An Awfully Big Adventure: Hiking 500 miles from Lausanne to Siena…in 20 days

In September 2025, I’ll be pitting my legs, head (and pretty much every other body part) against 521 miles of the Via Francigena across the Alps from Lausanne in Switzerland to Siena in Tuscany. I’m doing this in support of Mind Over Mountains, whose amazing work helps people overcome mental health challenges through outdoor activities.

Being outdoors has been a huge part of my life, from my days as a competitive athlete to my present existence as a ‘grown-up’, where a mountain summit at night or a deserted beach at dawn are the perfect antidotes to a busy diary. And a few years ago, it helped me through a very difficult time. Exercising outdoors brings perspective. Surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells and feel of a landscape, even the darkest of thoughts have a tendency to melt into the background.

Mind Over Mountains

Mind Over Mountains organizes outdoor activities for adults of all ages where they can confide in coaches and counsellors in an unpressured setting. Life is unpredictable; it can turn on a dime and quickly become overwhelming. When it does, having the opportunity to talk and knowing you’re not alone can turn despair into hope. It saves lives – and puts countless others back on track.

I’m aiming to do whatever I can to help those who may feel themselves falling and would be incredibly grateful for your support.

A Bit of a Stretch…

So, to the trail! I’m no stranger to physical challenges, but there’s a caveat here in that I’ve always been a ‘short-range’ athlete – from my days as a sprinter to 5 or 10K dashes in later years and ‘long-distance’ hikes that have invariably been a day or two with a cosy pub somewhere in the middle.

The Via Francigena is a long-distance pilgrim trail that snakes its way from Canterbury to Rome but is at its most beautiful – and challenging – as it crosses the mountains from Switzerland into Italy and then onwards through the Tuscan hills. Normally attempted in smaller slices or as a six-week voyage, I’m aiming to complete this central section in 20 days. I’ll be hiking solo, and if I’m honest will be way outside my comfort zone. So it’s going to be a little scary, and it’s definitely going to hurt! But the views should be amazing, there’s a rumour of the odd vineyard along the way, and if I make it round on time, I’ve a friend in Italy who’s promised to buy me pizza…

I’ll be documenting my journey on Instagram (@andyfromilkley), but in the meantime, please give whatever you can to support Mind Over Mountains’ lifechanging work.

Thank you so much

Andy