For almost thirteen years, Pascal Bourquin has walked every hiking trail in Switzerland. He reached the 33,289th kilometer — the halfway point of his project — during a stage celebrated near the Aare.
At 60, Pascal Bourquin, a resident of Moutier (JU), is pursuing a singular and determined project called “La vie en jaune” (Life in Yellow): to walk every hiking trail in Switzerland. According to his calculations, the total represents 66,578 kilometers. The 33,289th kilometer, i.e. half the route, was reached during a stage accompanied by about thirty people, including his daughter.
Dizzying figures
To make the distance more tangible, the article compares 33,000 kilometers to the shortest round-trip route between Bern and Beijing according to Google Maps, or to “125 one-way trips between Schaffhausen and Lugano,” taking the fastest road route. The total project is described as “one and a half times around the world.”
Some concrete markers
- Project start: twelve years and nine months ago.
- Stages completed: at the time of writing, the 1,305th stage.
- Total elevation gain announced: “1,682,000 meters of elevation gain“.
- Current pace: about 45 kilometers per week and about two days per week dedicated to the project.
- Organization: for every hour of walking, he spends about an hour preparing and planning.
Encounters, surprises and simple pleasures
The journey has not been idyllic: injuries, a dog bite, closed trails, closed restaurants, poor meals and uncomfortable nights are among the difficulties mentioned. But Pascal Bourquin also emphasizes “the immense pleasure of being in nature” and “very, very many moments of happiness.”
I feel like I left yesterday… A lot of people told me it was impossible. Even half of the project seemed infinitely far away. And suddenly, here we are.
Among the surprises noted over the years: encountering chamois in Solothurn and discovering an old solitary hiker on the Via Alta Verzasca. One routine episode of the walker’s day: crossing the Aare on a small motorless ferry, driven by the current and a cable.
What next?
Pascal Bourquin says his motivation has evolved: if at first he wanted “to do something extraordinary,” he now mainly seeks a connection with nature, the discovery of new places and meditation through walking. He hopes that for the second half he will sometimes have “a little more time” to stay several days in one place.
He plans to finish the project on August 1, 2041, on the Federal Square in Bern!
Source: watson.ch