Plan a loop: come back a different way
Walking back the way you came is the dullest way to leave a mountain. A loop takes a few more taps and turns one walk into two landscapes.
🔄 Plan a loop →How it works
- Set the start, then the destination — summit, hut, alp.
- Add a third point on the other side of the valley: Peakflow brings the route back that way.
- Tap back to the start — the loop closes.
- Check the profile: if the return leg is the steeper one, reverse the direction. Steep downhill is harder on the knees than steep uphill.
Why loops are better
On the way back you only see what you already know, from the other direction. A loop also spreads the crowds: the ascent to the famous summit is busy, the descent past the neighbouring alp is empty. And it often passes a hut that the direct route misses.
Loops with public transport
Sometimes the finest version is not a loop at all but a traverse: up one side, down the other, back by bus. Peakflow knows the stops and timetables across the Alps and folds the return journey into the day — including the last bus.
When a loop does not work
Some places are dead ends: a cirque with no crossing, a closed forest road, a path that ends in boulders. Peakflow says so beforehand instead of letting you plan a route that does not exist on the ground.
Frequently asked
How long should a loop be?
For a relaxed day: 10 to 14 km with 600 to 900 m of ascent, which is roughly four to five hours of walking.
Can I turn an existing track into a loop?
Yes. Import the GPX and add the way back — Peakflow suggests variants on waymarked paths.
Does this work for cycling?
Yes, with separate profiles for road, gravel, mountain bike and e-bike.
Related
- Send a GPX route to your Garmin watch — no cable, no subscription
- Hiking time: how long does this walk really take?
- The SAC hiking scale: T1 to T6 explained
- Offline hiking map: navigate without a signal
- Open and view a GPX file — in the browser, no account
- All guides
- Races with route profiles
Was du mit Peakflow machen kannst
Kostenloser Routenplaner für die Alpen – ohne Abo, ohne Konto-Zwang.
Wander- und Trailpfade statt Luftlinie – mit Untergrund, Steigung und realistischer Gehzeit.
Jede Änderung an der Route rechnet Distanz, Auf- und Abstieg sofort neu.
Route mit einem Tipp an Garmin, Suunto oder Coros – oder als GPX exportieren.
Wetter direkt auf der Route, Stunde für Stunde – inklusive Schneegrenze und Gewitterrisiko.
Haltestellen und Fahrpläne auf der Karte: Tour planen ohne zweites Auto am Startpunkt.
Öffnungszeiten, Bergbahnen und Wasserquellen entlang der Strecke – alles an einem Ort.
