Early spring European hike suggestions

Bear in mind that most of Europe is much farther north than the Sierra. Lake Tahoe is about the same latitude as Cordoba, in southern Spain.

So look at the Sierra Nevada in southern Spain, or Sicily, or maybe Crete?

You might enjoy checking out  Cam “Swami” Honan site THE HIKING LIFE  .

The Alps have had a bumper snow year so far, so don’t expect to go there at that time.

Dave

Look at Christine Thuermer’s blogs and Facebook posts,  She’s “German Hiker” on BPL.  She does some serious trips in Europe and North America.  Our big thru-hikes, their big thru-hikes, but also some pretty newly established trails/routes at times.

We enjoyed backpacking and using the huts in the Italian Alps around Aosta, but April-May, the smaller huts would be closed and most of it would be snow travel.

Yes, your timeframe is generally a month too early for “mountainous” with no crampons or snow camping. You will probably have to settle for lower elevations, and staying more south. Try posting your question at http://www.trek-lite.com. You might consider something in GB that has some drama without the altitude.

Dave Grey, with this bumper snow year you mention, what timeframe do you think the passes will open? I managed to push my vacation off till early June. Id want to do a section of the HRP or GR10 starting around Garvarnie and heading east. If that’s still snowed I might do a section of the GR7 in spain. Thanks for all the suggestions folks. Keep em coming.

Many passes “open” in June, but no one can guarantee the state of any individual pass until a week before. However, many of these passes will have traffic and your issue will probably just to have some traction so you don’t have a slip and slide situation. In that case, trekking poles with microspikes should be fine- no crampons, no ice axe, no death-defying situations. Depends where, but this is mostly correct.

As David mentioned, many refuges open in June, and for many trails the refuges are a unique aspect of the trail experience. In most cases you can still camp, and you may choose to just get provisions and not even eat at the refugees, but you will meet people and see a different way of using trails than in the US. If you are flexible, then your plan of a favored hike and a safe alternative could be good.