Trekking, water bottle and herbal tea: a wild tale of the Wayfarer’s Trail

The Sentiero del Viandante (Wayfarer’s Trail) is a 40- to 50-kilometer route that runs along the eastern perimeter of Lake Como, that shore of the Lecco branch of the lake that connects some of the most beautiful Larian villages-Mandello sul Lario, Lierna, Dervio, Varenna-to Colico. The trail, which has now become a great classic of Northern Italian hiking, winds through ancient mule tracks, forest paths, villages where time has stood still and breathtaking views of mountains and, of course, the lake, the absolute star of this adventure.

We at Wilden had two contributors tell us about it who experienced it firsthand and describe it, in true Wilden style, as an embrace of slowness, nature and its infinite symbols.

Water bottle, backpack and more: what to bring on a 3-day trek

There are many ways to experience the Wayfarer’s Path: the first choice, for example, is to divide it into stages. For us, the one in 3 turned out to be optimal: from Lecco to Lierna, then again from Lierna to Bellano and again Bellano-Colico, for a daily average of 16-17 km per day and a route almost within everyone’s reach.

As far as orientation is concerned, our advice is to leave maps at home (if you can, don’t print anything) and to rely on hiking and trekking route and trail apps, even more so if they allow offline map downloads. During the Wayfarer’s Trail, you never risk running out of signal, buttaking the data off your smartphone is a liberating action, one that in effect enshrines the commitment you make to nature: embracing it with your own eyes, not behind a screen.

Then it’s on to gear preparation: if you decide to lean on the many facilities in the various villages along the way, just carry a backpack with a capacity of 25-30 liters, enough for 3 days in the spring time with 15-20 degrees on average and to accommodate a minimum of clothing, a basic first aid kit and daily food. Most important is knowledge of water points (several along the route) and the choice of a water bottle, in our case a 500 ml Kinto. Kinto is a Japanese brand particularly focused on conscious and dynamic lifestyles and its water bottles combine functionality and durability – as well as being ideal for preserving the temperature and aromas of Wilden herbal teas!

Herbal teas and hiking: a winning combo

Nature calls nature: we are so convinced of this that we decided to take as many as 3 Wilden herbal teas with us on this Wayfarer’s Path adventure, one for each day, one more versatile than the other: a Remedium No. 0 – Morning , perfect for sounding the morning charge and starting the day off on the right foot (literally!), a Remedium No. 6 – Relaxation , for the coveted break time after the daily leg, and a Remedium No. 3 – Digestive , with a fresh and sweet taste, excellent as a substitute for water.

We don’t know if it’s some kind of secret, but we want everyone to know: bringing herbal teas to a hiking or walking experience is a very good choice! And so easy to prepare, too: if you want to enjoy it brewed hot, all you need is some water to heat with a small stove (if you’re on your own with a tent/tarp and sleeping bag) or with a thermos, which is increasingly ubiquitous in rooms or B&Bs; if you want something different, then let it steep cold overnight. That way while you rest after a stage, the herbs begin a slow, nuanced infusion that you can enjoy the next day.

Besides, do you want to put the feeling of sipping herbal tea in nature, step by step, straight from the water bottle, without stopping? Or even take a break in a timeless village, eat some blackberries and drink a fresh Digestive?

Trekking and nature: the symbolic meaning of a path

A walk is a journey outside and inside oneself. An extremely natural journey that allows one to admire different views and explore an inner landscape, one’s own; a way of getting to know one’s body and, simply, of feeling free and existing. To marvel at the sight of a long expanse of olive trees beside the path, to recognize gingko biloba, laurels and cypresses, magnolias and palms; of heeding the call of a kite in the sky; of descending to a shaded stream, catching our breath and looking up at the lake, calm as an expanse of oil.

At the end of the Wayfarer’s Path we started reading a book that illuminated this experience with meaning: it is titled Troverai più nei boschi by Francesco Boer, an explorer, alchemist and writer, and in one chapter he writes:

“Nature speaks to us through symbols. A meadow, a forest, a river: these are not just outer places, but spaces of the soul. The true essence of the symbol is in the relationship that makes our heart and the outer world vibrate simultaneously. Only in this way, with this empathy, can we access the relationship with nature “.

The relationship we establish with nature-and the meaning of the journey-take on the connotations of the symbol: by humanizing the elements (meadow, forest, river, lake), we receive the cosmic reflection of nature and become part of a universe that, without the precious symbolic language, would seem precluded, secret, extremely intimate and inaccessible.

To the path, Boer dedicates these words:

“Every walk begins with the first step. Walking, after all, is also a symbol. In a pilgrim’s journey is reflected the whole of life. To depart is to be born, to arrive is not to die, but to arrive at the satisfaction of having walked a path worthy of the name “.