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Edvin
Jul 21, 2009, 1:24 AM
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Hi! I'm heading down to the alps with a friend in about a month to stay for a couple of weeks, first destination is Cham and then on to Matterhorn. Never been to the Alps before so I don't know what the local regulations say about putting up a tent.
Free to camp everywhere? Forbidden to camp everywhere and you get some hefty fines? Forbidden to camp everywhere but nobody cares about it?
Also if anybody got and tips on some nice cheap climbing bars in Cham please let me know as I'm a big fan of beer 
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marde
Jul 21, 2009, 8:41 AM
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I assume it's forbidden to put up your tent in Cham.
And I know that it's forbidden in the Zermatt valley.
But it's doable, preferably do not use a tent if possible and try to hide somewhere so you're not visible from the street.
There might be hefty fines but what I heard is that in most cases playing stupid works just fine (do not get caught twice!)
I haven't found cheap bars by now in Chamonix but the poco loco sandwhiches are really good plus the beer isn't that expensive during happy hours
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I_do
Jul 22, 2009, 4:10 AM
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Edvin wrote: Hi! I'm heading down to the alps with a friend in about a month to stay for a couple of weeks, first destination is Cham and then on to Matterhorn. Never been to the Alps before so I don't know what the local regulations say about putting up a tent. Free to camp everywhere? Forbidden to camp everywhere and you get some hefty fines? Forbidden to camp everywhere but nobody cares about it? Also if anybody got and tips on some nice cheap climbing bars in Cham please let me know as I'm a big fan of beer
The fines are hefty but if you're not near a built up area and get in late and get up early no-one's going to notice. Otherwise campings are really cheap anyway so you could just go to a campsite if you don't want to be moving around all the time and such.
Cheers
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qwert
Jul 25, 2009, 3:22 PM
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generally camping is forbidden outside of campgrounds.
you will find plenty of campgrounds throughout the alps, and often at reasonable prices.
Also there is a gigantic infrastructure with huts (mostly really comfortable) operated by the various alpine clubs where you can sleep and get food at mostly quite good prices. The swiss are a bit more expensinve, and crowded areas mean crowded huts.
I dont know the exact legal details, but i think bivys are legal. However what gets defined as bivy versus camping is hard to say.
Generally i would keep it low profile. No large group, no noise, no big fires and so on.
Stay away from farmland (A lot of "empty" meadows in the alps are actually owned and used by someone). If you are close to a hut ask them if its ok if you camp there. If you get your beers at the hut, they will probably be ok with it, since they dont earn to much money with the the rooms anyway.
Obviously the best chances that you wont get noticed or that noone will mind are in non crowded areas.
Around the matterhorn or chamonix chances might be rather bad, since these places are always crowded.
qwert
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degaine
Jul 26, 2009, 2:18 PM
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Camping in the French Alps - as in setting up camp for multiple days - is in designated campgrounds only (un camping) as far as I know.
A bivy is legal just about everywhere in non city areas except where is specifically indicated that it is prohibited - in the Vanoise National Park it is prohibited except in a couple of designated areas around the mountain huts in the park. Otherwise, when you want to bivy it's "set up your tent / bivy after 7pm (19:00) and take it down in the morning before 8am (8:00).
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Edvin
Jul 28, 2009, 10:04 AM
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Thanks! I'm used to our very liberal camping rules here in Sweden but it's good to know that you can camp one night at least but the 8 AM rule is gonna hurt... :(
Got another question, how is the water access? Is the water that can be found on the mountain drinkable? I'm not very concerned with the quality or bactierias but if it's a big NO, NO(!) then I might reconsider
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degaine
Jul 29, 2009, 7:12 AM
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It depends.
If you are drinking runoff directly from a glacier, no problem.
Otherwise if you are camping anywhere near high alpine pastures where cows or sheep may graze, or even mountain goats and such, best bring a filter, iodine pills or boil your water.
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reverse_dyno
Aug 7, 2009, 8:27 AM
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Camping rules change depending on the Canton in Switzerland. I camp in the alps all the time. It is normally legal to camp in the Alps, as long as you are not near any huts.
The bigger problem is that the Swiss can be assholes, since most do not understand why you would want to camp, rather than stay at one of their very expensive huts and drink wine. Which means they might come up to you and ask you what your doing. Unless you know the rules in that Canton, there is nothing you can say against them. I doubt that anyone will call the police on you, they will just threaten to.
Most the huts are expensive (if your a student), 35 CHF and up. They are normally crowded as well. A lot of them are 50 CHF and up. That includes breakfast and dinner.
The water is fine if you get it from a running stream. I have not had any problems in the 3 years of drinking untreated alpine water. Even when there are cows grazing upstream.
I am in the Swiss alps every weekend and live in Zürich.
Mark
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Edvin
Aug 25, 2009, 5:54 PM
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Thanks for all the help! Unfortunately the trip didn't go off... My partner pulled out, said something about freediving instead...
Hopefully I'll find a new partner for either the winter season or next fall
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alpenweg
Sep 2, 2009, 6:30 AM
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the others blew their wad and did not even get off the ground
suuukkkkksssss mannnn!
alpenweg
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