Trekking in the Alps

Hiking in the Alps is immensely satisfying. Spectacular peaks reflected in crystal-clear mountain lakes, gentle slopes covered with wildflowers, and impressive glaciers are some of the usual landscapes of the Alps.

Explore the best hiking areas, the best routes, the classics such as the Tour du Mont Blanc and Chamonix to Zermatt, as well as a number of hiking routes in Slovenia, the Italian Dolomites, the French Alps, the Austrian Alps and the Swiss Alps.

The routes

Classic treks

• Tour of Mont Blanc". The TMB is recognised as one of the world's classic treks. It covers 170 km over the Mont Blanc massif in about 11 days.
• Tour of the Matterhorn". 145 km, 8 to 10 day route from Zermatt, visiting 6 valleys via Zinal, Arolla and Breuil, offering spectacular views of 25 peaks over 4000m.
• Tour of Monte Rosa". 9-10 day, 134 km route circling Monte Rosa counter-clockwise from Zermatt. The high route hugs glaciers and has views of over ten 4000 miles.
• High Route from Chamonix to Zermatt". 180 km that will take us from the Mont Blanc massif (Chamonix) to the Matterhorn (Zermatt) through the most spectacular glaciers in the Alps.
• Tour of the Jungfrau (Eiger) region". Classic trekking through the Bernese Oberland under the Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau, in a circuit of 111 km and around 10 stages, starting in Schynige Platte and ending in Wilderswil. With spectacular views of mountains, glaciers, lakes and mountain ranges.
• Tour de la Vanoise". A 10-12 day, 150 km trek between Mont Blanc and the Écrins is a great introductory route to alpine trekking.
• Alta Via 1 and 2, Italian Dolomites". The Alta Via routes in northern Italy cross the Dolomites from north to south and reach the Austrian border. The AV1 covers 120 km in 11 days and is ideal for beginners to alpine trekking, while the AV2 covers 160 km in 13 days and is more physically and technically demanding.

Longer transalpine treks

• E5 through the Eastern Alps".
• Grande Traversée des Alpesthrough the French Alps (Lake Geneva to Nice) along the GR5". 660 km from Lake Geneva to Nice or Menton, through the French Alps. Variations are possible as it passes Mont Blanc, then the Vanoise, the Queyras and the Mercantour National Parks.
• Crossing the Julian Alps, Slovenia". The Slovene Mountain Trail, Slovenska planinska pot or Transverzala, 550 km through Slovenia. Starting in Maribor, near the Austrian border, to Ankaran, on the Adriatic coast, through the Pohorje region and the limestone mountains of the Karavanke and Kamnik-Savinja and Julian Alps.
• Grande Traversata delle Alpi: GTA, Italian Alps".

Other treks of interest

• Tour of the Oisans and the Écrins (GR54)". The tour around the Écrins National Park, the Tour of the Oisans, along the GR54. The 176 km, 10-day hike starts from Bourg d'Oisans and is one of the most difficult routes in Europe.
• The Alpine Pass Route (Via Alpina 1), Switzerland". A 360 km, 18-day, east-west route through Switzerland, from Sargans on the Liechtenstein border to Montreux, crossing 16 passes including the 2778m Hohtürli.
• Tour of the Queyras". The 12-day Tour of the Queyras follows the GR58 and half of the GR541 trails, crossing 24 cols, all above 2000m, with options to climb 17 summits of varying difficulty. This route is ideal for those new to alpine trekking.
• Tour de Mont Rouen".
• Stubai Glacier Route, Austria (Hoehen Weg)". A 7 to 8 day trek through the Stubai Alps in the Austrian Tyrol, progressing over glaciers, making it suitable for experienced mountaineers with the right equipment. More affordable is the Stubai Rucksack Route (Runde Tour) linking 8 huts without crossing glaciers or difficult passes.
• Zillertal South Tyrol Tour (ZSTT) in the Austrian Tyrol". 8 to 10 days, with excellent alpine huts, crossing the mountain range along the Austro-Italian border. For mountaineers with less experience in alpine trekking the Zillertal Rucksack Route (ZRR) (or Berliner Hoehen Weg) avoid glaciers and difficult passes.
• Alta Via 2 della Valle d'Aosta". The Haute Route covers more than 148 km, in 12 stages, of steep mountains and valleys between Chardonnay and Courmayeur.
• Tour of the Ratikon, Swiss and Austrian Alps".
• Karnischer Höhenweg, the Carnic Peace Trail, Austria and Italy". A 170km hut-to-hut route along the border between Italy and Austria. Also known as the Carnic Peace Trail, it runs west to east along the ridge of the Carnic Alps, the site of the front line of the First World War.

Practical guide

When to go?

Only in summer, from the end of June to the end of September.

Cities & Services

ChamonixZermatt, Grindelwald, Sargans, Brand, BriançonModane, Bourg d'Oisans, Neustift, Mayrhofen, Ormea, Bressanone, Lago di Braies, Kranjska Gora, La Thuile, Emosson.

Not to be missed

All the major alpine regions and their summits: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, the Jungfrau, the Oisans, the Vanoise, the Queyras, Mont Ruan, the Stubai, the Zillertal, the Eastern Alps, the Gran Paradiso, the Italian Alps, the Dolomites, the Rätikon and the Slovenian Alps.

Difficulty and tips

A wide range of difficulties and/or commitments, from mildly demanding to strenuous; some treks cross glaciers requiring the use of ice axe and rope.

Books and maps

Sales

Alpine four-thousanders on normal routes (NO COLLECTION)

21,37 EUR

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Trekking in the alps (Cicerone guides)

28,00 EUR

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