My husband and I just returned from a self-guided Jungfrau and Zermatt trip arranged by Troy. We couldn't have been more pleased with the planning and preparations and the attention to detail in our itineraries. Having never been to Switzerland, we were a bit nervous about making all the train connections, finding our hotels, etc., but everything went smoothly due to Troy's great instructions. We loved the hikes he had recommended and were so glad we didn't have to waste time trying to decide where to go. Our hotels were all nice and meals were good. We would definately recommend Troy's services to others and plan to do another trip with Alpine Hikers.

hi, we are a group of 6 aussies aged 56-63 and wanting to do mt blanc. do you transfer luggage from village to village and we would like to spend a few extra days doing the walk instead of rushing it all could we add a few rest days so we can look around and where would you suggest we do so. WE have all done lots of walking trips and lead an active lifestyle. We are hoping to do the walk early July 2011 what would you suggest and do you have dates and prices out for this yet? Was told its best to go anti clockwise? not sure why?
Cheers
Susan
Susan

Wow Troy. Having wonderful recollections from my trip –I feel a terra-firma connection with the lands I trekked –brimming with mind & body self confidence for my next alpine adventure in CH or beyond.

It was simply great. Wonderful, life changing, life affirming memories that greatly exceeded my expectations –words are really insufficient. Love to relive my trek through your website content.

Readers: Alpine Hikers is an excellent outfit –surprisingly thorough in their knowledge of the region and extremely willing to share all their cultivated secrets –Alpine Hikers knows almost every stone along the paths.

This last summer I arranged a 4+ week self-guided trek thru the Alps. Bernese Oberland / Haute Route / Engadine. Complaints?: a few times the path was unclear: but, never unsure for more than 10 or so minutes. As Troy says -there is only up-valley and down-valley in the alps –you really cannot get lost.

Take the glacier express. Take the few extra days to explore a little more –Troy will sculpt / modify to your idiosyncrasies. You have to get out there –you really need to do this for yourself. You will be remarkably rewarded.

Safe journey.

This trip was incredible. I would not hesitate to have Troy plan our next self guided trek. My daughter and I spent 11 days hiking in the Alps with all the preparation done by Troy. The meals and inns were very pleasant and the hiking was just what we had thought it wood be. (The Swiss do not believe in Switch backs) Trekking poles were a must. The Mountains are breath taking,the Country is so pristine and the people were very helpful and friendly. Trip of a lifetime.

Troy arranged a "self-guided" ten day tour through the Bernese Oberland for my mom and I this past summer. Without his knowledge and planning, I am sure that we would not have had such an incredible experience. There is no way that we could have planned a trip like this on our own. The maps and directions that Troy gave us were invaluable.

If you are thinking of taking a trip to Switzerland, don't hesitate, the scenery is spectacular. Having Alpinehikers plan your trip is the ideal way to experience the country.

We had a seven day self-guided trip to Zermatt and Riederalp in 2006 that we took after a self-planned 18 day trip in Italy. We’d been on the guided Bernese Oberland trip in 2004 and had a really good experience (see review in guided section). We decided to have Alpinehikers plan the Switzerland portion of this trip as well. We stayed in the Hotel Europe in Zermatt and were very pleased with the accommodations. The trail descriptions and maps were very easy to follow. The weather cooperated as well and we were able to have some great days hiking in the Zermatt area. In Riederalp we stayed at the Walliser Spycher where Troy had upgraded us to a suite. The weather didn’t cooperate as nicely in Riederalp, but we still had a chance to take some shorter hikes and see the scenery. We will definitely use Alpinehikers again when we return to the Alps.

Troy did a fabulous job with our self-guided trip through the Bernese Oberland region this past summer. His attention to detail and clear instructions and advice made our trip perfect. We hope to to have Troy plan another trip for us.

My husband and I planned this trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It was truly the best vacation we have ever taken. Troy customized it to suit our wishes and he did an excellent job down to the last detail.
We love to hike and incorporate it into almost every vacation we go on. This hike topped our trips! We loved being able to carry daypacks, send our bags ahead to our next stop, and hike unencumbered by a lot of stuff.
My biggest dilemma is putting into words accurately how great this trip was. The scenery as we hiked was astoundingly beautiful, beyond words!!! The inns were each quaint and enjoyable, the innkeepers hospitable, and we felt at home at each stop. Berghaus Obersteinberg was a remote gem one must not miss! The hike up to it through the Lauterbrunnen valley, Schmadribach Falls-visible from our room, and the Oberhornsee are must-sees! Hiking up to the Schilthorn(not taking the cable car) was spectacular! Hiking over the passes and walking across the Lotschen glacier rank way up there also!
We met so many interesting people as we hiked and yet most of the time felt like we were the only ones out there enjoying this paradise!
We hope to be able to return to Switzerland again in the future and will without a doubt use Troy as our guide again! Thanks again for the trip of a lifetime!

My daughter (then 12) and I embarked on a self-guided Switzerland adventure, a journey we will always cherish. Troy listened to our ideas and then worked with us to plan our itinerary. He provided all of the details for our day-to-day travel, including excursions, maps, transportation, etc. through many villages and cities of Switzerland. We even added a few days in the middle to bus from Lugano into Varenna, Italy to spend time on Lake Como! With Troy's guidance, we felt confident in our plan, and had reservations and tickets ready, yet at the same time we felt the thrill of being on our own. We are very grateful that we had this time together and so appreciative that Troy helped make it happen.

We wanted to celebrate my partner Jonathan's 50th birthday with a special trip. The Grand Tour, which we did as a self-guided trip, did not disappoint. Our trip through Alpinehikers was hands down the best holiday either of us had ever taken.

Troy provided everything we needed to have a great time, and took care of all of the tedious details so we just needed to pack our bags and go. He even arranged for upgrades to some rooms and helped iron out a snafu with our train reservation from Switzerland to Holland at the end of the trip.

The accomodations were great and just as described. I would recommend that you allow time to take advantage of the spa facilities, as they were first class. Between the excellent maps and well-marked trails, it was nearly impossible to get lost. We even extended most of our hikes by several hours (and many miles!) a day, and this too was made easy by going to the local tourist center for maps to augment the ones Troy put together.

If you are wary of "guiding yourself," don't be. The package you'll get makes getting around easy and means you can set your own schedule from day to day.

Troy set up a week long itinerary for my adult daughter and I, with a perfect combination of alpine scenery and picturesque small towns, custom scaled perfectly to our abilities. Each day included detailed color maps, an informative narrative and options to increase or decrease the walking length or difficulty.
The pre-arranged hotels were all excellent, the meals superb and we felt welcomed at each stop. With Troy's itineray we were able to send a small suitcase ahead a town or two by train, so were able to walk carrying only a light backpack.
The customized self-guided walk allowed us to enjoy an "off the beaten track" experience, without missing any of the highlights.
I have recommended Troy, would certainly use his services again and hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did.