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ОглавлениеPRACTICALITIES
En route to the Carschina Hut in the Rätikon Alps (Chapter 7:3)
When to Go
No season is out of bounds to the lover of mountains, but success in any outdoor activity will largely depend on conditions under foot. So far as general tourist interest is concerned, the months of May and November are off-season in almost every alpine district, when accommodation and facilities are severely limited. Many high road passes are closed by snow from November until June, although tunnels have been created beneath some of the highest to allow year-round travel.
Ski touring/Ski mountaineering takes place between March and the end of May. In popular districts mountain huts will often be manned for a few weeks in order to serve the touring parties who enjoy what is undoubtedly one of the most demanding but rewarding of all mountain pursuits. Naturally an awareness of potential avalanche danger is a prerequisite of all participants.
The precise period for hut-to-hut trekking will depend on the specific route and the height of passes that need to be crossed, but from early July until the end of September these should be snow-free and safe to attempt. As a general rule, the most popular huts are manned from July until late September – but check first as there are numerous variations.
Walking and climbing/mountaineering take place at varying altitudes between June and the end of September or early October, although given the right conditions, the keenest of participants will make the most of every opportunity no matter what the calendar says. However, July is the optimum month for mountaineering, when the glaciers should still retain some snow cover but the highest ridges are usually bare and dry. The weather is often fairly settled, although a heatwave can bring major rockfalls as the glue of permafrost melts. Global warming has resulted in several recent heatwave summers, ruling out any predictability for good conditions on snow and ice faces outside the late winter months.
Winter mountaineering must be the most masochistic of pursuits, sometimes played out in appalling conditions, and those who wish to have any new route recognised will follow the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) ruling that gives the period for alpine winter ascents to be from 21 December until 20 March inclusive.
Downhill skiing usually begins a week or two before Christmas and continues until Easter, although the altitude of the chosen resort, and snow conditions at the time, will have a major impact on facilities available. The best time for snowshoeing usually runs from January until April, but whenever there’s sufficient snowfall it could be worth getting the snowshoes out. The Alps in winter are at their busiest during the Christmas/New Year period, and in February.
National public holidays are listed below, during which virtually all public offices and shops in Switzerland are closed.
1 January – New Year’s Day
March/April – Good Friday and Easter Monday
May – Ascension Day (40 days after Easter)
May/June – Whit Monday (7 weeks after Easter)
1 August – Swiss National Day
25 December – Christmas Day
26 December – St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day)
In addition several cantons have their own special holidays, and many local cultural events and festivals take place in specific towns and valleys throughout the year.
High season prices in hotels, restaurants and some shops are often considerably greater than in the low season. In summer the high season in most mountain resorts covers July and August, when pressure on accommodation (including mountain huts) is at its greatest. The winter high season coincides with the ski season, although there are fluctuations. For example, prices are highest over Christmas and the New Year, and in February, while January and March are often less crowded and less expensive.
The Mönch, as seen from Mettlenalp (Chapter 5:7)
Weather
Mountains create their own weather patterns, so there’s no surprise to find that Switzerland is home to a variety of local and regional microclimates. For instance, a storm may be isolated on the Matterhorn without affecting the nearby Ober Gabelhorn, and what may appear from Alpiglen to be an innocent cloud on the Eiger could, in fact, be launching a blizzard on the mountain. The north side of the Bernese Alps is notoriously wet, while the Rhône valley which divides those mountains from the Pennine Alps to the south is one of the driest in the country. The Rochers de Naye overlooking Lac Léman in Vaud has 257cm of annual precipitation, while Staldenried, less than 75km away at the junction of the Mattertal and Saastal in Canton Valais, has only 53cm.
Projecting into Italy Canton Ticino, whose mountains belong to the Lepontine and Adula Alps, enjoys the most settled weather, with a Mediterranean climate giving consistently hot and sunny days in summer and comparatively mild winters. Lying in the rain shadow of the Bernese Alps, the Pennine Alps of neighbouring Valais are among the driest.
Although occurring with some frequency in summer, storms in the Bernina and Bregaglia Alps are generally less dangerous than those experienced in the Bernese Alps where they often arrive with little warning and sometimes last for many hours, or even days. At high altitudes bad weather is not only physically uncomfortable for climbers caught mid-route, but rocks can rapidly cover with snow, ice or verglas to turn an otherwise straightforward climb into a real epic. Mist and cloud can also make glacier crossing a hazardous exercise.
The Swiss Alps are affected by unusual seasonal winds; the bise comes from the north and can be bitterly cold, even in summer, with night frosts and generally settled weather providing good climbing conditions. The föhn is a very different wind. This blows from the south or southwest with hot air being sucked from the Mediterranean or even the Sahara. As the air is forced to rise over the Alps, it cools and rain or snow falls on the south side of the mountains, with floods sometimes resulting. Having shed its moisture the föhn is then funnelled through the northern valleys, drying and warming as it does. Snow cover diminishes, and conditions for climbing are bad.
Out of the high mountains, most of the country has a Central European climate with temperatures ranging from 20° to 30°C in summer, and around –2° to 6°C in winter.
Weather reports
Hut wardens and local tourist offices often display a daily weather forecast, with an outlook for up to five days. Daily forecasts in German, French or Italian are also obtained by calling 162 (premium rates apply), or checking www.meteoschweiz.ch, where once again information is in German, French or Italian only. Weather reports, forecasts and satellite images can be seen on the Switzerland Tourism website: www.myswitzerland.com.
Getting There
Switzerland is easy to reach from the UK by road, rail and air. The French motorway system enables drivers to reach the Swiss border within a day’s journey from southern England. By rail, high-speed trains link London with Paris, and Paris with Geneva, Lausanne and Bern, while more than 50 flights a day operate between UK airports and Geneva, Basel and Zürich. When reading the following section please note that travel information is notoriously susceptible to change; ferry services, and train and air schedules may be abandoned or altered overnight, and airlines go out of business with little advance warning. When planning a trip it is advisable to check carefully the current situation either with your local travel agent, or on the internet.
By road
This is probably the most expensive way to reach the Swiss Alps, but is the obvious choice of walkers and climbers who fill their car with camping equipment, climbing gear and food, and for those who plan to visit several different regions.
Walkers below Cabane d’Arpitetta with the Moming glacier ahead in the Val d’Anniviers (Chapter 2:8)
Cross-Channel car ferries currently operated by P&O (www.poferries.com) and Sea France (www.seafrance.com) sail many times daily between Dover and Calais, while Eurotunnel (www.eurotunnel.com) runs frequent car-carrying trains through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais in 40–45 minutes.
The distance from Calais to the Swiss border is about 850km, with fast toll-paying motorways (autoroutes) for much of that distance. However, on reaching the Jura mountains the motorways run out and slower roads continue through bottleneck towns and villages. On arrival at the Swiss border it is advisable to purchase a vignette (current cost CHF40) which enables you to drive on Swiss motorways. (Be caught driving on a motorway without one and you’ll face a hefty fine.) Note that the minimum driving age in Switzerland is 18, third-party insurance is compulsory, seat belts must be used, and it is a legal requirement to carry a warning triangle and the vehicle’s registration documents.
The national speed limit is 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on main roads, 50kph (30mph) in urban areas, and 30kph (18mph) in residential streets. Numerous speed cameras and radar traps are ready to catch speeding motorists, with on-the-spot fines for the guilty driver. Note also that parking can be prohibitively expensive in both town and country.
By train
Taking the train is perhaps the most relaxing way to go, as well as being the most environmentally friendly. It also compares well with air travel, for the journey time of high-speed trains between London and Bern is not all that different from the actual door-to-door time taken by air passengers.
Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) operates a high-speed rail service from London St Pancras through the Channel Tunnel direct to the Gare du Nord in Paris in 2½hrs. Eurostar trains also depart from Ebbsfleet (near the M25/M2) and Ashford (by the M20) in Kent; both stations have plenty of long-term parking available.
The rail journey from Paris to Switzerland continues via TGV from the Gare de l’Est (next to Gare du Nord) to Basel and Zürich (4hrs 25mins); or from the Gare de Lyon to Geneva (3hrs 25mins), Lausanne (3hrs 50mins) and Bern (4hrs 35mins).
Timetable information for rail journeys between London and any station in Switzerland is available from www.rail.ch.
By air
Major Swiss airports are located at Basel, Geneva and Zürich, with smaller regional airports at Bern, Lugano and Sion. Friedrichshafen (Germany) and Milan Malpensa in Italy are also close enough and with good transport links, to offer alternative options.
The majority of scheduled flights from a variety of UK airports are operated by British Airways (www.ba.com) and the Swiss national carrier, Swiss International Airlines – known simply as Swiss (www.swiss.com) – with BMI (www.bmi.com), and EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) following behind. Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com), Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) and Swiss all have flights from Dublin. Flight time from London to Basel, Geneva or Zürich is around 1½hrs, but 2–3hrs from the north of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Visitors flying to Geneva or Zürich can take advantage of a Fly-Rail Baggage Transfer Scheme which enables ‘nothing to declare’ baggage with a green customs label attached to be checked in at the departure airport, and delivered directly to the railway station of a nominated Swiss resort. There’s no waiting at the arrival airport’s carousel, nor the hassle of manhandling baggage from carousel to train. The scheme is straightforward and convenient, is also available for the homeward journey, and currently costs CHF20. For full details see www.rail.ch/baggage.
Online booking agents
Useful websites to consult are:
Flight tickets can also be arranged through the Switzerland Travel Centre, the commercial arm of the national tourist office. Go to www.stc.co.uk.
Getting Around
Switzerland’s integrated public transport network is legendary. The term ‘user-friendly’ could have been coined with Swiss railways in mind, for trains are almost religiously punctual, clean and comfortable. Timetables are devised in conjunction with those of the postbus service which operates on routes not covered by trains. In some areas private or regional bus operators have taken over former postbus routes, but virtually every valley in the country can be reached by some form of public transport. At the end of each chapter in this guide, outline details of access by bus or train are given.
The Saint Bernard Express, a good example of local transport
A number of different travel passes are available, each of which offers value for money when travelling around the country (see www.swisstravelsystem.com). The most popular is the Swiss Pass which gives free unlimited travel on 4, 8, 15, 22 or 30 consecutive days on virtually every train, boat and bus in Switzerland. It can also be used to gain discounts of at least 25% on most cable cars and funiculars. The Swiss Flexi Pass gives the same advantages as the Swiss Pass, but on 3, 4, 5 or 6 days within a month. These two passes can be purchased from major railway stations within the country on production of a foreign passport, or from the Switzerland Travel Centre in London (www.stc.co.uk). Two or more people travelling together (up to a maximum of five) qualify for a 15% discount on the cost of the Swiss Pass and Swiss Flexi Pass.
If you plan to use a single valley base from which to go walking, climbing or skiing and do not anticipate any intermediate journeys by public transport, the Swiss Transfer Ticket could be worth having. It can only be purchased outside Switzerland (see www.swisstravelsystem.com), and gives one free journey from the airport of arrival to anywhere in the country and back again within one month. The Swiss Card has similar validity to the Transfer Ticket, but it also allows the holder to buy ordinary train and bus tickets at a 50% discount.
A regional pass is another option for moving within one specific area, providing five days of free travel in a 15-day period. And finally, the local guest card given to visitors staying in a resort for a few days will often grant free travel on local buses, and sometimes reduced fares on cable cars and funiculars.
Accommodation
Finding accommodation should not be a problem except perhaps during the high season (Christmas/New Year; February; July and August). The range and quality of hotels, mountain inns and hostels is uniformly high and not as expensive as reputation might suggest. (Mountain huts are dealt with in a separate section below.) Of course, opulent 4 or 5-star hotels are not cheap, but it’s not unusual to find a good quality en-suite room in a 2-star establishment costing no more than a b&b in the UK. And the standard of service will be high. Apart from hotels at the two extreme ends of the pricing scale breakfast is usually included in the cost of a room, and half-board (which includes an evening meal) is often available.
The Suls-Lobhorn Hut; simple accommodation in a matchless setting
Berghaus Obersteinberg, a typical mountain inn rich with atmosphere. Both huts are high above the Lauterbrunnen valley
The umbrella term mountain inn, covers a range of low-key, sometimes simple or rustic establishments, variously described as a berghaus, berggasthaus, berggasthof or berghotel. Invariably situated in a spectacular location, and often accessible only on foot, some of these are converted farmhouses, many have no en-suite facilities and a few do not even have electricity in the guest rooms. What most of them do have in abundance is atmosphere – creaking floors, pine panelled walls, and a history.
For those on a very tight budget, note that in many resorts low-cost dormitory accommodation is available; some hotels and mountain inns have a touristenlager set aside, while it’s not unusual to find a cable car station having a dormitory or two within or close to the main building. Such facilities may not be immediately obvious or advertised. Enquire at the local tourist office for details. Dormitories may be listed under touristenlager, massenlager, matratzenlager, dortoir or dormitorio. Communal washrooms with showers are the norm, and meals are usually available.
Switzerland has 70-odd youth hostels affiliated to Hostelling International (see www.youthhostel.ch) that also provide budget accommodation. Despite the name there is no upper age limit for users, and although it is a membership-based organisation, non-members can stay by paying an extra CHF6 on top of the normal overnight fee. Small dormitory rooms are standard.
A group of independent, less formal hostels has spread across Switzerland under the heading of Swiss Backpackers (www.swissbackpackers.ch). A number of these are located in cities and large towns, but as many exist in mountain resorts. No membership is required, and facilities on offer are similar to those of youth hostels, with self-catering kitchens and/or low-cost restaurants.
The Naturfreunde organisation also has a chain of traditional buildings in alpine regions that are a cross between backpackers’ hostels and mountain inns, offering a warm welcome to all. Meals are usually on offer, but self-catering facilities are also provided. See www.nfh.ch for details.
Self-catering chalets and apartments can be found in all major resorts and many smaller mountain villages too, and these can be cost-effective for small groups of friends and families based in one place for a week or more. Again, tourist offices can provide a list of properties.
Wild camping is officially banned throughout Switzerland, but approved campsites will be found in major mountain resorts. Facilities are not always of a high standard, although the majority are well equipped and efficiently run, and sites are classified from 1-star to 5-star, which should provide a clue as to what to expect. A number of sites are fully subscribed in July and August, so booking ahead is recommended. Check with the tourist office of your chosen resort for details.
Flexible holiday packages that provide both accommodation and travel can be useful for outdoor activists content with a base in a specific resort. ‘Lakes and Mountains’ specialists such as Crystal (www.crystalholidays.co.uk), Inghams (www.inghams.co.uk), Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) and Thomson (www.thomsonlakes.co.uk) all have a range of competitively priced deals in a number of Swiss resorts.
Mountain Huts
Climbers, mountaineers, ski tourers, trekkers and keen hillwalkers too will no doubt make use of mountain huts at some time in their alpine careers. Known variously as a cabane, camona, chamanna, hütte, refuge or rifugio, Switzerland has plenty to choose from. The latest Swiss Alpine Club (www.sac-cas.ch) hut book gives details of more than 350, most of which belong to individual clubs affiliated to the SAC, but many others included are either privately owned or belong to other organisations, yet are open to all comers. The majority are staffed during the high summer season; some have part-time wardens in residence at weekends or when booked in advance by a group; a few are unmanned, and a small handful are little more than simple bivouac shelters with minimal facilities. For up-to-date information on all SAC huts check www.schweizer.huetten.ch or www.alpesonline.ch.
Zmutt, a traditional alp hamlet above Zermatt
Communal dormitories of varying size are common to all. While bedding such as pillows, mattresses, blankets or duvets is provided, users should bring their own thin sleeping bag liner for reasons of hygiene. Toilet and washing facilities vary widely. At lower altitudes many washrooms have hot and cold running water; some have showers and indoor flush toilets, while facilities in general are more limited and basic the higher you go. Bivouacking is not allowed within 400m of a hut.
At staffed huts a full meals service is usually available, with alcoholic drinks as well as a range of hot and cold beverages and a limited variety of snacks for sale. A continental-style breakfast is the norm, but a substantial three- or even four-course evening meal can be expected. Vegetarian meals may be provided if sufficient advanced warning is given. Meal times are usually fixed, with a schedule of breakfast timings (eg 4.00am–7.00am) for climbers arranged according to their chosen route. On occasion a warden will leave out a thermos of hot drink and a plate of breakfast food for those planning an even earlier departure. Given the difficulty and cost of provisioning mountain huts, the price of food and drinks will almost certainly be higher than in the valleys. To keep costs down, some parties carry tea bags and/or coffee sachets and make their own drinks with hot water bought from the warden, others bring snack food from the valley to eat during the day.
There are no self-catering facilities in staffed huts, and personal cooking stoves are not allowed inside or immediately outside the building. Simple food brought to the hut may be prepared on a climber’s behalf by the warden for a small charge, but this can be really inconvenient, especially during the busy main season.
Reductions of up to 50% on overnight fees at SAC huts are given to members of other affiliated European alpine clubs, and to BMC members (www.thebmc.co.uk) who have pre-purchased a reciprocal rights card. Anyone planning to spend six nights or more in SAC huts will find membership of an alpine club to be financially beneficial. Note that membership of the UK branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (www.aacuk.org.uk) is one of the cheapest to join, with benefits including free mountain rescue insurance. (See also www.swiss-sport.ch/sac-cas for details of the Swiss Alpine Club.)
As a matter of courtesy reservations should be made in advance at all manned huts in order to help the staff plan their catering arrangements. A telephone call is usually all that’s expected, and most tourist office staff and hut wardens are happy to phone ahead for you. A frosty welcome may greet climbers who arrive unannounced, other than in an emergency. Should you be forced to abandon your plans, you are expected to call the warden to cancel your reservation.
Outside the staffed period a ‘winter room’ is usually left unlocked. Bunks with blankets are all that should then be expected, although some winter rooms also have a wood-burning stove, a supply of firewood and an axe. Parties must take their own food and stove to bivouac huts, but crockery and cookware are provided.
Hut conventions
To book a place in a mountain hut, telephone in advance. Phone numbers are normally listed in area guidebooks, otherwise check at the nearest tourist office. Hut wardens will usually phone ahead on your behalf. In the high season, it may be necessary to book several weeks ahead for huts serving the most popular routes.
On arrival leave boots, ice axe, crampons, trekking poles or skis in the boot room/ski room or porch, and select a pair of hut shoes or clogs usually provided for indoor wear. Sometimes rucksacks are not allowed beyond the boot room, in such cases a basket will be provided. Leave your sack in the porch, place essentials in the basket and take this inside with you. As John Barry advises: ‘Keep tabs on your gear, in the early morning scramble it is all too easy for someone to mistakenly take your axe – especially if it is a better model than their own – and it is not unknown for boots to walk away on the wrong feet’ (Alpine Climbing).
Locate the warden to announce your arrival and to book whatever meals are required.
Once a room has been allocated (some wardens specify a particular bunk to use), make your bed using the sleeping bag liner carried for the purpose, and keep a torch handy as the room may not be lit when you need to go there in the dark.
It is customary to pay for services (overnight fee and meals) before going to bed. Cash payments are normal, although at a number of huts it is possible to pay with a credit card (check first).
Lights out and silence in dormitories is usually expected from 10.00pm.
Maps and Guidebooks
Maps
Swiss cartography is world class, with national survey maps published by the Federal Office of Topography (www.swisstopo.ch) covering the whole country with sheets of several different scales: 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000 and 1:200,000.
The Monte Moro Pass (2868m) at the head of the Saas valley with its gilded Madonna (Chapter 2:11)
The 1:50,000 series, which is perfectly adequate for the majority of walkers, mountaineers and ski tourers, includes a set of maps with major walking routes marked. These Wanderkarten are distinguished by the letter T given after the individual sheet number, while sheets marked with ski touring routes (Skitourenkarten) are distinguished by the letter S. National survey maps detailed at the end of each chapter in this book are listed with the prefix LS (Landeskarten der Schweiz).
The complete 1:25,000 series (more than 230 separate sheets) is also available on eight CD-ROM discs under the heading Swiss Map 25.
Independent publisher Kümmerly & Frey (www.swisstravelcenter.ch) also produces a series of maps for walkers at a scale of 1:60,000. As with LS maps, these Wanderkarten have major walking routes and mountain huts prominently marked, and the clearly defined contours and artistic use of shading produce an instant representation of ridge, spur and valley. Again, details of relevant sheets are given at the end of each chapter.
MAP AVAILABILITY
Recommended maps are available in the UK from the following outlets:
Cordee, 11 Jacknell Road, Dodwells Bridge Industrial Estate, Hinckley LE10 3BS (tel 01455 611185 www.cordee.co.uk)
Edward Stanford Ltd, 12–14 Long Acre, London WC2W 9LP (tel 020 7836 1321 www.stanfords.co.uk)
The Map Shop, 15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, WR8 0HJ (www.themapshop.co.uk)
Kümmerly & Frey also has a limited series of 1:120,000 sheets which provide a useful overview of regions such as Graubünden, Valais (Wallis) and the Bernese Oberland, and a separate sheet (Wanderland) at 1:301,000 showing all the main long-distance walking routes in Switzerland, with a comprehensive index on the reverse.
Guidebooks for walkers and trekkers
The majority of English-language guides to the Alps for walkers and trekkers are published by Cicerone (www.cicerone.co.uk), with the following list covering the Swiss Alps. Those produced by the Swiss Alpine Club are in either French or German.
Cicerone guides
100 Hut Walks in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2005)
Alpine Pass Route by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2008)
Central Switzerland: a Walker’s Guide by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 1993)
Chamonix to Zermatt: the Walker’s Haute Route by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 4th edition 2007)
The Bernese Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 3rd edition 2008)
Tour of the Jungfrau Region by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2009)
Tour of the Matterhorn by Hilary Sharp (Cicerone, 2009)
Tour of Monte Rosa by Hilary Sharp (Cicerone, 2007)
Trekking in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2011)
Walks in the Engadine by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2005)
Walking in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 2nd edition 2005)
Walking in Ticino by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 1992)
Walking in the Valais by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 3rd edition 2003)
Other guides
Alpinwandern Graubünden (SAC)
Alpinwandern Rund um die Berner Alpen (SAC)
Alpinwandern Schweiz, Von Hütte zu Hütte (SAC)
Alpinwandern Tessin (SAC)
Alpinwandern Wallis (SAC)
Alpinwandern Zentralschweiz –Glarus –Alpstein (SAC)
Randonnées alpines, D’une cabane du CAS à l’autre (SAC)
Randonnées en montagne, Chablais–Valais francophone (SAC)
The Bernina Trek by Geoffrey Pocock (www.leisure-and-business.co.uk 2009)
The Walker’s Haute Route by Alexander Stewart (Trailblazer, 2008)
Trekking and Climbing in the Western Alps by Hilary Sharp (New Holland, 2002)
Walking in Switzerland by Clem Lindenmayer (Lonely Planet, 2nd edition 2001)
Walking in the Alps by Helen Fairbairn et al. (Lonely Planet, 2004)
Wanderfitzig, Talein, talaus durchs Göschenertal (SAC)
Climbing guides
The following rock climbing guides have been published by the SAC, in German only.
Engelhornführer
Kletterführer Alpstein
Kletterführer Berner Voralpen
Kletterführer Bockmattli, Brügglerkette, Amden
Kletterführer Churfirsten–Alvierkette–Fläscherkette
Kletterführer Rätikon
Kletterführer Zentralschweizerische Voralpen
Editions Equinoxe publish sport climbing guides (mostly topos), and the Münich-based Bergverlag Rother (www.rother.de) has produced a useful pocket guide (in German) to the Swiss via ferratas/klettersteigen, while Eugen Hüsler’s book gives details of all the via ferratas in both Switzerland and France.
Hüslers Klettersteigführer: Westalpen by Eugen H Hüsler (Bruckmann, 2001)
Klettersteig Schweiz by Iris Kürschner (Rother, 2004)
Schweiz Extrem: die Schönsten Sportkletteren by Jürg von Känel (Egger, Frutigen, 1989/Editions Equinoxe)
Schweiz Plaisir Ost by Jürg von Känel (Editions Equinoxe)
Schweiz Plaisir West by Jürg von Känel (Editions Equinoxe)
Mountaineering guides
The Alpine Club in London (www.alpine-club.org.uk) has an excellent four-volume series of mountaineering guides to the Swiss Alps, and a single guide to all the alpine 4000m peaks. Bâton Wicks also has a popular guide to the 4000m peaks translated from German. The West Col guide to Central Switzerland is long out of date, but is the only one in the English language to cover the Dammastock/Urner Alps district. The same publisher has a more up-to-date guide for the Silvretta Alps.
Bernese Oberland by Les Swindin (AC, 2003)
Bernina and Bregaglia by Lindsay Griffin (AC, 1995)
Central Switzerland by Jeremy Talbot (West Col, 1969)
Silvretta Alps by Jeff Williams (West Col, 1995)
The 4000m Peaks of the Alps by Martin Moran (AC, 2007)
The Alpine 4000m Peaks by the Classic Routes by Richard Goedeke (Bâton Wicks, 2nd edition 2003)
Valais Alps East by Les Swindin and Peter Fleming (AC, 1999)
Valais Alps West by Lindsay Griffin (AC, 1998)
The Swiss Alps are covered in near-comprehensive fashion by a series of German-language guides published by the SAC as follows.
Berner Alpen 1, Sanetsch bis Gemmi
Berner Alpen 2, Gemmi bis Petersgrat
Berner Alpen 3, Bietschhorn, Breithorn, Aletschhorngruppen
Berner Alpen 4, Tschingelhorn bis Finsteraarhorn
Berner Alpen 5, Von Grindelwald zur Grimsel
Berner Voralpen, Von Gstaad bis Meiringen
Hochtouren Berner Alpen, Vom Sanetschpass zur Grimsel
Bündner Alpen 1, Tamina und Plessurgebirge
Bündner Alpen 2, Vom Lukmanier zum Domleschg
Bündner Alpen 3, Avers (San Bernardino bis Septimer)
Bündner Alpen 4, Südliche Bergeller Berge und Monte Disgrazia
Bündner Alpen 5, Bernina-Gruppe und Valposchiavo
Bündner Alpen 6, Vom Septimer zum Flüela
Bündner Alpen 7, Rätikon
Bündner Alpen 8, Silvretta und Samnaun
Bündner Alpen 9, Engiadina Bassa – Val Mustair
Bündner Alpen 10, Mittleres Engadin und Puschlav
Säntis–Churfirsten, Von Appenzell zum Walensee
Glarner Alpen
Gotthard, Von der Furka zum Lukmanier
Zentralschweizerische Voralpen, Schwyzer Voralpen, Unterwaldner Voralpen, Pilatus–Schrattenflue–Kette
Tessiner Alpen 1, Vom Gridone zum Sankt Gotthard
Tessiner Alpen 2, Von der Cristallina zum Sassariente
Tessiner Alpen 3, Von der Piora zum Pizzo di Claro
Misoxer Alpen 4, Vom Zapporthorn zum Passo San Jorio
Tessiner Voralpen 5, Vom Passo San Jorio zum Generoso
Urner Alpen Ost 1
Urner Alpen 2, Göscheneralp – Furka – Grimsel
Urner Alpen 3, Vom Susten zum Urirotstock
Walliser Alpen 1, Vom Trient zum Grossen St Bernhard
Walliser Alpen 2, Vom Grossen St Bernhard zum Col Collon
Walliser Alpen 3, Vom Col Collon zum Theodulpass
Walliser Alpen 4, Vom Theodulpass zum Monte Rosa
Walliser Alpen 5, Vom Strahlhorn zum Simplon
Hochtouren im Wallis, Vom Trient zum Nufenenpass
The following large-format hardback describes easy routes to 50 summits of 3000m peaks in the Swiss Alps. Too big to carry on the hill, it nevertheless gives good background information for those with a reasonable command of German.
Freie Sicht aufs Gipfelmeer by Marco Volken and Remo Kundert (Salvioni Edizioni, Bellinzona 2003)
Ski touring/mountaineering and snowshoeing guides
Cicerone (in English) and the SAC (in French and German) have good coverage of the most popular regions.
Alpine Ski Mountaineering Vol 1: Western Alps by Bill O’Connor (Cicerone, 2002)
Alpine Ski Mountaineering Vol 2: Central & Eastern Alps by Bill O’Connor (Cicerone, 2003)
Alpine Skitouren 5, Glarus–St Gallen–Appenzell (SAC)
Alpine Skitouren Zentralschweiz – Tessin (SAC)
Die schönsten Skitouren der Schweiz (SAC)
Graubünden Nord, Vom Prättigau bis zur Surselva: Schneeschuhtouren (SAC)
Les plus belles randonnées à ski de Suisse (SAC)
Ski alpin Bas-Valais, Du Lac Léman jusqu’à la Dent-Blanche (SAC)
Ski alpin 3, Alpes valaisannes (SAC)
Skitouren Berner Alpen Ost, Lötschenpass bis Grimsel (SAC)
Skitouren Berner Alpen West, Waadtländer und Freiburger Alpen, Le Moléson bis Balmhorn (SAC)
Skitouren Graubünden (SAC)
Skitouren Oberwallis, Vom Bishorn zum Gross Muttenhorn (SAC)
Snowshoeing: Mont Blanc & the Western Alps by Hilary Sharp (Cicerone, 2002)
Tessin Misox: schneeschuhtouren (SAC)
Tessin/MisoxCalanca, Vom Val Bedretto zum Monte Generoso (SAC)
The Haute Route by Peter Cliff (Cordee)
BOOK SUPPLIERS
For details of all Cicerone publications, and to order online go to www.cicerone.co.uk
Alpine Club, Bâton Wicks, Rother and West Col guides are all available from Cordee, 11 Jacknell Road, Dodwells Bridge Industrial Estate, Hinckley LE10 3BS or via www.cordee.co.uk
Swiss Alpine Club publications may be ordered online at www.sac-verlag.ch
Health Considerations
At the time of writing no immunisations are required to enter Switzerland, unless you’ve recently been in an area of yellow fever or cholera infection, in which case an International Health Certificate will be needed. It’s also sensible to be up to date with tetanus vaccination.
In view of the increase in the viral infection known as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), walkers ought to consider protection. TBE is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening disease, spread by the bite of the Ixodes tick that lies in wait on the underside of bushes and grasses in large areas of Europe, including Switzerland. Risk is seasonal, from March to September, and anyone taking part in outdoor activities below the snowline in summer (camping included) may be vulnerable. The risk of tick bites can be reduced by using an effective insect repellent, and by covering areas of exposed skin with suitable clothing, and a TBE vaccine is now available in UK travel clinics and some GP surgeries. For more information go to www.masta.org/tickalert.
A rocky section of trail leading from the Gasterntal to the Lötschenpass above Kandersteg (Chapter 5:5)
If you take regular medication, make sure you have an adequate supply to last throughout your visit, and make a note of the generic name of the medication (not the brand name) which will make it easier to get a replacement should you inadvertently run out.
Water is safe to drink from most of the numerous fountains seen throughout the country, unless there’s a notice stating otherwise: Kein Trinkwasser and eau non potable mean the water is unsafe to drink. Stream water should be treated with caution, as polluting animals may be grazing above the source. To ensure stream water is safe to drink, either boil thoroughly or use a special filter.
In winter as in summer, it’s easy to get sunburnt or suffer from heat stroke in the mountains – especially at altitude – so protect yourself with a brimmed hat, a liberal coating of sunscreen and lip salve. At the other end of the spectrum, hypothermia can affect anyone in summer or winter when their body loses heat faster than it can produce it, and the core temperature falls to dangerous levels. This is most likely to happen in wet and windy conditions, and when suffering from exhaustion. Try to avoid getting soaked by wearing good waterproofs and layers of warm clothing, including gloves and hat. If you or your partner show early signs of hypothermia get out of the wind and into some form of shelter (tent, bivvy bag or large polythene bag), replace any wet clothing with dry, eat some high-energy food and drink hot sugary liquids. Do not drink alcohol, or rub the patient to restore circulation, and avoid further exertion.
The Dammastock group in central Switzerland (Chapter 6:1)
Health insurance
All medical treatment in Switzerland must be paid for, but note that the European health insurance card is also valid, which entitles the holder to reciprocal arrangements for the reimbursement of some costs of medical treatment (check limitations which are printed on forms available at UK post offices). However, the EHIC is no substitute for proper health insurance, so walkers, skiers and climbers should make sure they have adequate cover appropriate for their chosen activity; it should include personal accident, sickness and mountain rescue. The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) provides a comprehensive insurance service for its members, with policies covering travel, trekking, rock climbing, mountaineering and winter sports (www.thebmc.co.uk). Note also that the UK branch of the Austrian Alpine Club provides insurance cover to members for basic rescue, medical emergencies and repatriation (www.aacuk.co.uk).
