Trekking the Giants' Trail: Alta Via 1 through the Italian Pennine Alps
Beneath Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa
Author: Andy Hodges
Guidebook to trekking Italy's Alta Via 1 - a 180km trail through the Italian Alps, following the northern flank of the Aosta Valley from Donnas to Courmayeur. Nicknamed the Giants' Trail, the route offers fantastic views of the Alpine giants: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. With travel advice and accommodation listings.
Paperback
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
Guidebook to trekking Italy's Alta Via 1 - a 180km trail through the Italian Alps, following the northern flank of the Aosta Valley from Donnas to Courmayeur. Nicknamed the Giants' Trail, the route offers fantastic views of the Alpine giants: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. With travel advice and accommodation listings.
Description
A guidebook to trekking the Alta Via 1, the Giants’ Trail, between Donnas and Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. Covering 180km (112 miles), this long-distance trail on the northern flank of the Aosta valley takes around 2 weeks to hike and is suitable for hikers with some experience of Alpine trekking.
The route is described from east to west in 16 stages, each between 4 and 17km (2–11 miles) in length. Alternative stages covering some popular variants, including an optional detour to visit the famed monastery at the Great St Bernard Pass, are also detailed.
- 1:50,000 maps included for each stage
- GPX files available to download
- Refreshment, facilities and mountain hut information given for each trek stage
- Spectacular views of the alpine giants Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa
- Can be combined with Alta Via 2 to form the Tor des Géants
About the Author
Andy was born and bred in northern England and developed his early mountain skills in the Lake District and Snowdonia. Since discovering the joys of the Alps in 1999, Andy and his wife have explored much of the Western Alps, walking, running, cycling, ski-touring and snowshoeing. Since the late 1980s Andy has enjoyed leading others in the mountains and recently completed the in-depth training and assessments to become an International Mountain Leader.
Italy's Alta Via 1, a 180km trail through the Italian Alps following the northern flank of the Aosta Valley, boasts magnificent views of the Alpine giants: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Grand Combin and Monte Rosa. Indeed, it is sometimes known as the Giants' Trail and can be combined with a sister-route, the Alta Via 2 (covered in a separate Cicerone guide), which runs along the southern flank of the valley, to form the Tor des Geants. Stretching from Donnas to Courmayeur, the Alta Via 1 offers fantastic alpine walking, with welcoming refuges and small hotels providing overnight accommodation (and great food) along the way. The guide presents the route in two sections, for the advantage of those who can't spare the full fortnight-plus needed to walk the entire AV1. The trail is described in 16 stages, with alternative stages covering some popular variants, including an optional detour to visit the famed monastery at the Great St Bernard Pass. Each stage includes clear route description and mapping, plus notes on local points of interest and accommodation options. An alternative itinerary, list of useful contacts, kitlist and glossary can be found in the appendices. The AV1 crosses cols of nearly 3000m as it traverses the side-valleys of the main Aosta Valley. Suited to those with some of experience of alpine trekking, the walking is demanding but without technical difficulty. And the rewards are many: quieter huts, breathtaking vistas and a chance to immerse yourself in fabulous mountain landscapes overlooked by soaring, snow-clad giants.
Product Details
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.
Browse by category
- Books » Non-Fiction » Sports & Recreation » Camping, Hiking & Mountaineering » Hiking
- Books
- Books » Non-Fiction
- Books » Non-Fiction » Sports & Recreation
- Books » Non-Fiction » Sports & Recreation » Camping, Hiking & Mountaineering
- Books » Non-Fiction » Travel » Travel Guides » Europe
- Books » Non-Fiction » Travel
- Books » Non-Fiction » Travel » Travel Guides
- Books » Non-Fiction » Travel » Specialty Travel » Adventure
- Books » Non-Fiction » Travel » Specialty Travel
