321- Via Gebennensis
Show notes
In episode 317 we talked about the Camino del Norte-Camino and the Camino Primitivo but have you ever heard of the 350km Via Gebennensis, also known as the Way of Geneva? I certainly hadn’t. This set me on a mission to find out more about this European hiking trail. The walk was only designed in the 1990s with the aim of guiding walkers from Switzerland, Austria and Germany to le Puy, from where they could set off on the traditional pilgrimage on the Way of Saint James (Camino Frances). In this interview we catch up with hiker Lindy Saler to find out all about her journey on the Via Gebennensis to see what she thought of this trail.
Podcast overview
Podcast Overview
- Podcast introduction and general discussion of fun (time index 0:01:34)
- Introduction to Lindy Saler (time index 0:02:16)
- Tell us a bit about yourself and your hiking background. (time index 0:02:33)
- Now I need to ask, was this your first European experience or have you done others?
- Why did you decide to do the Via Gebennensis? (time index 0:05:38)
- What were your expectations prior to starting the trip? Did you expect to see certain things or have a particular type of experience? (time index 0:07:20)
- How Long did you expect to take?
- 18 days
- Is this a self-guided type of hike or are you better off travelling with an organised group? (time index 0:09:44)
- While we are talking gear, were you carrying standard hiking gear or did you need special items? (time index 0:11:22)
- What was the environment terrain like? (time index 0:13:12)
- What was the accommodation situation? (time index 0:14:30)
- Tent, hostels, hotel etc
- What was the food situation? (time index 0:17:13)
- What was the water situation? (time index 0:20:21)
- Guidebook? (time index 0:21:37)
- Would it help to be able to speak French? (time index 0:24:04)
- Describe a typical day on-trail (time index 0:25:40)
- Now onto the experience itself. What is there to love about this trail? Was there one section that was better than the others? (time index 0:28:25)
- Tell us about the key ‘things to love’ on trail
- What countries do you travel through? (time index 0:31:04)
- Were there any negatives from your perspective? (time index 0:32:17)
- Who would you recommend this trail for? (time index 0:35:11)
- What was the temperature range on your walk? (time index 0:36:27)
One final question
- What’s your next great hiking adventure? (time index 0:37:42)
Gill and Tim final thoughts (time index 0:39:01)
Close (time index 0:55:20)
Lindy on trail
Track Resources
Images
The following images have been provided by Lindy Saler
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