The Hiking Club

What The Hiking Club does

The Hiking Club operates a web-based trip planning platform purpose-built for self-guided multi-day hikes in the European Alps, with content and tools spanning 11 named trails including Tour du Mont Blanc, the Alta Via 1/2/4 routes in the Dolomites, Walker's Haute Route, Tour of Monte Rosa, Bernese Oberland, Tour des Combins, West Highland Way, Tour of Jungfrau Region, and Via Alpina Switzerland. The core product is a personalized itinerary builder that calculates daily hiking statistics based on hiking speed, route choice, accommodation preference, and transport options (gondola, bus, train), paired with downloadable offline GPS maps containing points of interest, bad-weather alternatives, and transport stops. Underlying technology includes a real-time bed-availability feed (~130 properties with live booking data), ExoLabs satellite-derived snow depth and 48-hour forecast layers (20m resolution), and a community-powered Trail Updates Map (20+ Trail Ambassadors).

Revenue is generated primarily through direct-to-consumer digital sales via thehiking.club in three tiered packages — Complete Package (€79), Expert Access (€199, includes 60-minute consultation), and Premium Access (€329) — sold as per-trail one-time licenses. Supplementary revenue streams include a 3-month Alpine training program (€19 individual / €29–€48 bundle, developed with Pique to Peak's Stacey Hardin) and live 60-minute planning workshops (€29 or free for package buyers). Go-to-market is product-led with organic content marketing (blog, cost calculators built from 300+ customer itineraries, SEO trail guides) and a community ambassador program on Instagram. The company is privately held, bootstrapped from a 2021 UNSW Founders program grant of ~$14.7K, operates with 1–10 employees out of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, and has completed one acquisition (TMB Planner) plus one major technical partnership (ExoLabs, April 2024).

Name

The Hiking Club

Legal name

The Hiking Club

Website

https://thehiking.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hiking Club is a direct-to-consumer digital planning platform for self-guided multi-day European Alpine hikes, offering itinerary tools, offline GPS maps, real-time accommodation availability, and snow-depth data across 11 trails including Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via routes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Travel Planning

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA), Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA)

Keywords

• Self-guided hiking trips
• Multi-day trail planning
• Alpine hiking packages
• GPS hiking maps
• Mountain hut booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Chamonix-mont-blanc

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Planning Packages: Complete packages providing access to planning app, GPS maps, and resources for specific trails. One-time purchase per trail. Revenue recognized at point of sale with no recurring component.
2. Expert Consultation Services: 60-minute phone/video consultation with trail expert who designs personalized itinerary. Higher tier product with white-glove service.
3. Training Programs: 3-month hiking training program including PDFs, video library, and training templates. Sold as one-time purchase or bundle.
4. Planning Workshops: Live 60-minute workshop sessions on Google Meet covering trail-specific planning details, free for customers who purchased self-guided packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hiking Club provides a digital planning platform and trail data packages for self-guided multi-day hikes across 8 legendary European trails including the Tour du Mont Blanc, Alta Via routes in the Dolomites, and Walker's Haute Route. Core deliverables include a web-based trip planning app, downloadable GPS map files for offline navigation, real-time accommodation availability alerts, satellite-based snow depth data, and optional expert consultation and training services.

Product overview

The Hiking Club is a purpose-built platform for planning and navigating multi-day hikes in Europe, centered on a web-based Trip Planning App that serves as the core product. The platform offers tiered product packages (Complete Package at €79, Expert Access at €199) that provide access to the planning app, GPS Maps for offline navigation, and Accommodation Alerts for booking notifications. Additional services include Expert Consultation (60-minute trail expert call), Training Program (3-month Alpine hiking preparation), Planning Workshops (live online sessions), and a Trail Updates Program powered by community ambassadors. The product portfolio spans iconic European trails including Tour du Mont Blanc, Alta Via 1/2/4 Dolomites, Walker's Haute Route, Tour of Monte Rosa, Bernese Oberland, Tour des Combins, West Highland Way, and Via Alpina Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trip Planning App Web-based planning platform that lets hikers build and manage personalized multi-day hiking itineraries with visual daily statistics, route options, transport integration, and accommodation booking capabilities.
• GPS Maps Downloadable GPS map files for offline mobile navigation on smartphones, personalized to specific itineraries and including points of interest, transport schedules, bad weather routes, and hiking statistics.
• Accommodation Alerts Email notification system that alerts hikers when mountain hut properties begin accepting bookings for the upcoming season and when previously booked beds become available due to cancellations.
• Expert Consultation 60-minute phone or video consultation with trail experts who design personalized itineraries tailored to hiker requirements, including dates, accommodation availability, route options, and transport incorporation.
• Training Program 3-month hiking training program for multi-day Alpine hikes, developed with Stacey Hardin of Pique to Peak, including methodology PDF, 3-month training template, and workout video library focused on step endurance, cardio, and strength.
• Webinars Live and recorded online workshops covering trail planning, preparation, and expert guidance for specific routes, such as the Walker's Haute Route planning workshop.
• Trail Updates Program Community-powered trail condition reporting program run through Trail Ambassadors providing daily updates, photos, and insights during hiking season, combined with Break The Trail hikes by The Hiking Club team for early-season coverage.
• Complete Package Entry-level product tier (€79 per trail) providing access to the Trip Planning App and downloadable GPS map files for a specific trail.
• Expert Access Premium product tier (€199 per trail) including a 60-minute consultation with a trail expert and personalized itinerary design, plus access to the Trip Planning App and GPS maps.
• Planning Workshop 60-minute live workshop led by Co-Founder Brendan Jones on Google Meet covering trail overview, accommodation booking, transport incorporation, and planning resources; €29 per session or free for Complete and Expert Access customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Self-guided hikers can plan and book trips with live accommodation availability and GPS navigation without tour company markup
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ExoLabscoreTechnology or Integration · 15 April 2024Integration of ExoLabs satellite-based snow depth data into the trip planning app. Provides estimated current snow depth and 48-hour new snow forecast with 20-meter resolution across trail networks. Validated against 2 million data points with 0.36m average error. Critical for early-season hikers assessing route safety and gear requirements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Komoot: Komoot is a route-planning and navigation platform for hiking, cycling, and outdoor adventures with strong European trail coverage. It is a direct competitor to The Hiking Club's trip planning app, though Komoot is broader and less specialized in multi-day hut-to-hut planning.
• AllTrails: AllTrails is the largest trail discovery and GPS navigation platform globally with offline maps and community reviews. It overlaps with The Hiking Club on trail navigation and discovery but lacks the multi-day hut booking and snow-depth integrations.
• Macs Adventure: Macs Adventure is a UK-based self-guided walking holiday operator across Europe including the Alps. It competes with The Hiking Club for the same self-guided multi-day hiker customer and offers accommodation and luggage transfer services.
• Outdooractive: Outdooractive is a European outdoor platform with route planning, GPS, and detailed trail content. It is comparable to The Hiking Club on planning/navigation depth and overlapping Alpine coverage, though broader in activity type.
• FarOut (formerly Guthook): FarOut produces long-distance trail apps with offline GPS and waypoints for thru-hikers. It overlaps with The Hiking Club on multi-day trail navigation but focuses on long-distance paths rather than hut-to-hut European alpine routes.
• Wilderness Walking: Wilderness Walking offers self-guided and guided walking holidays in the UK and Europe. It targets the same self-guided multi-day hiker and overlaps with The Hiking Club on West Highland Way and other European trails.

Broad incumbents

• Strava: Strava is a large activity-tracking platform with route planning and community features. While broader and not focused on multi-day hut planning, it competes for outdoor user mindshare and GPS navigation workflows relevant to The Hiking Club's audience.
• Alpenglow Expeditions: Alpenglow Expeditions is a guided mountaineering operator offering Alpine climbs including Mont Blanc and Matterhorn. It is comparable as an Alpine adventure services provider competing for the same high-end hiker/mountaineer customer in Chamonix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thehikingclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-hiking-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Hiking Club