The European Alps curve in a great arc of 1,000 miles across 8 countries. They dominate the horizon of many countries and have been a lasting source of adventure to skiers, mountaineers and hikers. The Alpine Challenge is to hike right round the entire mountain range: from Monaco to within sight of Vienna and back. Last Things - November 26th reports.html#November 26 Back High - November 11th reports.html#November 11 Strange Encounters - November 4th reports.html#November4 Lots of walking - October 29th reports.html#October29 Brianconnais: Aretes de la Bruyere - September 27th reports.html#September27 Queyras: Belvedere de l'Homme de Pierre - September 25th reports.html#September25 Queyras: lac de l'Ascension - September 24th reports.html#September24 Brianconnais: Vallee de la Cerveyrette - September 23rd reports.html#September23 Frustrating Times - September 22nd reports.html#September22 Brianconnais: Mont Thabor - September 17th reports.html#September17 Brianconnais: Le Pointe des Cerces - September 65th reports.html#September16 One Million Feet climbed this year - September 15th reports.html#September15 Two walks - September 14th reports.html#September14 Brianconnais, Le Tour des Cerces - September 13th reports.html#September13 Brianconnais: Val des Pres and Crete de la Lauze Val - September 12th reports.html#September12 Back at base camp! - September 10th reports.html#September10 Alpe de Villar to ref. Adele Planchard - September 9th reports.html#September9 Two local walks - September 8th reports.html#September8 Champhorent to the lac des Beches - September 7th reports.html#September7 la Berarde to the Col du Temple - September 6th reports.html#September6 la Berarde to Refuge de la Pilatte - September 5th reports.html#September5 The Vallon des Etages - September 4th reports.html#September4 la Berarde to refuge du promontoire - September 3rd reports.html#September3 The Dibona - September 2nd reports.html#September2 Two walks in the Brianconnais - September 1st reports.html#September1 Local walks reports.html#August31 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Le Casset to Vallouise reports.html#August27 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: La Grave to Le Casset reports.html#August26 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Mizoen to La Grave reports.html#August25 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Bourg de l'Oisans to Mizoen reports.html#August24 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Ref la Muzelle to Bourg d'Oisans reports.html#August23 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Le Desert to Ref la Muzelle reports.html#August22 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Villar Loubiere to Le Desert en Valjouffrey reports.html#August21 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Gioberney to Villar Loubiere reports.html#August20 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Pre de la Chaumette to Gioberney reports.html#August19 GR54 Tour des Ecrins: Vallouise to Ref. Pre de la Chaumette reports.html#August18 Ecrins - Tete de Clotinaille reports.html#August15 Ecrins - Chemin de la ceinture reports.html#August13 Ecrins - The power and the glory reports.html#August12 Ecrins - Roc Blanc and Pointe des Rougnous reports.html#August11 Ecrins - Les Aiguilles de Chabrieres reports.html#August8 Ecrins - Two walks reports.html#August7 Ecrins - Les Croix d'Enfer reports.html#August5 Ecrins - Donner und blitzen reports.html#August2 Ecrins - Two walks reports.html#July28 Ecrins - Les lacs de Crupillouse reports.html#July26 Ecrins - Two short walks reports.html#July25 Ecrins - La petite Autane reports.html#July23 Queryras - Ville vieille to Brunissard reports.html#July21 Queryras - Brunissard to Ville vieille reports.html#July20 Queryras - Arvieux and the Furfande reports.html#July19 Ecrins - Valsenestre to Le Perier reports.html#July17 Ecrins - Tete du Vet and the Lac Gary reports.html#July16 Ecrins - The head of Louis XVI reports.html#July15 Ecrins - le Lac Fourchu and the Taillefer reports.html#July14 Ecrins - The Tour du Valbonnais reports.html#July13 Ecrins - The lac du vallon reports.html#July12 Ecrins - Above Le Perier reports.html#July11 Ecrins - Crete des Lauvets and the Font Turbat (Valjouffrey) reports.html#July10 Ecrins - Valsenestre to Lac Labarre and the Tete de Rame reports.html#July9 Ecrins - The valley of Valjouffrey reports.html#July8 Ecrins - The Pas de l'Olan and Lac du Lautier reports.html#July7 Ecrins - Mountains at the head of the valley reports.html#July6 Ecrins - The Petarel Lakes reports.html#July5 Ecrins - The Valgaudemar reports.html#July4 Pic St Andre - The Les Orres ridge reports.html#June29 Pic St Andre - Les Croix and Mont Orel reports.html#June27 The Tetes de Soleil Boeuf reports.html#June25 Le Pouzenc and Pic Silhourais reports.html#June23 Still Here! reports.html#June16 Pic de Boussolenc reports.html#June5 Close Encounter reports.html#June3 Le Mourre Froid (2993m) reports.html#June2 Traverse of the Cirque de Morgon earlier-reports.html#May29 Winter Returns earlier-reports.html#May28 Judy has changed her plans for 2007 and will not now attempt to walk right around the Alps. She plans to do some parts of that in the not too distant future, but with a companion...... index.html#en Wolf tracks earlier-reports.html#May26 Tour of the Crete de Mean earlier-reports.html#May25 The gathering of the Cairns earlier-reports.html#May24 Col de Reyssas earlier-reports.html#May23 Major Change In Plans - A message from Judy earlier-reports.html#May22 Third attempt at a start to walking around the Alps earlier-reports.html#May20 My first climb of Le Meale (2425m) without snowshoes today, albeit with a wallow in snowdrifts at 2300m. Feeling flush with success, I strolled through the village of Les Orres and found myself caught up in a reunion,...... earlier-reports.html#May12 Walking quietly along a back road, a weasel scurried out from the grass, a metre in front of me. He was shocked at his mistake, and crouched, chittering and weaving from side to side. A wicked little face, with fierce beady eyes, creamy tummy and handsome toffee coloured fur...... earlier-reports.html#May10 Today I walked to the Lac de l'Hivernet, a remote tarn at 2325m. I've wanted to go there for ages, as it sits below the poetically named peak of the Ptarmigans song (Tete de Chante Perdrix)..... earlier-reports.html#May1 The Ubac and the Adret reports.html#Apr30 Today I climbed the Pic du Morgon, which is a beautiful mountain overhanging the big lake here. This has been tantalisingly out of bounds due to windslab snow on the final ramp, and steep ice above a drop on the access track, but the warmer weather has put paid to both of these.......... earlier-reports.html#Apr26 Training Notes earlier-reports.html#Apr23 Exploring the Couleau earlier-reports.html#Apr22 Climbing Le Meale earlier-reports.html#Apr21 A long way today, trying to reach the Belvedere of the stone man....... earlier-reports.html#Apr18 A short walk today, along the edge of the lake, up into the hills and over the Torrent de Boscodon to the Abbey, which is a Chalaisian monastery dating from the 12th Century, and a place of great peace. earlier-reports.html#Apr16 Training continues with two days on Mont Guillaume earlier-reports.html#Apr14 A Pine Marten and Deer earlier-reports.html#Apr13 Exploring one of the villages, I came across a house with a poem painted around the eaves, and while letting it sink in, the owner came out and said that it was by the young Arthur Rimbaud. ..... earlier-reports.html#Apr11 A long day walking down the valley and back. Spring is in the air, quite literally..... earlier-reports.html#Apr9 Weather systems are sweeping Embrun every other day now, and as I'm not keen on walking in falling snow, I'm getting plenty of rest.... earlier-reports.html#Apr2 Le Meale and Chateau de Caleyere as training resumes earlier-reports.html#Mar30 An abortive start to walking around the Alps! earlier-reports.html#Mar26 Time to get to the start point earlier-reports.html#Mar25 Judy's training has been going well enough for her to make a short visit to the UK to complete the arrangements that need to be in place here, before she starts this epic "around the Alps walk". earlier-reports.html#Mar24 Listen to Judy's updated interview with Backpacking Light media.html Set off today to climb the Crete des Prenetz, which at 2781m is the highest one can get here before snow consolidates in the Spring. This is really a long ridge emerging from forest at 1800m, which is supposedly climbable all the way, avoiding almost all chance of avalanche. The knolls were steep, and I felt on the limit several times, dislodging snow that skittered off 50m down slope......... earlier-reports.html#Mar11