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The idea We like to be on our way on foot, especially in the Swiss Alps and in the Swiss Jura. Being outdoors on small trails is fun and simple. The low speed of walking allows us to discover the landscapes and opens our senses. We can feel the season and the weather. Furthermore, it gives us the chance to see the moments that are ideal to be frozen in the form of a photo. Some years ago, the idea of hiking a long distance trail started to grow. But what about the distance, the time, the motivation and the luggage? Optimizing the function and weight of our gear became increasingly a time consuming hobby. And now, we feel well prepared for a longer thru-hike with lightweight gear. After some research, we thought that the northern part of the E1 European long distance path should be perfect for us (see Hiking Europe - European long distance path E1 (hiking-europe.eu) for more information about the E1): We will get on trails in Switzerland, discover the areas that are close to our hometowns and end up in the far north. And to solve the problem of time, we decided to take a sabbatical during 2021. The original plan was to start at our home in January 2021 and to walk north through Switzerland, Germany and Denmark. In later spring, we wanted to hike the south and middle part of Sweden and ideally, the northernmost part during the short Scandinavian summer. So, at the beginning of 2021, we are ready for our hiking experience. If there were no corona-pandemic. Searching for an alternative But wait a minute: Our route on the E1 goes through five countries, and by today - during the corona pandemic - most northern European countries have closed their borders for tourists from abroad. In the beginning of March 2021, we accept that our plans are not possible for the next months, probably until summer 2021. But giving up is not an option, so we discussed a lot of alternatives and decided to go to Iceland for about two to three months. We were not able to find a real alternative for our thru-hiking plans during winter and spring, but we have ideas for many beautiful shorter hiking trips in awesome volcanic landscapes instead. Quarantine and first days in Iceland At the end of March 2021, we are staying in a hotel in Keflavik for our mandatory 5-day-quarantine. We are allowed to do some short walks outdoors, so we can share our first impressions with you.
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