There's a saying: "It's the journey, not the destination."

For Brandon Wilson, the journeys have become life's "sweet obsession."

On Tuesday, the Maui writer and his wife Cheryl left Hawai'i for a five-month trek along the Via Alpina, Europe's high-altitude trans-Alpine way.

On foot, they will traverse eight countries, walk 1,500 miles, carrying 15-pound packs, taking millions of steps. The Wilsons are walking for peace — modern-day pilgrims traveling by an ancient code. Their only fixed plan is the route.

Unplugged from the wired world, the couple relish the simple act of walking. "You're forced to slow down and this changes the way you see the world," said Wilson.

"Possessions are reduced to the bare essentials, which shows how little we really need to get by, and you achieve an inner peace."

Snaking across the rooftop of Europe, the Via Alpina winds from Trieste, Italy, to Monaco, from the Adriatic Sea to the Mediterranean, through Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and the Principality of Monaco. Beginning at sea level, at its highest point the trail reaches almost 10,000 feet at the Niederjoch pass on the Italo-Austrian border.

Wilson, 55, has written several books about trekking, including "Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith" and "Along the Templar Trail" (France to Israel). When he read about the Via Alpina trail, which opened in 2002, he was immediately interested.

"I've long been fascinated by the Alps and the idea of exploring Alpine culture in a more deliberate way," he said, "Ever since traveling through Tibet and Africa, I've come to enjoy traveling slowly and to be more aware of the surroundings and the local people."

He also wants to promote the trail to Americans who might feel jaded by costly European travel over the last decade.

"Lots of Americans may have gone to the region as students but have never been back," he said. "Our intent is to promote this trail as an economic, eco-friendly way to discover the beauty, nature and tranquility of the Alps."

But mostly on their journeys he and Cheryl promote peace, one step at a time, one person at time. They love historic trails and the idea of walking in the same footsteps as pilgrims of 1,000 years ago. They've trekked through Tibet and down the length of Africa; they've walked from France to Jerusalem on the Crusaders way, and along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. They've traveled the Via Francigena from Canterbury, England, to Rome, and along St. Olav's Way across Norway.

Wherever the call of the road has taken him, Wilson views it as an opportunity to sow a few seeds of peace.

"Traveling in war-torn Serbia in the 1990s, we walked along the same path as the Templars and the ancient Romans, and we met people who were so encouraged that we had traveled from Hawai'i to essentially talk about peace," he said. "It was an affirmation of the basic goodness and kindness of strangers."

TUNING UP TO TREK

Though this will be his 10th long trek, the Via Alpina Red Route rates among the most challenging, with "lots of ups and downs," requiring months of aerobic and strength training for the couple.

"The terrain will be difficult," Wilson said. "In some areas the villages are small and far apart, and there are no major cities, so we have to be prepared with food and water.

"With this kind of trek, you have to pace yourself, and one of the benefits of being older is that you learn not to rush at things. You go at a slower pace; the mindset is of a marathon rather than a sprint."

Even for the well prepared, however, trekking is also about the unknown: weather conditions; where to sleep the next night, freak accidents.

"You have to be flexible and you have to stay in good spirits," he said, "... because there are always events you can't control. In Tibet we were shot at by Chinese soldiers; we've also survived altitude sickness, blizzards and major weight loss. On one trek, it rained for 18 days out of 21. Yet with each journey we come back renewed."

TRAVELING LIGHT

Inspired by explorers such as Marco Polo and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the Via Alpina route is long but the couple travel light, with gear pared to the bare essentials: a 15- to 17-pound pack each and an ultralight tent, their only shelter from the famous unpredictability of the Alps' snowy passes, rain, and high altitude winds.

Wilson is buoyed by such physical and mental independence. "Hawai'i is a beautiful place but leaving can make you appreciate it more, he said. "Travel for me means exploring the world and myself, going beyond what we see and take for granted.

"Often the hardest thing is to simplify your life and discover what is important to you. If the essence of trekking is perseverance and overcoming the odds, it's also about savoring the small victories that a trip throws up and finding in those lessons strengths that become a metaphor for life," he said.

"We can sort through a lot of things while walking and establish what is important in life; walking is a kind of trampoline for the mind.

"You walk alone and at the end of the day with sore muscles and aching joints enjoy a simple meal with fellow travelers. That's when you realize how similar we all are wherever we come from," Wilson said.

"It's the journey that ultimately matters, not the destination. In walking, everyone can find their own adventure."