UKC

Right them team, I'm looking for advice.

The wife and I are looking for a summer hill walking destination. We have barely been on holiday outside the UK for years so thinking of broadening our horizons

Looking for some tranquility, hills, good food and not too many people.

We have been thinking about the Alps or Pyrenees but the're both pretty big places. I also have reservations about both as after the wilds of Scotland both have seemed a bit developed in the past. I dont really appreciate a 3hr slog up a massive hill just to find a dairy farm and road.

Hope that makes sense. all suggestions welcome

Thanks

In reply to lukeanoble:

Norway.

In reply to Mikkel:

Good call. Have thought about that but not to keen on a re mortgage.

In reply to lukeanoble:
Jotunheimen in Norway is very reasonable. I went out there in 2010 and overall the trip was far cheaper than an Alpine holiday. I flew to Oslo then caught the bus (very cheap) to Gjendesheim. If you take a tent and buy food in Oslo there aren't any other expenses!

It's very wild and the maps aren't as good as our own OS maps. The routes can sometimes be a bit vague, the rock on the mountain ridges can be a bit rotten, and the snow tends to be mushy in summer but the walking is simply fantastic. Many of the 2000m peaks are accessible by routes no harder than the average Scottish mountain, although the paths are often non existent.

PM me if you have any other questions ... it's a great part of the world and you won't regret a visit!

In reply to lukeanoble:

It's not too hard to get away from the crowds in the Pyrenees, especially if you go out side the main French holiday season, say in June or September. I've had very enjoyable trips to the Gavarnie/Cauterets area and the Ariege.

Norway is expensive, but wonderful: here's some photos from the Tromso area last summer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14623510@N03/sets/72157630733911782/
Sharing a hire car and self-catering accommodation between more than 2 people helps keep the costs down a bit.

In reply to lukeanoble: My inlaws very much enjoyed a walking and cycling holiday in Slovenia last year.

In reply to lukeanoble:

I'll second the Jotunheimen suggestion and agree that's it's not as expensive as you'd think. The DNT huts aren't too expensive and have a dorm option if you want to cut costs further. What they do charge for in the huts is food and drink so as long as you have some of your own, you'll be okay.

Here are some photos of it from a winter trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/101552120795545531732/Norway2008

Mehmet

In reply to lukeanoble:

Sicily and eolian islands

In reply to lukeanoble:
Some pics from my Jotunheimen trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465885@N06/sets/72157624376239813/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465885@N06/sets/72157624376239813/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51465885@N06/sets/72157624514761902/

In reply to girlymonkey:

Slovenia is LOVELY! And now you can get cheap flights direct to Ljubljana rather than having to fly to Croatia/Italy, which makes it affordable. Food and accommodation both reasonable when you're there, although the one and only downside is you might find the food choices a little limited. Mostly we found traditional Slovenian food to be a variation of meat and potatoes, and slightly Austrian-feeling, which was odd because everywhere you looked people were growing the most lovely fruit and vegetables which didn't seem to be finding their way to the menus! Strong Italian influences too so the other key option was pizza.

It's a small country so you aren't overwhelmed by choices of where to go, and the Triglav National Park contains stunning mountain scenery and great walking. Also easy to mix it up with a couple of days by the coast, or visiting some of the absolutely awe-inspiring cave systems such as those at Skocjan or Postojna.

I would go back in heartbeat.

In reply to lukeanoble: Picos de Europa, the first bit you will find the bused in for the day daytrippers (still not as bad as some places inthe alps), but it's easy to get past them and into the centre where when we went we didn't see anyone else until we got very cloase to the refuge.

You could do some of the GR20 in corsica http://corsica.forhikers.com/gr20

La Gomera though might be a little hot in summer http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/10/la-gomera-winter-walking

Madeira?

Hmm, I seem to be on a bit of an island theme here.....

In reply to lukeanoble:
I spent 2 weeks in Cauterets (pyrenees) last year and would definitely recommend. A 15min drive up to the trailhead and then many options for beautiful one-day or multi-day walks, and surprisingly easy to escape crowds. Also a short drive to other great locations like Gavarnie (even there you can escape crowds). Or if you really want fewer people you could pick a quieter part of the pyrenees.

In reply to Only a hill:

Another vote for Jotunheimen (or anywhere else in Norway for that matter)

In reply to lukeanoble: Mallorca is nice - lots of interesting and adventurous walking (although there could be more if more of the landowners permitted it as I understand). Some areas are rather busy, but these are mostly away from the walking anyway. I enjoyed my stay in Cala de St Vincenz which is on the coast, or you could go inland for a more remote feel. The great thing is that Mallorca is quite compact and has good roads, so you're never too far from mountains or beach.

In reply to lukeanoble: We went to Zermatt in Switzerland two years ago and the walking around there was amazing. If you go outside the school hols (we went after whitsun hols were over) it's not too pricey to find a decent hotel. Food is amazing... be prepared to put on a few pounds even with all the walking! You can walk at low or higher levels, plenty of paths and handy little railway system and cable cars too. As we were there "out of season" it was not crowded either.

In reply to lukeanoble: Slovenia, as already said is wonderful. so is Slovakia, which is relatively unknown by Brits. Andorra, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine also spring to mind. The last 3 have the advantage of being very cheap!

In reply to lukeanoble:
I'm likely to be biased but there is a lot on offer in Spain's Sierra Nevada. Nice mountain walking and not expensive. All of the big 3 peaks can be done as day trips or from huts. Lots of info on our website and we're happy to advise.

Also Slovenia has been mentioned. Early September will see it quiet. Fairly cheap too.

mike