Preparing for a level 4 trip

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Cassandre Dufour

Travel expert in France, Switzerland and Italy.

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Kristiina Gaillard

Alps and Scandinavia travel expert

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Estelle Torterotot

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

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What level 4 means at Grand Angle

For hiking, level 4 generally means 3 to 7 hours of walking, 750 to 1 250 m of ascent and up to 1 500 m of descent in a day. The terrain may include technical sections, steep slopes or lingering snow patches early in the season.

For cycling, the stated daily stages are usually between 35 and 65 km, with 400 to 850 m of ascent and occasionally a more demanding day. For snowshoeing, the guideline is 3 to 6 hours of walking and 300 to 750 m of ascent per day. You can find all the criteria in our difficulty grading chart.

Each trip’s description remains the definitive reference. It details the terrain, distances and possible variations from these ranges.

Assessing your preparation

Before booking, compare the stages in the itinerary with an outing you have completed recently. The key factor is often completing consecutive days: a single day does not always give a good indication of how tired you will feel after three or four stages.

If the durations or elevation gains seem too high, level 3 trips offer an intermediate pace. To find a more demanding itinerary, explore level 5. You can also describe your usual activity routine to us so that we can help you choose.

Choosing guided or self-guided travel

A guided trip provides a guide and a shared group pace. On a self-guided trip, you follow the itinerary using the route notes and GPS tracks provided. With either option, a level 4 rating still represents a physical challenge you need to prepare for.

To discover comparable itineraries, also browse our challenging hiking trips and our article on difficult hikes in Europe.