HILARY SHARP

TREKKING IN THE ALPS www.trekkinginthealps.com

hilaryalp@gmail.com

NO hidden costs.

Small groups guaranteed.

Expert guiding All levels catered for. High summits and hikes

New destinations every year.

SUMMER CALENDAR 2014

Prices include:

organisation

guided trekking,

accommodation (bed, breakfast and dinner)

transport during the holiday, Not included:

Travel to meeting place

Hill food

Drinks

Rescue Insurance - eg Snowcard www.snowcard.co.uk

2013 was Trekking in the Alps’ 22nd year and it was a very good one – in terms of full groups probably the best one yet! The Tour of Mont Blanc proved to be very popular and I did a record 5 times around this wonderful trek. However, this did leave me short of time for other treks.

So for 2014 I want to get back to what Trekking in the Alps does best – a full range of treks and hiking holidays, some of them well-known classics but also featuring some weeks where we venture off the beaten track – mountain adventures with a flexible programme allowing us to do the best and most suitable hikes for the group. Here’s what’s on offer: We’ll obviously have a Tour of Mont Blanc, the classic famous alpine trek, and this will go early July when the flowers are at their finest. There will also be the slightly harder and equally spectacular Tour of the Matterhorn, for which I wrote the guidebook. I don’t offer this trek in its entirety; rather we do the remote and wild Italian section, preceded by 2 days warm-up in Zermatt. The trek culminates in an ascent of the glaciated Breithorn peak above Zermatt. This trek was a big hit in 2013. It’s some years now since I offered the Tour of Monte Rosa, another high level trek with a guidebook also written by me. I’m offering a new itinerary for 2014, a slightly abbreviated version, again with a glaciated finale peak, this time the Allalinhorn above Saas Fee. My Creaky Knees Specials attract a lot of interest – even if you don’t have creaky knees when you arrive you might have after a few days of alpine hiking! There are 3 grades of CKS, based in Switzerland, Italy and Chamonix France, one of which is offered this year, the medium grade based in Courmayeur, Italy. These trips feature one and two day walks where we get high into the mountains, enjoying the pleasure of hiking uphill, but we minimise the downhills – and you’re allowed to limp! These trips are not just for people with creaky knees and they are certainly not age orientated. They are for everyone who has found that they prefer going uphill, along the flat and on undulating terrain, rather than descents. CKS trips are 6 days with a day off in the middle to go biking, swimming, have a spa day, go visit the sights, or to take advantage of one of the spectacular cable car rides. We will have a mountain overnight on most trips. All info is on the Creaky Knees Specials PDF which can be downloaded from my website. One of my specialities is my "summits / mountain adventures holidays". These are 6 day holidays where we are based in a region and we'll go for one and 2 day treks, with a walking summit as objective. The summits are non-glaciated, they do not require any technical skills and are not usually pointed and scary. They are just really good objectives and provide amazing viewpoints. They are also generally off the beaten trek trails, and, unlike the high glaciated mountains, they are not crowded. We will have some nights in huts and also some nights in the valleys in hotels. Whilst these holidays are not hut to hut treks they provide just as much adventure and allow us to really explore a mountain region without the constraints of a linear trek. Summer 2014 sees an adventurous week of hikes based in the Dolomites, the Dolomites Mountain Adventures, where we’ll do some fantastic hikes in this unique and fabulously beautiful region. This holiday was a great success in 2013. I’ve included a trek that was very much appreciated when I last did it in 2009, the Tour of the Grand Muveran. No-one has heard of the Grand Muveran of course, but it’s a fine limestone peak in Switzerland above the Rhone Valley. This trek takes us through a magnificent series of rugged peaks and deep valleys and it really quite unique. Several summits can be climbed along the way.

Although this is called the Summer Calendar it also includes 2 spring trips in northern Provence in the Drôme region. The hiking there is amazingly varied, with a plethora of limestone summits and gorges to explore, Provençal villages to discover and the renowned food and drink of the area waiting to be sampled. The holidays are based in a medieval village in a friendly, comfortable hotel, which specialises in excellent regional food and wine. A day off mid-week will allow those who wish to cycle along quiet lanes through sleepy villages, whilst others can visit a Provençal market or just relax.

www.trekkinginprovence.com Where two treks are advertised for the same date, the first one to take bookings is the one that goes. All treks and holidays are 6 days, except the Tour of Mont Blanc and the Tour of Monte Rosa which are both 7 days. These are the number of days walking, and don’t include arrival and departure days.

Trekking in the Alps has a policy of not cancelling trips if it is possible to avoid it.

Treks and holidays are guaranteed departure with 2 people and priced on a minimum of 4 people. Below 4 people a supplement will be payable, although some trips can go with 3 at the same price.

Holidays are graded by smiley face , one being the easiest grade up to three which means a strenuous grade. However, it must be understood that these grades are only guidelines and one person's easy day can be another's hardest day depending on energy levels and perception, regardless of the actual difficulty of that stage of the trek.

My treks are a product of my knowledge and experience having lived nearly 20 years in the Alps. I have written several guidebooks to the Alps, amongst them:

THE 2014 SUMMER PROGRAMME Email me for factfiles on any of these treks and holidays Prices are in €uros because I live in France and most of my costs are in €uros. In addition, the exchange rate has vascillated so much these last few years it’s impossible to calculate sterling prices months in advance. I am happy to take payment in sterling at the current rate. A breakdown of prices (guiding/organisation/transport/ guide’s costs : accommodation) is available on request and if you prefer to pay your accommodation costs directly then just ask.

Meet 19 April Provence Hiking Easter week 1250€ 6 days: 6 days of walking in the stunning region of the Drôme, known for its lavender, olives, wild scenery and charming villages. We’ll certainly make time for some sightseeing during the week. 1 Dinner not included.This week is the harder of the two proposed and we’ll do a some fairly strenuous walking. Meet 12 May Provence Hiking Summer flowers and summits 1250€ / 6 days: 5 day walks in the stunning region of the Drôme, known for its lavender, olives, wild scenery and charming villages. One day off mid-week for other activities – gentle cycling, sight-seeing or just relaxing. 1 Dinner not included. This will be a slightly gentler week of walks, with the option of a complete rest mid-week. Nevertheless our hikes will take us to some fine venues and viewpoints. Meet 8 July Tour of Mont Blanc 1250€ / Confirmed 7 days, the classic alpine trek going around the fabulously beautiful Mont Blanc massif through France Switzerland and Italy. Unforgettable and unbeatable!

Meet 2 August Tour of Monte Rosa 1450€ New! Confirmed. This spectacular trek circumnavigates the Monte Rosa massif which is the largest in the Alps. We’ll do a slightly condensed 7 day version which takes in all the best parts. The final day will be an ascent of the glaciated Allalinhorn summit, 4027m, if conditions allow – a wonderful finale to the trek. Meet 16 August Tour of the Matterhorn 1395€ / This spectacular trek circumnavigates the Matterhorn. The Swiss part coincides with the Chamonix Zermatt route so we’ll avoid that. We’ll spend 2 days in Zermatt doing a high peak from a mountain hotel then transfer to Arolla and in 4 days hike the remote and beautiful Italian part of the circuit. The final day will include an ascent of the glaciated Breithorn summit, 4164m, if conditions allow – a wonderful finale to the trek.

Meet 16 August Tour of the Muveran 1280€ / This fantastic and challenging 6 day trek goes around the wonderfully spectacular Grands Muverans massif. Hut accommodation in the mountains allows us to stay high and enjoy the amazing scenery. An ascent of the Dents de Morcles summit on the last day provides a fitting finale. Meet 16 August Chamonix Mountain Adventures 1250€ A 6 day holiday based in a hotel in Chamonix. Our aim is to do 1 and 2 day hikes taking in all that is best in the area, using my sell-out Chamonix Mountain adventures guidebook as inspiration. A day off mid-week allows a trip up the Aiguille du Midi cable car or maybe an, ascent of a via ferrata, or indeed a day visiting the local sights. Usually a very popular week!

Meet 30 August Dolomites Mountain Adventures 1290€ FULL Based at a nice traditional hotel in Cortina right in the heart of the Dolomites, we’ll have 6 days of hiking the valleys and summits of this fine and unique region. We’ll have a couple of mountain overnights – in very luxurious huts! The food and wine are also wonderful, as usual in Italy. This is really an unusual and spectacular week of walks which will appeal to all keen hikers and lovers of mountain scenery.

Here’s how Summer 2013 looked

Let’s make Summer 2014 just as spectacular