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Switzerland offers a wide range of outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, cycling, watersports, fishing, hang gliding, ballooning, sailing and canyoning. A few of the more popular are listed below.
Skiing & SnowboardingThe ski season generally runs between December and April in most resorts and from November to May in more high-altitude resorts (over 2000m).
Hiking & MountaineeringThere is a dense network of footpaths - some 50,000 Km of trails - meticulously signposted with numerous mountain huts or restaurants. The restaurants often close in October for winter. The alpine hiking seasons generally runs from mid-June through mid-September. Snow may still be lying at the higher elevations earlier in the year and early snowstorms being possible when hiking later in the season. At lower elevations and on the south side of the Alps, the hiking season begins in May and continues through October. Many winter resorts keep a few hiking trails open for walkers throughout winter. Signposts on hiking trails are divided into three categories:
Hiking areas include:
Contact:
MountaineeringMountaineering and rock climbing information is available from the Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen-Club or Club Alpin Suisse/SAC)
Helicopter air-rescueRega (Swiss Air-Rescue) provides 24 hour emergency medical assistance via helicopter throughout Switzerland and its mountainous areas. In the event of a mountain emergency: Contact the rescue services. Provide clear information on accident/emergency location. If there is no telephone reception for a mobile cellular phone, help may be available at the nearest mountain hut. Do not wave to helicopters unless help is needed. If help is needed, wave using both arms so that the body forms a "Y" shape.
Hiking mapsSwisstopo (Swiss Federal Office of Topography) produce topographical maps on seven different scales. Hiking maps are published on the scale 1:50.000 and include information about which routes are good to walk. They also have information on public transport. They are published in collaboration with Swisshiking (in French).
CyclingCycling in Switzerland is at its best from spring through to autumn. Switzerland has a well-planned national cycling network with nine interconnecting routes with a total length of more than 3,000 Km. Roads, which are for the most part tarred and low in traffic, pass through landscapes, villages and towns, alongside lakes, over high passes and through alpine valleys. Bikes can be hired in most towns as well as from over 150 Swiss railway stations. The Swiss railways (SBB) offers many special cycling tours and trips (brochures are available at railway stations) and bikes rented can be returned to any other participating station. Contact:
Caravanning & CampingSwitzerland has about 450 camping and caravan parks with a range of amenities. Many are open all year round. Permission is required to camp on private property and campers must have an international camping card (carnet). This camping card is usually available from Swiss camping associations and motoring associations (including the the AAA and RAC in Britain and the American Automobile Association and Canadian Automobile Association). It serves as an identification document at campsites and provides Third Party insurance when camping. Contact:
Further information online:
Swiss National ParkThe Swiss National Park is a nature reserve in the eastern corner of Switzerland and is the largest protected area in the country with fauna and flora protected from any human interference and left to their natural development. It offers accommodation, shops, nature trails and guided walks. At the moment it is the country's only national park, though more are being planned.
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