About us
How it all started...
It all began at a survival weekend. Julia was chatting with a participant & she told her that she would love to go to the mountains but doesn’t know any other hiking enthusiasts. She simply didn’t know how to start and with whom! In the following weeks Julia also heard from women that had recently moved to Switzerland with similar issues. Another women told her that her family and friends do not share the same interests, and she doesn’t know how to find the right people. Some were overwhelmed with planning hikes or hiking by themselves. Julia did a quick research & realized there was no community for female outdoor enthusiasts in Switzerland yet – but other countries already had a lot of similar & popular initiatives. Meet Swissmountaingirls!
Our community invites women from all different parts of Switzerland and gives them a platform where they can connect more easily to other outdoor enthusiasts. Who knows, we might live close by each other already. We regularly organize hikes where everyone can come along.
Our mission
Connect – meet new people
Our platform invites women from all different parts of Switzerland and gives them a platform where they can connect more easily with other women. We regularly organize hikes where everyone can come along!
Inspire – pure inspiration
We want to inspire women to go out and experience the beauty of the Swiss alps and the manifold activities in the mountains! We repost content of other women from Switzerland and may start to post recommended activities on our own.
Empower – share knowledge
We want to share our knowledge and resources that we find to get women with zero knowledge about hiking started. Furthermore we want to focus on offering women only guided activities (with external professionals) in the future!
Meet the team
Julia
Founder, admin / women for everything, hiking coordinator
Julia has founded Swissmountaingirls in July 2018. She is passionate about the outdoors, photography and loves to connect people. She is based in Zurich and is responsible for team and event orga, the website and the admin things. She also enjoys hosting hikes to see how her vision turns into reality!
Instagram: @wunschengel
Katerina
Hiking coordinator
Katerina, living in Zürich during the week and exploring Switzerland during the weekend. Her favorite season is the one without rain and bad weather. Although with the right equipment there’s no bad weather. Katerina is hosting summer and winter activities and she believes that every girl is a born hiker, you just need to step out of your comfort zone and start.
Instagram: @brenkovakaterina
Ariane
Hiking coordinator
After leaving big city life behind and moving from London to Zürich, Ariane rediscovered her love and passion for all things outdoors. Discovering that one could spend time in the mountains as a young family was a great revelation. She wants to encourage families and women to see for themselves that nature is for everyone.
Instagram: @rothluebbers
Vicky
Hiking coordinator
Viktoria, or Vicky, moved to Switzerland from Germany in 2020. She loves everything that has to do with nature and animals and is fascinated by the beauty that surrounds her. She enjoys exploring the German, Austrian and Swiss mountains with her dogs, no matter the weather. As her dogs are getting older, the hikes are getting shorter, but that doesn’t take away the fun. Vicky offers moderate hikes during the summer and beginner snowshoe tours during the winter.
Instagram: @mountain.dogs.me
Vanessa
Hiking coordinator
Vanessa originally from Canada and now living in the Swiss Alps is lucky enough to be able to hike up different mountains on a daily basis. She loves doing the different sports that bring her outside and to nature. She also is passionate about protecting this space that we all love to be in. Working for Patagonia and a board member of POW CH has given her different methods of helping to save and protect what we love.
Instagram: @vanessa7622
Pascale
Website admin, hiking coordinator
Having grown up in the middle of the Bernese Seeland, Pascale is drawn to the mountains whenever possible above the fog line: whether on foot, on a rope or with skis under her feet, she loves to be outdoors and discover new places. She enjoys spending these mountain moments with like-minded people and loves sharing her enthusiasm for the mountain world with others. That’s why she is all the more pleased to be supporting Swissmountaingirls in the area of community and organisation.
Instagram: @2pauli
Heike
Social media / Instagram admin
Based in Lausanne since 2017, Heike is happiest outdoors. Whether she’s hiking in the mountains, running along the lake, or cycling over a mountain pass, she’s always chasing the next adventure. Her perfect hiking day ends with stunning views, good company, and an ice-cold Apfelschorle on a sunny terrace.
Instagram: @hk.d_9
Christina
Hiking coordinator
Christina grew up in Thun, the gateway to the Bernese Oberland, and discovered her love of hiking as a teenager. For her, mountains don’t always have to be about summits or pushing herself to the limit. She now lives in Bern and loves leisurely hikes, microadventures, and mindful time spent in nature – whether spontaneous or involving a night in a bivy sack or at a mountain hut. She particularly enjoys discovering nature and embarking on new adventures together with other women.
Instagram: @_chris_journey_
Adrianne
Strategy admin
Adrianne, originally from the Canadian Prairies, was a pure mountain enthusiast until a move to Vancouver in 2005 sparked a budding rivalry between the peaks and the ocean. Relocating to Zurich many years later she quickly found sanctuary in having the Uetliberg forest in her backyard. She loves hitting the trails on two feet or two wheels to connect with people from all over the world, constantly inspired by the diverse cultures she encounters.