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Walking grades for our holidays
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| Introductory | Intermediate | Expert | ||||||||
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How tough physically? Half-day walks, or slightly longer Limited climbing each day Valley walks, or small hills How tough technically? Clear paths and routefinding Lower walks, less weather impact Solid paths and tracks  Typical terrain: A decent path by Stellisee, the Matterhorn ahead Examples at this grade  Swiss Valais North Lakes Explorer |
How tough physically? Some long, hard days outside Sustained climbs, long distances Walks in and over the mountains How tough technically? Routefinding not always easy High passes; snow possible Ladders, chains; steep and rocky  Typical terrain: Mountain paths by Ref les Grands, Tour du Mont Blanc Examples at this grade Tour du Mont Blanc West Highland Way |
How tough physically? Long walks, taking most of the day Climbing 1000m or more per day Higher altitudes, so harder work How tough technically? Tricky navigation in cloud Unseasonal snow on higher passes Rocky & loose bits; fixed ladders  Typical terrain: Pathless ground near Col de Prafleuri, Haute Route Examples at this grade Walker's Haute Route Coast to Coast |
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Features common to all grades Our holidays are about walking and trekking; none of our trips involve rock climbing or via ferrata. There are no glaciers involved, apart from one simple glacier on the Walker's Haute Route that needs no special skills or equipment. High heat in the summer can make for slower going, especially when walking uphill. Especially important is that on most trips you'll be walking for successive days; tiredness can build up. We plan rest days but nevertheless it's crucial to be prepared for sustained walking and trekking. |
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Notes Describing the challenges on our walks is one of our trickiest tasks. We try to be as descriptive as possible, realising that everyone has their own ideas about what's tough and what's easy. Within each of our grades, and within each of our trips, there is necessarily a wide range of difficulties. Please contact us any time; we'll give you much more detail about what to expect on the trails. |
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Please contact us: Address Alpine Exploratory, 9 Copperfield St, Wigan, WN1 2DZ, United Kingdom
Email info@alpineexploratory.com Tel +44 (0)1942 826 270 Fax +44 (0) 1942 233 829