Читать книгу Through the Italian Alps. The GTA - The Grande Traversata delle Alpi онлайн

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 Grade 3: requires experience on mountain terrain, can entail exposed stretches and require a head for heights, if not difficulty with orientation.

In general the GTA rates mostly as Grade 2, the odd difficult part Grade 3, and the even rarer easy sections Grade 1.

Dos and Don’ts

‘When one starts early one hurries to gain all possible benefit from the shade, but a late start renders such haste futile; so we dawdled from the start’ enigmatic advice from W.M. Conway (1895)!

 Do start out as early as possible in the morning to allow for any necessary route detours due to landslips, flooded streams, damaged bridges and the like, not to mention getting lost, fatigue and so forth. Early starters also increase their chances of seeing wildlife, and decrease the likelihood of being caught out in storms which tend to come in the hottest part of the day, not to mention the disorienting fog which rolls in late morning.

 Do find time to get fit before embarking on the trek as it will maximise your enjoyment. It’s a pity if exhaustion interferes with appreciation of the wonderful scenery, and in any emergency healthy walkers will react better.