Trek through the Alps and experience the full sweep of Europe's greatest mountain range, from the glaciers of Mont Blanc and the soaring ridges of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa to the limestone towers of the Dolomites and the wild valleys of the Slovenian Alps. Spanning Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Slovenia, this is the definitive inspirational guide to summer trekking in the Alps.

A large-format planning companion and source of inspiration, this Cicerone collection brings together 20 classic and lesser-known Alpine treks, each written by an expert author with first-hand knowledge of the route. From the iconic Tour of Mont Blanc to the remote Traverse of the Slovenian Alps, every trek is described with outline schedules, day-by-day route notes, maps, and profiles to help you choose and plan your next Alpine adventure.

• Choose from 20 summer treks across the Alps, ranging from classic circular tours like the Tour of Mont Blanc, Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of Monte Rosa, and Walker's Haute Route, to longer trans-Alpine crossings including the GR5 from Lake Geneva to Nice, the Eastern Alps E5, and the Italian Alps GTA
• Discover lesser-known Alpine classics, including the Tour of Mont Ruan, Tour of the Oisans, Tour of the Queyras, Alpine Pass Route, Stubai High Route, Zillertal High Route, Rätikon Höhenweg, Gran Paradiso Alta Via 2, and the Traverse of the Slovenian Julian Alps
• Plan your Alpine trek with confidence using outline schedules for every route, allowing you to compare distances, timings, and difficulty levels across all 20 treks before committing to your adventure
• Prepare thoroughly with practical advice on hut conventions, safety in the mountains, when to go, and what to expect on treks, from mildly demanding routes to strenuous high-level crossings involving glaciers, ice axes, and ropes
• Benefit from the expertise of a team of leading Alpine authors, including Kev Reynolds, Gillian Price, Paddy Dillon, Hilary Sharp, and Alan Castle, each writing about the treks they know best

An essential addition to the shelf of any serious Alpine trekker, Trekking in the Alps is the perfect starting point for a lifetime of adventure in Europe's greatest mountain range. 

Trekking in the Alps – Quick Facts

Guide name: Trekking in the Alps 
Location: Europe – Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Slovenia 
Routes covered: 20 summer treks, including circular tours, trans-Alpine crossings, and high-level routes 
Treks in France: Tour of Mont Blanc, Tour of the Vanoise, Tour of the Oisans, Tour of the Queyras, GR5 (Lake Geneva to Nice), Walker's Haute Route (France/Switzerland) 
Treks in Switzerland: Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of Monte Rosa, Tour of the Jungfrau Region, Alpine Pass Route, Tour of Mont Ruan, Rätikon Höhenweg (Switzerland/Austria) 
Treks in Italy: Italian Alps GTA, Gran Paradiso Alta Via 2, Dolomites Alta Via 1, Dolomites Alta Via 2 
Treks in Austria: Stubai High Route, Zillertal High Route, Eastern Alps E5 (Austria/Italy) 
Treks in Slovenia: Traverse of the Slovenian Alps 
Difficulty: Wide range, from mildly demanding to strenuous; some treks cross glaciers requiring an ice axe and rope 
Best time to go: Summer only; late June to the end of September 
Key centres: Chamonix, Zermatt, Grindelwald, Briançon, Bourg d'Oisans, Modane, Neustift, Mayrhofen, Sargans, Brand, Ormea, Bressanone, Lago di Braies, Kranjska Gora, La Thuile, Emosson 
Highlights: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Jungfrau, the Oisans, the Vanoise, the Queyras, the Stubai, the Zillertal, Gran Paradiso, the Dolomites, the Rätikon, and the Slovenian Alps 
Authors: Kev Reynolds, Gillian Price, Paddy Dillon, Hilary Sharp, Alan Castle, Allan Hartley, Roy Clark and Justi Carey 
Navigation/mapping: Day-by-day route descriptions, maps, and elevation profiles included for every trek 
Accommodation & logistics: Guidance on hut conventions, booking, and practical advice for trekking in the Alps 
 

Author Highlight

“Trekking in the Alps is immensely satisfying. The physical challenge is part of it, but so too is the sense of achievement on gaining a lofty pass that may have taken several hours to reach. Then there are the views, the ever-changing panoramas, the distant horizon of peaks and ridges that lure you on day after day. Not just mountains, but all the essential features that build a mountain landscape – individual rocks, boulders and screes, the glaciers and snowfields and torrents of snowmelt.”

- Kev Reynolds, editor and contributor to Trekking in the Alps

About the authors  8-9
Overview of routes  12
Introduction  15
About this book  19
Hut conventions  21
Advice for trekkers  21
When to go  23
Safety in the mountain  23
Words of greeting  24

The Treks

Trek 1    Grande Traversata delle Alpi: GTA – Gillian Price  26
Trek 2    Tour of the Queyras – Alan Castle  38
Trek 3    Tour of the Oisans – Kev Reynolds  48
Trek 4    Tour of the Vanoise – Kev Reynolds  58
Trek 5    Gran Paradiso Alta Via 2 – Gillian Price  68
Trek 6    Tour of Mont Blanc – Kev Reynolds  78
Trek 7    GR5: Through the French Alps – Paddy Dillon  88
Trek 8    Tour of Mont Ruan – Hilary Sharp  102
Trek 9    The Walker’s Haute Route – Kev Reynolds  112
Trek 10    Alpine Pass Route – Kev Reynolds  124
Trek 11    Tour of the Jungfrau Region – Kev Reynolds  136
Trek 12    Tour of the Matterhorn – Hilary Sharp  148
Trek 13    Tour of Monte Rosa – Hilary Sharp  158
Trek 14    Tour of the Rätikon – Kev Reynolds  170
Trek 15    Across the Eastern Alps: E5 – Gillian Price  180
Trek 16    Stubai High-Level Route – Allan Hartley  194
Trek 17    Zillertal High-Level Route – Allan Hartley  204
Trek 18    Dolomites Alta Via 1 – Gillian Price  214
Trek 19    Dolomites Alta Via 2 – Gillian Price  224
Trek 20    Julian Alps Traverse – Roy Clark & Justi Carey  234

Appendix A Useful contacts  246
Appendix B Glossary for trekkers  247

Index
 

Seasons

summer-only - from late June until the end of September

Centres

Chamonix, Zermatt, Grindelwald, Sargans, Brand, Briançon, Modane, Bourg d'Oisans, Neustift, Mayrhofen, Ormea, Bressanone, Lago di Braies, Kranjska Gora, La Thuile, Emosson

Difficulty

a wide range of difficulty and/or commitment, from mildly demanding to strenuous; on some treks glaciers are crossed which require the use of ice axe and rope

Must See

All the great Alpine regions and their peaks: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Jungfrau, the Oisans, the Vanoise, the Queyras, Mont Ruan, the Stubai, the Zillertal, the Eastern Alps, Gran Paradiso, the Italian Alps, the Dolomites, the Rätikon and the Slovenian Alps

July 2018

Updates

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