the mountain.
Tip: When hiking in a group, always consider the weakest participants and plan your pace and walking time accordingly. Take regular breaks and don’t overdo yourself. If in doubt, go back, if possible, choose a means of transportation for the return. Fatigue leads to carelessness and is a major cause of accidents.
bloody surprise
A day after climbing Gunung Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest mountain (4095m) in 2018, I took a short trip to a waterfall there. I had to urgently relieve myself because of stomach aches on the way. I did this next to a cave. When I got to the waterfall, I noticed two big leeches on my leg. The two of them were already quite satiated. I tore it on the spot, which caused heavy bleeding for half an hour. I was very happy to finally get back to where I was staying.
Tip: Never pluck the leeches, carefully separate them from the nipple and tap them away with your fingernail, paper or debit card. If the leech is pulled vigorously, it may vomit, thereby infecting the wound with bacteria. By the way, when the leeches are completely absorbed, they drop to the ground. Ticks are what we see more often. Grab it just above the skin with tweezers and gently pull it out. Then disinfect the wound. The redness should subside quickly. If it takes longer, consult a doctor.
painful speed
There were repeated reports of rockfalls in the Alps this summer. But my partner and I didn’t think this could happen on a regular hiking trail in Graubünden. We were walking down a hill when suddenly I heard a rumble. “Get out of here, it’s a rockfall!” I shouted to my partner, who was standing about 20 meters behind me. I ran to avoid hitting the falling rocks. But running on rough terrain inevitably led to stumbling. I hit the trail, multiple grazes and a bloody elbow. But at least I survived the falling rocks.
Tip: Always heed the warning signs. Cross the rockfall areas one by one and quickly and do not stop. Step carefully and be careful not to kick the stones. Be warned: Rockfalls are often announced by rumbling or rumbling.
armed walking guide
In Honduras, I went for a walk in the national park with my girlfriend. We were alone in the woods for about half an hour when we met a man. He spoke only Spanish and was, as we understood, some kind of jungler. He said it was too dangerous to be alone here, that he would accompany us. What bothered us was his huge machete and carrying a pistol on his belt. Anyway, we let him lead the way and he was always waving his machete, making the way with even the smallest branches. The man talked a lot, but we only understood a part of it. Over time, a disturbing feeling came over us: Were you alone in the woods with a gunman? After a while we came to a banana plantation and saw a small hut there. The man told us that he lived here and that he would leave us alone now. Even though she almost felt a little guilty, we were really relieved.
Tip: If you are traveling in unfamiliar areas, you should prepare as well as possible. Or even better: book a walking guide or join a hiking group.
sunstroke and madness
A one-day hike is part of every scout summer camp. As a scout leader at Wölfli, this wasn’t usually a big deal, as kids who complain tend to be more tiring in the long run than a steep climb. But once I was taught better. After hitting Stoos at over 30 degrees, I lay down for a few minutes on my lunch break. However, the short nap led to sunstroke, not recovery. I just realized that I had sunstroke on landing. When I couldn’t walk any further due to nausea, a helpful guide organized a farmer who could take us down the mountain. Relieved, I got into his car, until after a few seconds I realized that the farmer was driving like an executioner. I reached the bottom and barely got out of the car, my stomach compelled to relieve itself from sunstroke and wild car travel.
Tip: Weatherproof, warm clothing is essential for hiking equipment (onion principle). But also a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, because the sun can be intense at high altitudes.
sheep chasing dog, dog chasing dog
We were wandering in the Scottish mountains with a colleague and his not-so-obedient dog. After spending about two hours in nature, my little walker released the leash and let the dog go free – which immediately turned out to be a mistake. Because the grazing sheep had obviously aroused the animal’s hunting instinct. The dog ran towards a sheep, which ran for its life, and my colleague ran after the two animals. The chase drove the trio out of sight. Only half an hour later the dog and the dog came back completely soaked. Fortunately, nothing happened to the sheep.
Hint: In many places you need to be on a leash. When hiking, a harness is better than a collar. And a long leash with two carabiners allows dog owners to attach them to their belts. This keeps your hands free. When encountering cows or guard dogs, keep your distance. Because it is perceived as a threat by dogs, cows and guard dogs.
Walking works wonders
Even if there are unpleasant surprises during the walk: the good outweighs the bad. Anyone who takes care of nature and spends enough time can capture all the beauty of nature. Benefiting circulation, muscles and psychology is the best side effect there is. With 65,000 kilometers of marked trails, the hiking country Switzerland offers the perfect conditions for immersive experiences.