Bushwalk Australia

I was wondering if anyone had done, or has heard of anyone doing, a full traverse of the European Alps? Something along the lines of Nice - Wiener Neustadt (Austria).

I've been able to find lots of info on the GR5 (French traverse) but nothing on a full traverse...

Cheers, Nick

Hi Nick - while it won't give you the kind of info you're after, there's plenty of inspiration to be had from Nicholas Crane's book "Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe". He took 17 months to get from the west of Spain to Istanbul via all the major mountain ranges of Europe, incl. the Alps.

Sounds like an great plan you're hatching. We had just a few weeks in the Alps last (northern) summer. Despite the high population density in its vicinity, it is a remarkable and inspiring place. Good luck with the plans - and we look forward to seeing/hearing what you end up doing,

cheers

Peter

whynotwalk wrote:Hi Nick - while it won't give you the kind of info you're after, there's plenty of inspiration to be had from Nicholas Crane's book "Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe". He took 17 months to get from the west of Spain to Istanbul via all the major mountain ranges of Europe, incl. the Alps.

Sounds like an great plan you're hatching. We had just a few weeks in the Alps last (northern) summer. Despite the high population density in its vicinity, it is a remarkable and inspiring place. Good luck with the plans - and we look forward to seeing/hearing what you end up doing,

cheers

Peter

Thanks for the suggestion!

Funnily enough, that is actually what I'm beginning to consider as a (very) long term plan. I've already done the Camino Frances and Pyrenees Haute Route, so that's the Iberian Peninsular sorted (although I guess I should probably go back and do the Catabrian Mountains I wanted to call it a 'mountain' traverse..). Over the last 12 months I've also been eyeing off the Central and Balkan alps, which would cover the harder bits of a full Euro traverse...

So now I just need to convince the girlfriend to fund my 'research trips'...

Without detailed knowledge I would assume it it GR5 to around Chamonix and then Via Alpina heading East. How far you get is really dependent on how fast you walk and the time between passes opening and closing.

PS. Don't start at Nice on the GR5. Start at Menton on the Italian French border along the GR52 which joins the GR5 at St-Dalmas-Valdeblore after a few days. Absolutely a 10,000% better start or end of the GR5.

You will find the Alps quite different to the Pyrenees.

Mark F wrote:PS. Don't start at Nice on the GR5. Start at Menton on the Italian French border along the GR52 which joins the GR5 at St-Dalmas-Valdeblore after a few days. Absolutely a 10,000% better start or end of the GR5.

You will find the Alps quite different to the Pyrenees.

I've heard that about the GR5, thanks for the suggestion

I've also heard that they are very different to the Pyrenees, although my experience of the Alps is limited to a few days in North Tirol...

Nick, Lots of good information here from someone who hiked the Via Alpine in 2012
http://www.davebyrnes.com.au/Via%20Alpina/ViaAlpina.htm

Thanks Russ