Hiking adventures Alpine Interface

The Dolomites Traverse

Recommended reading

The following books are some of many we would recommend for reading before coming to the Alps. Some are what we would call 'background' reading, some are specific to the trip you will be doing, and all are excellent preparation and fun to read, counting the days before your holiday begins...

 

History of the Dolomites / Alps, Trekking and Hiking in the Alps

Martha C. Ward: The Hidden Life of Tyrol
Split between the modern nations of Austria and Italy, the "Holy Land of Tirol" sits in the heart of the spectacular Alps, astride the mountain passes that link the edges of Europe.

Tirol has some of the most accessible and integrated social traditions in the world. But the deeper meanings of life in the region remain hidden. Here, then, is an anthropological guidebook.
The goal is to make sense of and explain how the history, geography, politics and the rootedness of community life fit together. The conventional categories of an ethnography are all here: religion, subsistence, marriage, land tenure, ethnicity, agro-pastoralism, folklore, and inheritance.
But the viewpoint is unconventional: the anthropologist is a fellow-traveler, taking readers on a tour in imagination to a region often visited but rarely understood or studied. The study of European folklife and cohesive communal societies such as this have particular relevance today. In a world where ethnic groups and class tensions dominate the news, The Hidden Life of Tirol is a story of how people worked out these differences.

 
Killing of Dragons
Killing Dragons" is a history of the exploration of the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps from the early 18th century to 1938, when the "last problem of the Alps", the Eiger Nordwand, was finally "solved." The first half of the book discusses the early French and Swiss scientists and adventurers who explored the slopes of Mont Blanc and studied the glaciers of the Bernese Oberland.

The 19th century belonged to the eccentric British explorers and scientists and an American expatriate, William Coolidge, who were driven to the mountains by a variety of forces.
 
Edward Whymper: Scrambles amongst the Alps
Whymper's own story about the first ascents in the Alps. Here is a review of a delighted reader:
"
...Since I first read this little classic, Edward Whymper's book on scrambling in the Alps has always been my favorite mountaineering book.

This is Victorian mountain writing at its very best, in an age before high technology and polarfleece added safety and comfort but put some palpable distance between you and the experience and blunted the directness of your perceptions and observations. I've spent many of my own happy hours scrambling in the Alps, but somehow Whymper makes it seem like I'm doing it anew. Sure, it's always interesting to read of the difficulties of Everest or the tales of hardship on Half Dome, but Whymper was among the first, and high technology and modern photography have not allowed us to better put you into the heart of the experience.
 

Back to 'Dolomites Traverse' -Trip Page


Walking guides, Dolomites Traverse

Gillian Price :
Cicedrone Walking in the Dolomites

As a trekking destination the Italian Dolomites has few peers. Juxtaposing dramatic mountain scenery with picture-perfect Tyrolean villages, and flower-filled alpine meadows with poignant WWI battlefields, this small yet exquisite range rarely fails to enchant and beguile those who visit.

Description of various multi-day hikes, covering some of the Dolomites Traverse trip. Helpful information about the walks, accommodation, food, etc.

 
Lonely Planet: Walking in the Alps
This is a general book about walking in the Alps, but gives good information for avid hikers who are planning to come back to the Alps for some more.
Book Description
Iconic peaks reflected in tranquil mountain lakes, sweeping hillsides blanketed in wild flowers and dramatic, sprawling glaciers characterize the Alps. Discover why this mighty range, the birthplace of modern mountain walking, has enthralled walkers for centuries.

* detailed descriptions of 47 walks in the Austrian, French, German, Italian, Slovenian and Swiss Alps * feature coverage of multicountry megawalks, Tour du Mont Blanc and Walkers' Haute Route * two-color maps for every walk * step-by-step introduction to walk-climb hybrid via ferrata * inside information on walkers' accommodation, transport, gear and safety * language section for French, German, Italian and Slovene

 
Lonely Planet: Walking in Italy
Scale the spectacular Dolomites, peer into brooding volcanoes, explore medieval villages or saunter along sparkling coastlines This guide walks you through Italy's wealth of natural beauty, history and culture:

- Detailed descriptions of 55 walks, from easy day strolls to multi-day adventures
- Quality two-colour maps for each walk
- Tips on the best camping grounds, rifugi (mountain huts) and pensiones
- Illustrated section on Italy's flora and fauna


 

Back to 'Dolomites Traverse' -Trip Page


Alpine Flora

Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe
by
Christopher Grey-Wilson, Marjorie Blamey
This is one of the most comprehensive book about Alpine flowers one can buy, and is still affordable. We always have it with us when we guide trips in the Alps. If you have any questions regarding what you've seen on the trail, just ask, and if we don't know the answer, the book has it.

 
Back to 'Dolomites Traverse' -Trip Page

highlights

  • • The Chamonix valley at its best
  • • Beautiful alpine villages
  • • Hiking in France, Switzerland and Italy
  • • Huge variety of day walks

duration

8 days

trip difficulty

Moderate » details

price

US $1650
Single Supplement:
US$ 300
» details

2007 dates

June — September
» details




more info

 
© 2007 Alpine Interface. All rights reserved.
site / bluetrope.