ACROSS THE ALPS (Aug 2011)

“Ramblers Worldwide Holidays” route from southern Bavaria through Austria and Switzerland into Italy following in a long tradition of great trans-alpine journeys, with 3000m peaks, high passes and gorges. From Oberstdorf we head towards the quiet and beautiful Kaisertal and cross the Lechtal Alps to St Anton.

Then we climb through the Verwall Mountains and cross the Kappeler Joch before descending to the Paznautal for an overnight stay in Ischgl.

From there we cross into Switzerland to the Heidelberger Hütte, ringed by 3000m peaks,
The Holer Riffler with a height of 3168 meters above sea level. A. The highest peak in the Verwall and is situated in the east of the area, in the Austrian state of Tyrol .

The most visible mountain towers over its surroundings clear up, and therefore offers a clear day a comprehensive panorama of the Verwall in the West, the Lech Valley Alps in the north, the Ötztal Alps in the east, the Ortler group in the southeast, the Samnaun group in the south and the Silvretta in the Southwest.

Continue over the Fimber Pass at 2,608m and descend to the spectacular scenery of the Swiss Engadine. To reach the Sesvenna hut in Italy we pass through the Uina Gorge where a spectacular 900m long path has been hewn through the rocks.

The classic "Föllakopf" Schlinig at 2848 metres the so-called "soap dispenser", a limestone mountain range with a unique flair and provides the ideal breeding ground for including the edelweiss. Enchanting is the backdrop for this graceful summit as a mirror image in the crystal clear waters of the Sesvenna or Furkelsees; offered the summit is magnificent show.

Where there are views over three countries, before descending to Mals in Italy

VANOISE NATIONAL PARK (July 2011)

The Graian Alps (Italian: Alpi Graie; French: Alpes Grées) are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France (Savoie), Italy (Piedmont and the Aosta Valley), and Switzerland (western Valais).

The Col des Montets separates them from the Chablais Alps; the Col Ferret and the Dora Baltea valley separate them from the Pennine Alps; the Col du Mont Cenis separates them from the Cottian Alps; the Arc valley separates them from the Dauphiné Alps.

The Graian Alps can be divided into four groups:
the Mont Blanc group (north of the Little St Bernard Pass)
the Central group between the Little St Bernard Pass and the Col du Mont Cenis
the Western or French group, contains the Vanoise National Park
the Eastern or Italian group, contains the Gran Paradiso national park.

The French side of the Graian Alps is drained by the river Isère (Tarentaise valley) and its tributary Arc (Maurienne valley), and by the Arve. The Italian side is drained by the rivers Dora Baltea, Orco and Stura di Lanzo, tributaries of the Po.

Vanoise National Park (French: Parc national de la Vanoise), is a French national park in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps, created in 1963 after mobilization from the environmentalist movement against a touristic project. It was the first French national park. This park is in the département of Savoie. Little villages like Champagny-le-Haut, Champagny-le-Bas, La Chiserette, La Cuaz, Le Bois, Friburge and Séez are near this park.

The park is bordered by several large French ski resorts (Les Trois Vallées, Tignes, Val-d'Isère, Les Arcs, La Plagne).

On the Italian side of the border, the park is continued by the Gran Paradiso National Park. Together, these two parks cover over 1250 km².

The park is well-known for its population of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex), bouquetins in French. Other than Alpine ibex there are Chamois, Alpine Marmot, Eurasian Lynx, Mountain Hare and Stoat. Birds include Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle and Black Grouse.

THE BRECON BEACONS (June 2011)

The Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog) is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog). The name is also commonly used to refer more broadly to the entire national park which includes ranges both to the east and the west of the central Beacons.

The highest of these is Pen y Fan (886 m); other notable summits include Corn Du (873 m), Cribyn (795 m), and Fan y Big (719 m). These summits form a long ridge which forms a horseshoe around the head of the Taf Fechan river to the south-east, with long parallel spurs extending to the north-east. The round of the Taf Fechan skyline forms a popular ridge walk commonly known as the 'Beacons Horseshoe'. Many other fine walks exist in this part of the National Park.

The Brecon Beacons are said to be named after the ancient practice of lighting signal fires (beacons) on mountains to warn of attacks by the English.

The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957, the third of the three Welsh parks after Snowdonia in 1951 and the Pembrokeshire Coast in 1952. It stretches from Llandeilo in the west to Hay-on-Wye in the east, covering 519 square miles (1344 km², 332 100 acres) and encompassing four main regions - the Black Mountain in the west, Fforest Fawr (Great Forest) and the Brecon Beacons in the centre, and the confusingly named Black Mountains in the east.
Most of the National Park is bare, grassy moorland grazed by Welsh mountain ponies and Welsh mountain sheep, with scattered forestry plantations, and pasture in the valleys.

It is known for its remote reservoirs, waterfalls including the 27-metre Henrhyd Waterfall and the falls at Ystradfellte, and its caves, such as Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. The Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre was opened in 1966 to help visitors understand and enjoy the area.

Due to its remoteness and harsh weather, the Park is used for military training. The Special Air Service (SAS) holds demanding selection training exercises here such as an exercise called the Fan dance.