Switchbacks are a great invention, widely used in the US, and, we have found, underused in Italy and Spain. Trails often go straight up the hillsides.
Yesterday on the steep hill between two beaches it was too steep even for the Spanish and the side we went up did not exactly have switchbacks but the trail sloped up along the slope essentially making one long switch that went all the way to the top. Then, on the other side, learning nothing about the value of switchbacks, the trail down was pretty much straight down. Fortunately this side was not as steep but many parts of the trail were scary to walk down. It really helped to have hiking poles.
That portion of the trail looks awful. Moira always carries her hiking poles when we walk in Austria. I never use them… well, I did coming down on Kilimanjaro, but otherwise not. Also, talking about just going straight up and straight down, in my last Nepal trek, in the Annapurna Sanctuary, the locals have actually carved steps out of the rock, so it is like walking up the Washington Monument (or maybe Empire State Building) and back down again. I didn’t find it pleasant. I don’t think anybody else did either… but it is efficient, which is what the porters want.
I’m pretty sure I could not do this without poles. My knees are doing pretty well but I think doing all these hills without poles would ruin them. Stairs are the worst. We’ve run into a few up and down hillsides on this trip. Not fun. But I imagine they are nothing compared to what you did in Nepal. Wynette
PS. Charlie doesn’t need or like poles, but the other day on El Brusco, I passed mine on to him to use a few times. They also very helpful when walking through mud. Wynette