Hiking and mountain safety in Switzerland
Vaud has lake trails, the Jura and the Alps within a train ride of EPFL. This page explains trail markings, where to check weather and avalanche danger, the emergency numbers and what to know about cover for a rescue.
Key facts
- Yellow = hiking trail; white-red-white = mountain trail (steep, narrow, exposed); white-blue-white = alpine route.
- Weather: MeteoSwiss. Avalanches (winter and spring): SLF avalanche bulletin.
- Emergency: 1414 (Rega, air rescue) or the Rega app; 144 (ambulance); 117 (police); 112 (European emergency number).
- Beginners should stay on yellow trails (BFU).
1. Trail markings
Suisse Rando (Swiss Hiking Federation) uses three colours:
| Marking | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Hiking trail (chemin de randonnée pédestre) | Generally easy, no special requirements |
| White-red-white | Mountain hiking trail (chemin de randonnée de montagne) | Can be steep, narrow and exposed; you need sure footing and no fear of heights |
| White-blue-white | Alpine route (chemin de randonnée alpine) | Very demanding terrain; experience and often equipment needed |
Signposts show the destination and the walking time. BFU recommends that beginners stay on yellow trails.
2. Before you go: weather and avalanches
- MeteoSwiss (federal weather office): forecast and hazard warnings for your area. Weather in the mountains can change quickly, even on a sunny day.
- SLF avalanche bulletin (WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research): check it for any trip in snow, including spring and autumn when snow can still lie higher up.
- Alerts for natural hazards also reach you through Alertswiss: see Alertswiss and civil protection.
In winter, skiing and snow safety (including avalanches off the slopes): see Winter sports in Vaud.
3. BFU advice (Swiss accident prevention office)
BFU's hiking advice, in short:
- Assess yourself realistically and pick a route that matches the weakest person in the group.
- Plan: route, time needed with a safety margin, and a fallback route; check difficulty, trail conditions and weather.
- Tell someone where you are going, especially if you go alone.
- Equipment: sturdy shoes with a good tread, warm and weatherproof clothing, sun protection, a charged phone, current maps (offline or paper), food and drinks, first-aid kit and a survival blanket.
- On the way: take breaks, drink and eat. If you are behind schedule, the weather turns or the trail is worse than expected, turn back or change route in time.
Ticks in forests and tall grass: prevention, removal and the TBE vaccine are on Ticks in Vaud: Lyme disease and TBE.
Picking mushrooms: see Mushroom picking and the free mushroom check in Vaud.
Camping or a bivouac on the way: see Wild camping and bivouacs in Vaud.
Walking in the forest between September and January: hunting days and where hunting is banned: see Hunting season in Vaud: what walkers need to know.
4. Emergency numbers and the Rega app
| Number | Service |
|---|---|
| 1414 | Rega, Swiss air rescue (helicopter) |
| 144 | Ambulance / medical emergency |
| 117 | Police |
| 112 | European emergency number |
| +41 333 333 333 | Rega from abroad (repatriation) |
- Rega app (free): one tap raises the alarm and sends your location to the Rega operations centre, then connects you by phone. It needs location sharing switched on, a SIM card and at least minimal mobile coverage. Use the test alarm at home to check it works.
- If the app does not work, call 1414. Rega advises: if you cannot get through, change position or try 112.
- With a foreign SIM card in Switzerland, dial 1414 without a prefix.
More on emergencies and hospitals: Health and emergencies.
5. Who pays for a rescue?
A helicopter or ground rescue can be expensive. Which insurance pays depends on your situation:
- If you are not working, or work under 8 hours a week for one employer, leisure accidents fall under the accident cover of your LAMal health insurance; if you work 8 hours a week or more for one employer, under the employer's LAA (non-occupational accident cover). See Accident insurance for students.
- LAMal basic insurance pays 50 % of rescue costs in Switzerland, up to CHF 5,000 per calendar year, and 50 % of medically needed transport costs, up to CHF 500 per calendar year (OPAS art. 26 and 27). The rest is yours unless a supplementary insurance or Rega pays it.
- LAA accident insurance reimburses travel, transport and rescue costs as far as they are necessary (LAA art. 13).
- Rega patronage is a donation to a non-profit foundation, not insurance. In thanks, Rega may waive all or part of its mission costs for patrons when no insurance has to pay them (Rega, Become a patron). There is no entitlement.
6. Getting there by public transport
Most trailheads in Vaud are reachable by train, bus or mountain railway. A Half-Fare card cuts the price of most tickets: see Half-Fare and SwissPass for students and Getting around. Check the last connection back before you start.
Summer alternative close to home: Swimming: pools and the lake.