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Walking in the French Alps

Walking in the French Alps is well within the capabilities of the average British hill walker, and this section is included to encourage the potential first-timer to take a walking holiday in the Alps. This Tour in particular is ideal for those contemplating their first walking trip outside the UK – the majority of walkers return many times.

Following an old country track on the GR58 near Les Escoyères (Stage 2)

It is a fairly common misconception in the UK that the Alps can only be explored by the experienced mountaineer or alpinist, or that these mountains are the playground of the package-holiday skier. However, there are many well-trodden and clearly waymarked paths beneath the permanent snowline, threading through valleys, ascending to high cols and traversing ridges. There is a tradition amongst the people of central western Europe, who live far from the seaside, to take their family holidays in these mountains, and the paths are used by young and old alike, so British hill walkers or ramblers should not consider the Alps to be beyond them. If you can manage a walking holiday in the English Lake District or the Highlands of Scotland, then an Alpine Tour will be within your capabilities. Indeed, many of the Alpine trails are easier to negotiate than the rough, often pathless terrain of the Highlands, where there are few waymarks, and where Arctic-like conditions, even during the summer months, frequently occur.