Long-distance hiking (2015)

This master thesis examines the landscape experiences of long-distance hikers on the Via Alpina trails in the European Alps. By conceptualizing walking as an embodied mobile practice, the hikers’ individual reflections on the journey are analyzed from a non-representational perspective. An interpretive research angle and qualitative methods are employed to study their experiences of natural and cultural features of the landscape, social encounters along the way, and personal meanings of the hike. Theorizing long-distance hiking in the context of Alpine tourism, the thesis shows that the hikers experience deep, multi-sensual immersion in their surroundings, make meaningful social connections during their journey, and take lasting positive memories with them that have a significant impact on their lives.