UKH

I've formed up plans for a high level traverse of the alps starting in June and have a blog at http://alpsendtoend.blogspot.co.uk/. If anyone wants to join me for any of it, do get in touch to discuss. I've posted my best guess at a schedule on the blog.

In reply to Full moon addict:

The links to the downloads (summit list, schedule etc.) don't seem to work for me

In reply to Full moon addict:

Looks amazing! ) how long is that likely to take you?

In reply to Full moon addict:

Sounds like an awesome trip. good luck to you

In reply to Full moon addict:

Have messaged you.

In reply to Tyler:

fixed that now

In reply to Doghouse:

9 weeks - about 20 miles a day

In reply to Full moon addict:

Wow! Looks fab. Good luck

In reply to Full moon addict:

Yes it looks like you have a wonderful trip planned! I like your intention of staying high up the mountains more than the established long trails such as the via alpina(s).

In reply to Full moon addict:

I'm sure there is a book called Alps from end to end that might be worth a read?
Jeremy

In reply to Jerry67:

By Sir Martin Conway. It is worth a read. Hilarious in places and a good description of a traverse from a century ago.

In reply to Full moon addict:

Looks fantastic - best of luck!! 133km of ascent is quite something!

In reply to MG:

Not the one I was thinking of, mine is by David Brett, called High Level: Alps from end to end. A good read too.
Jeremy

In reply to Jerry67:

yes i've read both martin conway's book and david bretts. the best by far though is clear waters rising by nick crane. captures the spirit of a great journey very well and a mammoth undertaking.

In reply to Full moon addict:

crane is a great writer ill have to seek that one out. I'll be following your blog as many years ago my brother and I walked the gr5 from lac Geneva south. We talked about going back and doing it with credit cards rather than bivvy gear some time. Good luck in finding people to join you that can keep up 20 miles a day sounds a lot but it's amazing how fit you'll get! have you got shorter or easier legs early on?

In reply to alasdair19:

There's a book by karl lukan who did this after being pensioned. Took the tram to the outskirts of vienna, walked to nice. German only probably.

In reply to alasdair19:

I'm interested to hear that you'd like to go back to the GR5 with a credit card. I'm mulling over whether to take a lightweight tent, bivvy or to rely on huts. any thoughts on this? I plan to start early in the morning and finish later than most folk so in huts not near snow, the breakfast may be a bit late and the evening meals might be a bit early on occasion.

In reply to Full moon addict:

we did it in 1998 on a student budget with flights booked home in 5 weeks time. towards the end we could manage the days walk in about 4 - 6 hours but couldnt afford to be early.

Our packs were heavy, v heavy by todays standards we eventually posted crampons home but carried axes all the way. near the end we overheard a UK girl ask her mum how someone so thin could carry such a big rucksack. We ususally carried 4 days food between valley resupplies sounds like you,ll be going much faster by that stage.

dinner is usually at 7 so unless your planing 12 hour plus days huts would make sense.
we never had major problems finding bivvy sights and modern ultralight camping/ bivvy gear and a rucksack that fits would ease the pain considerablìy.