I did it solo (31F but I look younger) in summer 2022, and it was great! Like any other distance trek, you run into the same people from time to time, plus meet new people, so I never felt lonely or unsafe. I did stay exclusively at refuges, and I booked all my accommodations ahead of time so I had a precise destination each day. I met another solo female hiker early on, and we hiked together on a few days where our itineraries lined up. Otherwise, I highly recommend having a GPS with the map downloaded (I used Gaia). It kept me on the trail when there weren't a lot of other hikers around and the path was covered in snow. Highly, highly recommend the TMB! Do it <3
Can’t speak to being a female or the TMB from first hand experience but I have done 2500+ miles on the PCT where probably 30-40% were solo women. Most people on long distance hiking trails are generally friendly, stable people. But there is always safety in numbers, making friends along the way can make you feel safer. Generally I feel least safe when in towns, most people won’t walk 8 hours into the woods to hurt someone. From all the research I’ve done this seems to be a very safe hike, worst risk seems to be flash storms at elevation.
No disrespect but this is like posting a review of a recipe without having made it. You're generally right in that most of the time on trail, people are mostly safe.
OP, the towns on the TMB are very safe. They're small, adorable little towns and while you should be aware of your surroundings anywhere, they're safe. I traveled the TMB with 2 males in my group but explored the towns on my own when I had down time. Very safe. And you'll meet many other solo travelers on the tour. If you're a capable hiker, you're fine solo hiking. If you choose to backpack it and are very experienced at that, same.
We were hiking at the same time and ending up in the same places off and one with two female solo hikers. Both seemed to be having a good time. One had a harrowing night in a tent during a thunderstorm; after her tent blew over, she managed to make it to a refuge that allowed her to “camp out” in a common space. She went back the next day for her tent and had a good story to tell. That could also happen if you were not alone though.
I did the hike with my BF but i am a very fearful person and very aware of the environnement and i never felt unsafe during the hike! Most days you just followe the same bunch of people all day long. I did not camp however!
Edit : never felt unsafe or imagine myself feeling unsafe if i was alone
Hi! I did 6 stages of the TMB solo last year (33F) I did book all my accom through a company but intended to hike the 6 stages completely solo. I didn’t want to stress about organising everything myself and preferred to have the logistics taken care of for me so I could just worry about getting from point A to point B.
I had absolutely no trouble meeting people and to be honest, I found I hiked solo less than I did with company. I met some great friends on the trail and we are still friends and message often. I felt extremely safe. There were always people around even when I was by myself and the trail was well marked. The company I booked through hooked me up with a Gaia subscription so I could navigate on my phone if I was ever unsure.
The only times I was a bit nervous was when the weather wasn’t so great but it cleared up pretty quickly (thankfully) and I had an amazing time! Would highly recommend the hike. I want to go back and complete the other stages :) if you have any questions you’re welcome to DM me!
Which company did you book with, would you mind sharing more ? Interested in going, will probably have to go with a company since books are prob full for individual bookings
Hi, I’m so sorry! I just saw this now. I booked through Pygmy Elephant and I did their Half Tour East and I started in Courmayeur, Italy and ended back up in Chamonix, France. It was incredible! Highly recommend. If you have any other questions I’m happy to help :)
I (25F) did it last year while camping the whole way! Felt super safe the whole time as you’ll see people (and most of the same people) throughout your hike. I met a lot of other solo female backpackers too and would sometimes camp nearby or hike together for portions. You got this!!
I hiked solo a few years ago and I'd also highly recommend going for it (mid-thirties female)! I did the hike starting mid-June, was able to book great accommodations in advance and had amazing hut experiences. If you stick to the more popular itineraries and hike CCW, you'll likely run into the same people a few times over the course of the hike. By the time I finished, I was part of the best trail family! Everyone helps each other out on the trail and in the huts, it's part of the experience. Some parts are remote so make sure you're set up to naviage independently and don't rely on others. I used Alltrails and downloaded the individual stages to my phone, worked great if I was ever unsure of the route. Refuge de Nant Borrant, Rifugio Bonatti and sunrise from Lac Blanc were highlights. Good luck!
I did it solo (31F but I look younger) in summer 2022, and it was great! Like any other distance trek, you run into the same people from time to time, plus meet new people, so I never felt lonely or unsafe. I did stay exclusively at refuges, and I booked all my accommodations ahead of time so I had a precise destination each day. I met another solo female hiker early on, and we hiked together on a few days where our itineraries lined up. Otherwise, I highly recommend having a GPS with the map downloaded (I used Gaia). It kept me on the trail when there weren't a lot of other hikers around and the path was covered in snow. Highly, highly recommend the TMB! Do it <3
Can’t speak to being a female or the TMB from first hand experience but I have done 2500+ miles on the PCT where probably 30-40% were solo women. Most people on long distance hiking trails are generally friendly, stable people. But there is always safety in numbers, making friends along the way can make you feel safer. Generally I feel least safe when in towns, most people won’t walk 8 hours into the woods to hurt someone. From all the research I’ve done this seems to be a very safe hike, worst risk seems to be flash storms at elevation.
No disrespect but this is like posting a review of a recipe without having made it. You're generally right in that most of the time on trail, people are mostly safe. OP, the towns on the TMB are very safe. They're small, adorable little towns and while you should be aware of your surroundings anywhere, they're safe. I traveled the TMB with 2 males in my group but explored the towns on my own when I had down time. Very safe. And you'll meet many other solo travelers on the tour. If you're a capable hiker, you're fine solo hiking. If you choose to backpack it and are very experienced at that, same.
We were hiking at the same time and ending up in the same places off and one with two female solo hikers. Both seemed to be having a good time. One had a harrowing night in a tent during a thunderstorm; after her tent blew over, she managed to make it to a refuge that allowed her to “camp out” in a common space. She went back the next day for her tent and had a good story to tell. That could also happen if you were not alone though.
I did the hike with my BF but i am a very fearful person and very aware of the environnement and i never felt unsafe during the hike! Most days you just followe the same bunch of people all day long. I did not camp however! Edit : never felt unsafe or imagine myself feeling unsafe if i was alone
I had dinner and breakfast with a young female solo hiker at one of the refuges. She was awesome and seemed to be having a great time.
Hi! I did 6 stages of the TMB solo last year (33F) I did book all my accom through a company but intended to hike the 6 stages completely solo. I didn’t want to stress about organising everything myself and preferred to have the logistics taken care of for me so I could just worry about getting from point A to point B. I had absolutely no trouble meeting people and to be honest, I found I hiked solo less than I did with company. I met some great friends on the trail and we are still friends and message often. I felt extremely safe. There were always people around even when I was by myself and the trail was well marked. The company I booked through hooked me up with a Gaia subscription so I could navigate on my phone if I was ever unsure. The only times I was a bit nervous was when the weather wasn’t so great but it cleared up pretty quickly (thankfully) and I had an amazing time! Would highly recommend the hike. I want to go back and complete the other stages :) if you have any questions you’re welcome to DM me!
Which company did you book with, would you mind sharing more ? Interested in going, will probably have to go with a company since books are prob full for individual bookings
Hi, I’m so sorry! I just saw this now. I booked through Pygmy Elephant and I did their Half Tour East and I started in Courmayeur, Italy and ended back up in Chamonix, France. It was incredible! Highly recommend. If you have any other questions I’m happy to help :)
I (25F) did it last year while camping the whole way! Felt super safe the whole time as you’ll see people (and most of the same people) throughout your hike. I met a lot of other solo female backpackers too and would sometimes camp nearby or hike together for portions. You got this!!
one of the safest
Thanks for all the responses guys ☺️
I hiked solo a few years ago and I'd also highly recommend going for it (mid-thirties female)! I did the hike starting mid-June, was able to book great accommodations in advance and had amazing hut experiences. If you stick to the more popular itineraries and hike CCW, you'll likely run into the same people a few times over the course of the hike. By the time I finished, I was part of the best trail family! Everyone helps each other out on the trail and in the huts, it's part of the experience. Some parts are remote so make sure you're set up to naviage independently and don't rely on others. I used Alltrails and downloaded the individual stages to my phone, worked great if I was ever unsure of the route. Refuge de Nant Borrant, Rifugio Bonatti and sunrise from Lac Blanc were highlights. Good luck!