the situation on the ground. Differences may also crop up due to the reintroduction of appellations in local dialects. A good rule is to trust waymarks rather than putting your faith in the map.
Special GTA waymarking
Local waymarks
As cartography goes an excellent general road map is the 1:200,000 Touring Club Italiano Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta. Walkers should have the detailed individual walking maps covering the stages they intend to trek. The simplified sketch maps provided in this guide are only intended to give the route and major landmarks. A commercial 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 map showing contour lines, landscape features, settlements, minor roads and mountain huts is priceless in case of bad weather, problems with orientation and exit routes (not to mention identification of far-off landmarks, a great source of satisfaction). The IGC, Istituto Geografico Centrale, is the main mapmaker for Piedmont – unfortunately unremarkable for accuracy, updating and graphics. Their 1:50,000 series have been used as the principal references for this guide. However, the initial stages for the GTA are also covered by excellent 1:25,000 maps by Blu Edizioni (www.bluedizioni.it). Lastly, several sheets of the new and exorbitantly priced ‘Alps sans Frontière’ 1:25,000 series can be used.
The IGC maps are available at leading map stores and outdoor suppliers in the UK, USA and Australia. Italian booksellers also do online orders: Libreria La Montagna, Turin www.librerialamontagna.it. Otherwise you can purchase them in local bookstores, newspaper stands and Park Visitor Centres once you’ve arrived. The Italian for ‘walking map’ is carta dei sentieri or carta escursionistica.
Recommended maps
Stages 1–8 IGC ‘Alpi Marittime e Liguri’ 1:50,000 sheet 8
Stages 1–2 Blu Edizioni ‘Alpi Liguri, Parco Naturale Alta Valle Pesio e Tanaro’ 1:25,000, cartoguida 2
Stages 3–8 Blu Edizioni ‘Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime’ 1:25,000, cartoguida 1
Stages 9–14 IGC ‘Valli Maira Grana Stura’ 1:50,000 sheet 7
Stages 14–19 IGC ‘Monviso’ 1:50,000 sheet 6
Stages 19–24 IGC ‘Valli di Susa, Chisone e Germanasca’ 1:50,000 sheet 1
Stages 24–28 IGC ‘Valli di Lanzo e Moncenisio’ 1:50,000 sheet 2
Stages 29–33 IGC ‘Il Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso’ 1:50,000 sheet 3
Stages 33–41 IGC ‘Ivrea, Biella, Bassa Valle d’Aosta’ 1:50,000 sheet 9
Stages 41–46 IGC ‘Monte Rosa, Alagna e Macugnaga’ 1:50,000 sheet 10
What to Take
The right gear is essential for a perfect walking holiday. A check list with suggestions follows:
Sturdy walking boots, preferably not brand new, with non-slip soles and ankle support; trainers do not protect against sprained ankles.
Comfortable rucksack and plastic bags for organising contents.
Lightweight sleeping sheet (bag liner), essential for refuges and hostels.
Waterproofs: jacket and overtrousers, or an ample poncho that covers your rucksack. A lightweight collapsible umbrella is indispensable for people who wear glasses.
Telescopic trekking poles: handy for fording streams, boosting confidence during steep descents, easing weight off your back, hanging out washing, discouraging dogs, opening up passages through thick undergrowth, lowering branches of laden wild fruit trees…
Sun protection: hat, glasses and ultra-high-factor cream – remember that the intensity of UV rays increases by 10% with each 1000m in altitude.
Layered clothing to deal with bitter cold and snow through to sweltering sunshine: windproof jacket, fleece or pullover, wool hat and gloves, T-shirts, shorts, long pants (jeans are unsuitable).
Swimming costume as cascading torrents and picturesque lakes abound; also useful if you take time out at one of the spas.
Lightweight sandals or flip-flops for evenings in huts.
Compass, maps, altimeter (optional but helpful), camera and film/batteries.
Whistle, torch or headlamp (with spare batteries).
Water bottle: plastic mineral-water bottles widely available in Italy are perfect.
Plastic covering for map-reading in the rain.
Salt tablets or electrolyte powders (such as Dioralyte from chemists) to combat depletion through sweating and prevent dehydration.
First aid kit including Compeed (skin-like plasters for thwarting blisters if boots rub), antiseptic cream for nettle stings and insect bites, broad spectrum antibiotic.
Lightweight towel + personal toiletries.
Pegs or safety pins for attaching laundry to rucksack.
Extra food such as muesli bars (hard to find in mountain village stores).
Optional: lightweight stove and pan so you can prepare hot drinks, enabling you to get away early in the morning without having to wait for breakfast.
Plentiful supply of euros in cash. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) or cash dispensers are listed in the route description.
Accommodation
Walkers will enjoy some marvellous overnight stays, thanks to memorable Italian hospitality. There is a wide range of accommodation available:
Small-scale comfortable hotels in villages
Special walkers’ hostels, known as posto tappa
High-altitude alpine huts, rifugio
Unmanned bivacco shelters
Your own tent.
The First three can – and should – be booked in advance: one day ahead is usually sufficient at off-peak times, but even months before is recommended for groups. The majority of the posto tappa establishments are family-run affairs so need a little advance warning to prepare evening meals. Refuges can be busy on Saturdays with local mountaineering groups, for example on Monviso. The middle fortnight of August is peak holiday season in Italy, so plan ahead for hotels. All necessary accommodation details are given in the walk descriptions, as are phone numbers for contacting the nearest Tourist Office. If your Italian is not up to scratch don’t hesitate to ask staff where you are staying to phone to book your accommodation for you; it is a common practice. However, all efforts at speaking Italian will be greatly appreciated, not to mention essential in some places: English-speakers in the isolated valleys
