UKC

Hi,

I am looking to go traveling for 10-14 days in Europe around July time. I would like to walk up a mountain when I am there but unsure as to which ones. Mont Blanc is the obvious choice but I have no experience with ice axes and I am told these are required to summit.

Any recommendations/suggestions would be really helpful.


Thanks!

In reply to alexrumsey:

Have a look at these mate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GR_footpath

I've done most of the GR20 in Corsica which was great.

In reply to drunken monkey:

GR10 in the Pyrénées is the other obvious one in France. Now to other countries...

In reply to drunken monkey:

Thank you.... I am googling it now. I should ad that I would like to walk above 4,000m if possible.

In reply to alexrumsey:

No worries - to get above 4000m you should really learn how to use crampons, at least 1 axe and prob some glacier travel etc.

In reply to drunken monkey:

I live in deepest darkest Herefordshire in the Mud and Rain. I have been across Brecon quite alot and up to Scotland Ben Nevis and the Mamores Ridge, Snowdon a few times..... Always wanted to learn about using crampons ice axes etc but never really had the chance living where do.

Which is why a nice Hike/walk up to a high peak would be ideal.

In reply to alexrumsey:

Not saying it hasnt been done before, of course it has - but a 4000m peak for yer first time in crampons and using an axe could lend you to an epic.

A guide might look after you for a price though?

In reply to alexrumsey: I think its a big mistake to get fixated on some or other number like "4000" just because its a "target" which can be bandied about with folk who aren't hillwalkers anyway. Far better to ask peoples advice about what are just great walks (which is what you have done of course).

In reply to alexrumsey:

Me and my partner are looking at doing similar to what you intend on doing in July but we have experience in winter in the uk using crampons, axes and basic rope skills etc yet we are not confident enough to venture off by ourselves up to 4000m. It is a different ball game compared to the UK.

I agree a guide would be a good idea but I think you will enjoy it you had the ability and skills to be competent yourself instead of a guide dragging you up and down. So getting a guide to learn the skills from would be a good idea first.

I could be wrong but maybe mount toubkal in Morocco in summer could be a good bet as I dont think there will be snow there in July. Only problem would be the heat and making sure you acclimatise.

In reply to alexrumsey: There are some lovely mountains in perhaps unexpected places. for instance, have you looked into long-distance paths in Mallorca (which has a mountain range). I don't know if you've considered Via Ferrata in the Italian Dolomites? It would need some planning to avoid those faces which may still have too much snow in July. Also the Julian Alps in Slovenia are very popular.

In reply to drunken monkey:


Agree.

Lots of slightly smaller stuff that's walkable, though - eg Pyreneean 3000ers like Taillon and Cambieil. And I don't know much of the Alps but Mont Buet looks like it'd be a pretty cool adventure if you do it the long / fun way via Tre-les-Eaux.

And yeah, if you're more set on 4000m than Europe then Toubkal would be a good option.

In reply to alexrumsey:

If you really want to get a 4000m peak there are some that only require walking. They are still quite steep and exposed though and will feel much "bigger" than anything you mention you have done to date. The Allinhorn near Saas Fee, the Breithorn near Zermatt and the Gran Paradiso near Aosta are the obvious ones, the first two have uplift that get you most of the way.

BUT, even these do require you to use crampons confidently and to cross glaciers. Neither is very hard but at the very least read about what to do before going and practise on some smaller peaks first, which you should do anyway to get acclimatised. Also read about how things work on alpine peaks - you will be starting earlier ~5am, for instance.

In reply to silhouette:

Yeah I an see your point, and I suppose it is just a number at the end of the day. the GR trails look really interesting and not too technical. The guides also seem to be the way to go if I wanted to learn about axes/Crampons.


But in the meantime............ Can you reccomend any good walks high enough up but not too high that I have to use an ice axe, and still in Europe.

Thanks!

In reply to alexrumsey:

Really would recommend the GR20 mate. Great route, great scenery and great hills. Monte Cinto the highest peak is 2700m I think.

Check out this guys blog. Some good pics of the route.

http://p.prince.free.fr/pages/gr20corse/gr20.htm

In reply to drunken monkey:


Yup, me too, if the poster isn't dead set on high peaks with snow and ice.

Or some variant of it, there are loads of possibilities due to the other trails and paths crossing it at various places.

A couple of our trips:

http://www.dreamsofmountains.co.uk/corse2002/corse2002.htm

http://www.dreamsofmountains.co.uk/corse2007/corse2007.htm

In reply to drunken monkey:

wow looks amazing.... I am writing it down in my book of possibilities!

In reply to skog:

Nope not dead set.... Just a nice walk something higher than I have before... like the other posters have said I need more experience using crampons etc I'm only 20 so there's still plenty of opportunities to learn new things.

In reply to skog:

Would you say go North to South or South to North?

In reply to alexrumsey:

Probably North to South, in case something prevents you from completing - that way, you'll still have had a great walk.

The North is more of a brutal start, but gets you straight into the best of the scenery.

In reply to skog:

Totally agree. The best bits are at the North End.

In reply to alexrumsey:

Pico Posets (3371m) in the Pyrenees is a nice peak, walkable without axes or crampons in the summer.

In reply to alexrumsey:

Bavaria and the Zugespitz (forgive spelling) followed by some beer and schniztle in Munich

In reply to skog:

just had a look at flights... only £200 return this is a strong contender!

In reply to alexrumsey:

I spent 2 weeks in Slovenia last summer and had a great time. The mountains aren't that high (the highest one is around 2800m), but the benefit is that you don't need to acclimatise. There is a good variety in difficulty,some of the 2000m+ peaks are simple walks, others require some scrambling and there are quite a few with via ferratas up them (gear can be hired in Slovenia).

There are lots of mountain huts and depending on what you want to do & the weather you can do day walks up peaks near the road/towns or walk for days/weeks, staying at a different hut each night. Public transport is quite decent and the costs are generally slightly lower than in Western Europe. Most people will speak some English, although I found that in the mountain huts many custodians spoke much better German than English.

In reply to Brev:
is there glaciers in the Julian alps? And was there snow in summer on the tops?

In reply to alexrumsey:

Mulhacen 3482m the highest mountain in mainland spain is "non technical" in summer and can be ascended with normal mountain walking clothes (shorts, sun hat). The are nicer mountains in the range (Sierra Nevada) which are a little more difficult though still "non technical" (Alcazaba, Caballo). Brief guide to Mulhacen here:
http://sierranevadaguides.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mulhacen.pdf

There's also lots of info about the area on our website. Come and join us!

In reply to Sierra Nevada Guides:
Thanks! They also look amazing... I've added it to my small list of possibilities

In reply to mc2006:

No glaciers. There is no year-round snow cover in Slovenia, but there can still be some old snow on the higher peaks in July. Usually (nearly) all of it will have melted by the end of July.

In reply to Brev:

I can second Slovenia. Great country, with some good huts and fun hills.

Here are some pics I took on previous visits.

http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/Personal/pics/2011/julian_alps_2011/
http://www.spectral3d.co.uk/Personal/pics/2010/slovenia_2010/