Sentiero Roma
The Bernina Massif
The Bernina Circuit
The Engadine Valley
Summary
10: ADAMELLO–PRESANELLA–BRENTA
Adamello–Presanella
An Adamello Circuit
The Brenta Dolomites
A Tour of the Central Brenta
Vie Ferrate
Summary
11: THE ORTLER ALPS
A Tour of the Ortler Alps
Summary
12: THE SILVRETTA ALPS
The Verwall Group
The Rätikon Alps
Rätikon Höhenweg Nord
The Silvretta Alps
Tour of the Southern Silvretta
The Silvretta Traverse
Summary
13: THE ÖTZTAL ALPS
Across the Central Ötztal Alps
Hut-to-Hut in the Ventertal
Gurglertal–Ventertal Hut Tour
Two-Day Cross-Border Tour
Across the Alpi Venoste
Summary
14: THE STUBAI ALPS
The Stubai High Route
Summary
15: THE ZILLERTAL ALPS
Zillertal Hut Tour
Summary
16: THE EASTERN AUSTRIAN ALPS
The Kitzbüheler Alps
The Hohe Tauern
The Venediger Höhenweg
A Tour of the Glockner & Schober Groups
The Niedere Tauern
Hut-to-Hut in the Schladminger Tauern
The Gailtal & Carnic Alps
Summary
17: THE NORTHERN LIMESTONE ALPS
Allgäuer Alps
Lechtal Alps
A Lechtal High Route
Wettersteingebirge & Mieminger Kette
Karwendelgebirge
Hut to Hut Across the Karwendelgebirge
Rofangebirge (Brandenberger Alps)
Kaisergebirge
Berchtesgadener Alps
Tennengebirge
Dachsteingebirge
Tour of the Gosaukamm
A Dachstein Circuit
Totes Gebirge
Summary
18: THE DOLOMITES
Sassolungo & Puez-Odle Groups
Catinaccio & Latemar
Sella Group
Marmolada Group
Pale di San Martino
Civetta & Pelmo
Sorapis & Marmarole
Monte Cristallo
Dolomiti di Sesto
High-Level Routes
Alta Via 1
Alta Via 2
Alta Via 4
Summary
19: THE JULIAN ALPS
The Julian Alps of Slovenia
The Julian Alps of Italy
Summary
Medieval bridge at the confluence of the Vénéon and Muande (Chapter 2)
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
Since this book first appeared in 1998, I’ve enjoyed numerous return visits to the Alps; sometimes guiding, but more often on research for a variety of writing projects or to work out new routes. So the decision by Cicerone Press to adapt the original hardback edition of this book to soft covers has given an opportunity to update some of the information in the light of new experience, to improve the maps and to add many more photographs. In doing so I’m grateful to all at Cicerone for their continued enthusiasm and expertise, and especially to Jonathan Williams who shares my love of these mountains. As ever this edition owes much to a great number of people whose knowledge, companionship or practical assistance has been drawn upon and so readily given. From the very start Ernst Sondheimer fed me with information, loaned maps and books, and urged me to visit remote glens where the magic of the past is still a part of the present. His lasting encouragement and friendship has added much to pleasures gained in the hills. Other mountain friends gave welcome advice which I readily acknowledge; in particular Martin Collins, Cecil Davies, Brian Evans, the late Andrew Harper, Roland Hiss, Anne Shipley, and Walt Unsworth. Both the Swiss and Austrian National Tourist Offices were generous with their assistance, as was Marion Telsnig at Thomson Holidays. Hamish Brown, the late Janet Carleton (formerly Janet Adam Smith), Cecil Davies, Brian Evans, Anne Shipley and Walt Unsworth kindly allowed me to use quotations from their letters, books or magazine articles which add quality to the text. Despite my searches I have failed to locate the copyright owners of several quotations used, and apologise to them for this. One surprising and welcome bonus that resulted from the first edition was contact with a niece of J. Hubert Walker who wrote the ‘original’ Walking in the Alps which inspired this book. Through her I learnt a little of the background of the man, which was most enlightening. Finally, as ever my wife continues to share magical days in the Alps, and provides the all-important back-up at home to enable me to concentrate on my writing. My thanks to her, and all the above, is greater than I can adequately express.
Kev Reynolds
The snow-laden Hohe Wand (3289m) above the Pfitscherjoch (Chapter 15)
INTRODUCTION
Extending in a huge arc from the Mediterranean coast near Nice to the low wooded hills on the outskirts of Vienna, the Alps are the world’s best known mountains. Over the past two centuries every peak, ridge and valley has been mapped and explored, every glacier measured, every natural beauty described, advertised and, in some way or other, exploited. Library shelves groan beneath the weight of books that record the range’s history, detail its geology, or recount tales of adventure on rockface and icefall illustrated with stunning coloured photographs, while guidebooks by the hundred, in who knows how many languages, provide all the detail required to move with a degree of confidence and safety from valley bed to snow-capped summit.
Over 50 years ago J. Hubert Walker published his classic Walking in the Alps. This finely crafted book was directed at the British hill walker and mountaineer ‘of modest attainment’ who had not yet grown familiar with the greater heights of the Alps. It was a selective book, of course, both in the Alpine groups described and in the routes suggested, but it succeeded in everything the author set out to achieve. With the most elegant