A guidebook to trekking Alta Via 2, a route of 148km, from Chardonney and Courmayeur in the Gran Paradiso National Park. While not high on the difficulty scale, Alta Via 2 is strenuous, and best suited to trekkers with some alpine experience. Fittingly perfectly into a two-week time slot, the route is best undertaken between late June and late September.
The route is described across 12 stages (with a 4-stage extension option in place of Stages 6 and 7). Stages range from 5 to 18km, with stage ascent varying from 50m (Stage 8) to 1400m (Stage 9). Net ascent is 9630m. The route is described east to west so trekkers are rewarded with the beauty of Mont Blanc at the journey's end.
GPX files available to download
Detailed information on travel logistics, the mountain hut network, as well as kit requirements
Trek-specific Italian-English glossary included
Information given on local alpine flora and wildlife
Les parcours longue distance de la célèbre Alta Via en Italie traversent les Dolomites, principalement sur laxe nord-sud et de part et dautre de la frontière autrichienne.
Inclut des informations détaillées sur les parcours 1 et 2 de lAlta Via.
Les parcours 3 à 6 de lAlta Via sont décrits dans les grandes lignes pour des randonneurs à la recherche de défis personnels.
A guidebook to 32 day walks on Italy's Amalfi coast. Exploring the dramatic scenery of this UNESCO World Heritage site, the walks are suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike and cover the Amalfi coast as well as the Islands of Ischia and Capri.
Walks range from 3 to 11km (2-7 miles) in length and can be enjoyed in 1-5 hours. The walks have been designed to allow you to combine routes to create longer days out and are easily accessible from Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi.
Local points of interest are featured including the Gulf of Naples
Sketch maps included for each walk
Detailed information on accommodation, facilities and public transport
A guidebook to trekking Portugal's Rota Vicentina, a 224km (139 mile) trail comprised of the Historial Way (Caminho Historico) and the Fishermen's Trail (Trilho dos Pescadores). With the central stages hugging the Atlantic seaboard, the route stretches from Santiago do Cacem to the southwestern tip of mainland Europe at Cabo de Sao Vicente. The trail is suitable for most walkers, with stages graded easy or moderate.
The main route is presented in 12 stages of between 12 and 24km (7-15 miles). Also included in the guidebook is a four-stage inland variant running north from Odeceixe to form a circuit with the northern half of the main route.
Route description illustrated with 1:100,000 mapping
GPX files available for download
Refreshment and accommodation information provided for each trek stage
This pocket field guide to identifying 230 common Alpine flowers is packed with all the information you need to recognise your favourites while out in the mountains. Designed for the non-specialist, this little handbook is arranged by colour and also includes a glossary of flower parts and an introduction which describes the amazing lengths that these tiny gems go to to survive at altitude. Alpine expert author Gillian Price says: 'It never ceases to amaze me that such tiny plants can spend months on end buried under metres of snow and ice - weathering temperatures as low as minus 25 degreesC - then sprout back to life when things thaw out and warm up. In springtime you can spot the fragile purple petals of the Alpine Snowbell pushing their way through snow - they contain an anti-freeze that enables them to melt it. Masters of adaptation and survival, alpine flowers can trap insects, store precious water, expel excess minerals and fool insects.' Each flower entry includes a clear photograph and essential description along with its name in English, Latin, German, French and Italian and interesting information about the origins of some of the more curious flower names. Each one is also indexed by its English and its Latin name so you can follow up a hunch about a name or find out more about a flower.
A guidebook to 22 day walks on the Greek island of Corfu, plus the Corfu Trail. Exploring both the island's stunning coast and unspoilt interior, the routes are graded from easy to strenuous with options to suit most abilities and ambitions.
The day walks range from 4 to 18km (2-11 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2-5 hours. The 150km (93 mile) Corfu Trail traverses the island from south to north and is presented in 10 stages.
Clear route description and sketch maps included for each walk
Detailed information on refreshments and access
Suggestions for walking bases
Accommodation listings for the Corfu Trail
Local points of interest, plants and wildlife and Greek cuisine
Guidebook describing Alta Via 2, a challenging hut-to-hut trek through the Italian Dolomites. Stretching 174km from Bressanone (Brixen) to Feltre, the route involves some aided and exposed sections (although several can be bypassed) calling for a sure foot and a good head for heights. It can be walked in under a fortnight - although it is also possible to walk shorter chunks should you only have limited time, and the guide highlights potential exit routes and transport options. Also included are summaries of Alte Vie 3-6, which are more demanding and include remote terrain and stretches of via ferrata for which climbing experience is essential. On Alte Vie 3-6 some nights will be spent in unmanned bivouac huts, meaning trekkers must carry their own kit, although it is possible to walk shorter hut-to-hut sections. The easiest of the Alta Via routes, Alta Via 1, is covered in a separate Cicerone guide.
An overview diagram is provided for each trek, showing times between huts. Alta Via 2 is presented in 13 stages, each with clear route description illustrated with 1:75,000 mapping. There are overview statistics for each stage and contact details and notes about mountain huts encountered en route. The guide also includes a wealth of information about the region's geology, plants and wildlife to enhance your appreciation of the landscapes traversed. Useful contacts and an Italian-English glossary can be found in the appendices. A handy pocket-sized map booklet showing the full route of Alta Via 2 on 1:25,000 Kompass maps is included with the guide.
Alta Via 2 visits the Plose massif, the jagged Puez-Odle, fortress-like Sella, the majestic Marmolada, spectacular Pale di San Martino and the rugged Alpi Feltrine group as it journeys from the baroque town of Bressanone to Renaissance-style Feltre. On all of the Alta Via routes you can expect breathtaking mountain vistas and a truly memorable trekking experience.
A guidebook to 28 day walks and a 5-day trek around Lakes Como and Maggiore. Exploring the dramatic scenery of the Italian lakes, the walks are suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike.
Walks range from 3km to 20km (2-12 miles) and can be enjoyed in 1-5 hours. The Sentiero del Viandante trek, or Wayfarer's Path, along the eastern shore of Lake Como between Lecco and Colico is described in 5 stages covering 54km (34 miles).
Sketch maps are included for each walk
Detailed information on accommodation, public transport and wildlife
A guidebook to the Gran Paradiso National Park in the Valle d'Aosta, in north-western Italy, describing the 12-stage 148km Alta Via 2 trek, and 28 day walks ranging from 2 to 33km.
The first part of this guidebook describes the Alta Via 2, a strenuous trek in 12 day stages from Chardonnay to Courmayeur, passing beneath the foot of Mont Blanc, which is best suited to experienced Alpine hikers. The successive chapters contain walks suitable for visitors who prefer to make their base in a valley hotel or campsite and embark on shorter excursions. A handful of excellent traverses is also included, brilliant routes that convey walkers to wild exhilarating heights and act as links between the valleys. Suggestions are given for combining these into a further series of long-distance routes.
The guidebook provides plenty of practical information on getting to and around the region, as well as advice on accommodation, language, equipment, planning and how to make the most out of any adventure in one of Italy's most spectacular national parks. A wealth of detail of information on wildlife, history, geology and flowers is also included.
