Gifts for hikers who have everything: give them the trail
The hiker who has everything does not need another headtorch. What they lack is the trail itself on the wall. How to choose a print of a hike they have done, from an Alpine loop to the Camino, a print of their own recorded route, or a gift voucher when you do not know the route.
, 8 min read
The best gift for a hiker who has everything is not more kit; it is the trail they walked. If you know the hike, give a ready-made print of it, such as the loop through Les Houches, Courmayeur and Champex, the Tre Cime circuit or the Camino Francés. If you can get the file from their watch, give a print of their own route. And if you have no idea, a gift voucher is valid for 12 months from purchase and lets the recipient choose everything themselves.
Here is how to choose between the three, what exactly the print is, and what to check so the gift lands.
Why not more gear
Experienced hikers have boots that fit, a pack they have stopped noticing and poles they chose themselves. Kit is personal, and more of it rarely surprises someone who ‘has everything’. What a hiker rarely has is something that brings back the walk itself: the hut at the end of a long day, the col at dawn, the last climb to the summit.
A print of the route does exactly that. It is not another photo on their phone, but the line of their journey over the map, on the wall.
Three ways to give a trail
1. A ready-made print of a famous hike
The easiest choice when you know where they have been. The route, map and look are ready; you choose the size and the frame. Four of our favourites for hikers:
The loop through Les Houches, Courmayeur and Champex. The long-distance loop through France, Italy and Switzerland, run anticlockwise on our line from Les Houches and back: 166.01 km with 10,027 m of ascent. Our guide to the Mont Blanc loop trek covers it stage by stage.
The loop around the Tre Cime. The marked loop in the Dolomites from Rifugio Auronzo past Rifugio Lavaredo and over Forcella Lavaredo, then back via Forcella Col di Mezzo: 9.10 km with 407 m of ascent. For the wider area, see our guide to the Dolomites Alta Via 1.
The French Way to Santiago. For the pilgrim in your life: the Camino Francés from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, 768.14 km on our line. Our guide to the Camino Francés stages breaks it down.
Rysy from Štrbské Pleso. The Slovak route to the border summit that is Poland’s highest point, 10.05 km with 1,269 m of climb from the station to the top. The hike itself is in our Rysy hike guide.
2. A print of their own route
If they walked their own line, a multi-day traverse or a variation of a classic, the best gift is their own recording. All you need is a GPX, TCX or KML file from their watch or app, or a link to the activity on Strava, Garmin and other services.
One thing to know first: the Strava export works only for your own activity, and only in a browser where you are signed in to Strava. You cannot download someone else’s activity yourself. So ask them, or a friend who walked with them and recorded the same hike, to send you the file. Our guide on how to export a GPX from Strava walks through it.
In the configurator you then try the templates and colours on their route and choose the size and frame. You can also add a title and a date, such as ‘Our first Alpine summit’.
3. A gift voucher when you do not know the route
Not sure which hike meant the most to them, or do not want to spoil the surprise by asking for a GPX file? Give a voucher. It arrives by email with a code; the recipient designs a print in the configurator and enters the code in the basket. It is valid for 12 months from purchase, so they can even wait for a hike they have not done yet. You can add a gift message of up to 300 characters.
A print of their route, step by step
Once you have the file or link, this is how it works:
Upload the route. A GPX, TCX or KML file from their watch or app, or a link to the activity on Strava or Garmin. With a link we show you how to download the file from the activity; we do not fetch the route from the link ourselves.
Choose a look and a size. Try the templates and colours on their route, then choose the size and the frame. Use the title and the date: they make it a gift.
Check the design. Look at the preview and make sure the title, date and route are right. Adding it to the basket confirms the design is correct.
We make it and send it. We 3D-print the route, frame the print and send it.
No file, and you would rather not ask? Go back to the voucher above. The recipient goes through the same steps with their own route.
What the print actually is
So you know what you are giving:
The 3D route. We 3D-print the route in matt PLA and stick it to the glass exactly above the route on the map. Its height follows the terrain, by default 4 mm at the lowest point and 15 mm at the highest, so the higher parts stand proud of the frame.
The printed map. Right behind the glass: the map, the title and the route details.
Sizes. A5 (14.8 × 21 cm), A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) and A3 (29.7 × 42 cm), in a black or white frame.
Backing board with a hook and a stand. Ready to hang on a wall or stand on a shelf.
Made to order. We make every print to order.
Match the print to the hiker
The long-distance walker. The loop through Les Houches, Courmayeur and Champex or the French Way, or a print of their own multi-day route.
The Dolomites fan. The Tre Cime loop.
The summit collector. Rysy, or a print of their own summit day from their watch.
The one who walks with you. A print of a hike you did together, from your own recording.
The cyclist in the family. See our separate guide to gifts for cyclists.
Match the gift to the occasion
Birthday. A print of the summit they reached last season, or of their longest walk from their watch.
Christmas. If you do not know what they walked this year, the voucher is the safe choice. It is valid for 12 months, so they can design it after next summer’s hikes.
Anniversary or a first hike together. A print of the route you walked together, from your own recording, with the date and place in the title.
A dream come true. The French Way for a friend back from Santiago, or the loop through Les Houches, Courmayeur and Champex for someone who has just finished it.
Leaving or thank-you present. A print of a colleague’s favourite hike, or the same shared route for everyone in a group that walks together.
Before you order
Check the route. A ready-made print shows one specific line. If they walked it from another start or in another direction, choose a print of their own route or a voucher instead.
A print made to measure cannot be returned. Check the title and date on a print of their own route before adding it to the basket: adding it to the basket confirms the design is correct.
Leave time. Every print is made to order, so do not leave it to the last minute.
Ready to start? Open the configurator and upload a route, or choose one of the ready-made prints above.
Frequently asked questions
What do you get a hiker who has everything?
Something that brings back a trail they have walked: a ready-made print of a famous hike, a print of their own recorded route, or a gift voucher so they can design it themselves.
Can I gift a print of a hike they did?
Yes. Either choose the ready-made print of that hike, if we have it, or create a print of their own route from a GPX, TCX or KML file or a Strava or Garmin link. Strava exports only work for your own activity, so ask them or a hiking companion for the file.
How long is the gift voucher valid?
12 months from purchase.
