Читать книгу Canyoning in the Alps. Graded routes in Northern Italy and Ticino, Austria, Slovenia and the Valais Alps онлайн

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Almost all the motorways, or autostrada, in Italy are toll roads, and toll booths are reasonably frequent. Cash and credit cards are accepted. There are no toll booths in Switzerland, but all cars driving on motorways (recommended to reduce driving times) are required to have an annual toll sticker, or vignette, displayed in the windscreen. These can be purchased at the border for a modest sum and are valid for 14 months, from 1 December to 31 January the following year. See the Swiss Federal Customs Administration website (www.ezv.admin.ch) for prices.

It is also worth noting that Italian sign-posting is frequently inadequate and inconsistent. Having a sat nav can significantly reduce the amount of time driving aimlessly back and forth!

The approximate driving times and distances between the four areas are given below.

Walk-in along Valle di Darengo (Route 44 at the north of Lake Como) (photo: Simon Flower)

Waymarking, access routes and maps

Approach walks vary from the very straightforward to the virtually invisible or physically brutal. Some approach walks make use of existing walkers’ paths (many of which are numbered in the Italian Alps); others have breathed new life into paths that would otherwise have crumbled away. Splashes of paint are frequently used to make route-finding easier, although the sight of paint should not necessarily reassure you that you’re on the right track. One marker that can be trusted though is the distinctive Associazione Italiana Canyoning (AIC) emblem – a blue spot on a white background (Italy only).