be aware that this is walking time only and you should therefore allow extra for rests, photography and delays. Plan your walk so as to reach your destination (be it the hut or return to the valley) with daylight to spare.
Check the weather forecast before setting out. The larger resorts usually have a guides bureau which displays a forecast, as do some of the tourist offices. Otherwise enquire at your hotel, hostel or campsite. If staying at a hut, the guardian will be able to give you an official forecast. Once you’ve set off keep alert for changes in the weather; in the mountains such changes can occur rapidly, so be prepared by taking appropriate clothing with you – see Appendix B for recommendations. Remember that a gentle valley breeze may be a piercing wind just 300m (1000ft) up the hillside, and as you wander higher so the weather intensifies, and when the sun goes behind a cloud the temperature can drop alarmingly. As a general guide, the temperature drops about 6°C for every 1000m of ascent. Should the weather deteriorate, or the route become hazardous, don’t be too proud to turn back. Carry some food and a litre of liquid per person, also a map and compass – and know how to use them. A first-aid kit, whistle and torch should be included in the rucksack.
Leave details of your planned route and expected time of return with a responsible person. When staying in a mountain hut always make a point of writing your name and route details in the book provided. This information enables the authorities to plot your movements in the event of an accident. Be insured, for mountain rescue in the Alps, whilst highly organised, is very expensive.
Most walks described in this book follow established routes along marked trails, but on occasion wild terrain is encountered when extra caution should be adopted. Some routes are on trails safeguarded in places with fixed ropes, chains or cables. Although you may feel confident on these sections, the safeguards have been provided for very good reasons, so take care. Be vigilant when crossing mountain streams, exposed rocks or snow, and don’t stray onto glaciers unless you have first learned the special techniques necessary for safe travel, or are in company with others experienced in glacier travel and with equipment to deal with crevasse rescue. Avoid icefalls and hanging glaciers, and be careful not to knock stones onto anyone who happens to be below.
Paths and Waymarks
Mountains have always been seen as obstacles to communication, and throughout the Alpine chain for centuries the only way for most people to journey from one valley to the next was to walk, often over difficult or dangerous terrain. Routes taken by generations of farmers, hunters and traders going about their daily business steadily developed into a network of trails that have been adopted by today’s recreational walker and climber. This network now forms a basic grid from which many more paths have sprung. Some have been created by official footpath organisations, like the Swiss Footpath Protection Association (Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Wanderwege), others by members of a mountaineering club in order to reach a hut, or the base of a popular climb.
With increased popularity in mountain walking, local communes in many Alpine regions have taken it upon themselves to improve and expand these footpaths further, to waymark and place signposts at strategic junctions, while other groups have added fixed rope safeguards in areas of potential danger. Some of these ‘improvements’ do little to enhance the mountain environment, but fortunately there is still a lot of wild country left, where activists need to use judgment and mountain sense.
Since many of the huts visited in this book are situated in fairly remote locations, walkers ought to be familiar with basic navigational procedures before tackling some of the longer routes described. Most waymarks in the Alpine ranges consist of paint flashes (usually red and white bands) on rocks, trees, posts or buildings. In the French Alps a number is sometimes added, which refers to a GR (Grande Randonnée) route. Signposts, where they appear, usually convey basic information, while in Switzerland yellow metal signposts appear at many trail junctions. These bear a central white plate which records the name of that junction and the altitude, while the finger pointers give the name or names of landmarks or villages and an estimate of the time it will take to walk there. In the Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy waymarks are often yellow; in Austria there are also yellow and black bands, as well as red and white. Numbers are frequently painted on Austrian waymarks, but these do not always agree with route numbers marked on some of the maps, so confusion can arise. In Slovenia waymarks are in the form of a red circle with a white centre.
Safety in the Mountains
It may be that one day, despite having received a positive forecast, the weather turns nasty when you’re still far from your destination, and a storm breaks. In such instances, stay clear of metallic fixtures and dispose of any metal objects you have with you (ice axe, trekking pole etc) which can be retrieved later when the storm abates. Keep away from ridges and prominent features that stand above open ground. Do not shelter beneath over-hanging rocks or trees, and should you be caught in high open country, squat or curl up on your rucksack (assuming it does not have a metal frame) so as not to attract the lightning.
In the unfortunate event of an accident, stay calm. If your party is large enough to send for help while someone remains with the patient, make a careful written note of the precise location where the victim can be found. Should there be a mountain hut or farm nearby, seek assistance there. If valley habitation is nearer, find a telephone and call for help. Emergency numbers are usually prominently displayed. (See the Mountain Safety box for more information.)
The Alpine Environment
Concern for the mountain environment through which you walk ought to be second nature, but a few pointers are worth noting.
Alpine flowers are to be appreciated, but not picked. Many are protected by law, but even those that are not specifically listed should be left for others to enjoy.
Wildlife should not be disturbed.
Leave no litter, but take your rubbish back to the valley for proper disposal.
Take care not to foul water supplies.
Make no unnecessary noise.
Light no fires.
Don’t take shortcuts on mountain paths, for this can damage the soil and add to problems of erosion.
Recommended Maps and Guides
Maps
At the head of each walk description a note is given in regard to the map or maps recommended for that particular route. These are mostly at a scale of either 1:25,000 or 1:50,000, with a few at 1:30,000 or 1:40,000, depending on the publisher responsible. Not all are entirely accurate, although I found each one adequate for the walker’s needs.
The Rando Éditions Cartes de Randonnées sheets recommended for walks in the French Alps are based on maps of the official French survey, l’Institut Geographique National (IGN), with paths, huts, National Park boundaries etc overprinted upon them.
Those suggested for use in the Swiss Alps and marked with the initials LS are by the Swiss National Survey, Landeskarte der Schweiz. A few Wanderkarte are also noted; some of these are produced by local tourist authorities under licence, others published by Kümmerley and Frey with easy-to-read routes and hut details etc overprinted on them like those of Rando Éditions mentioned above.
Maps published by Kompass for Alpine districts in Austria and Italy often include a booklet giving basic tourist information regarding towns and villages which appear on specific sheets, as well as hut details and walks suggestions.
All these maps should be obtainable from Stanfords in London, who operate a mail order
