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MENNO BOERMANS
Our newest alpine adventure brings you to the “Roof of Europe” on a
fabulous hiking journey designed by our superb Trip Leader Gianluca
Canalicchio. Challenging hikes—with shorter options on many
days—lead us across the craggy ridges of Italy’s dramatic Val d’Aosta,
through enchanting villages of the intriguing Walser culture, and
right below the spectacular giants of the Alps: the iconic Matterhorn,
Monte Rosa, Mont Blanc—the highest of them all—and the glaciated
peaks of Gran Paradiso National Park. Cable cars and gondolas whisk
us high into the mountains, and our route includes portions of the
famed Alta Via, Italy’s premier long-distance trail. At night, we are
welcomed into cozy hotels in small villages where we’ll savor the
local cuisine.
Days 1-3 Aosta, Val d’Aosta / Breuil-Cervinia
Cable cars bring us up into the mountains for
hikes with breathtaking views of the Mont
Blanc massif, Grand Combin, Monte Rosa, the
Matterhorn, and countless other high peaks.
Days 4-7 Cervinia / Gressoney-La-Trinité
One of our stunning hikes is along the Tour de
Monte Rosa, and brings us into the glacially
carved Val d’Ayas, a serene paradise full of rivers
and streams, framed by the superb backdrop of
the snowy Breithorn and two mountain-ringed
lakes. Other hikes lead along the famed Alta
Via, a rugged long-distance trail encircling the
heights of the Val d’Aosta, and through alpine
hamlets with traditional Walser architecture.
Cable cars and gondolas carry us up onto the flanks of the highest mountains in Europe for our stunning hikes. PHOTO: GARETH MCCORMACK
QUESTIONS? 1.800.368.2794 OR EMAIL 46
HIGHLIGHTS
• Enjoy exhilarating hikes beneath the
giants of the Alps—the Matterhorn,
Monte Rosa, and Mont Blanc—and in the
valleys of Gran Paradiso National Park
• A true hiker’s hike on the Val d’Aosta’s
Alta Via, with shorter hiking options on
many days
• Sample the distinctive cuisine of Italy’s
Val d’Aosta
• Discover tiny villages with distinctive
architecture and ancient traditions
DETAILS
• 12-day trip begins and ends in Torino
• 11 nights hotels
• All meals included except 2 dinners
DATES
Jul 10-21, 2018
Aug 21-Sep 1
TRIP COST
$5795 (10-15 members)
$6295 (4-9 members)
Single supplement: $450
TRIP LEVEL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
11 hiking days on moderate to steep
trails, 4-6 hours a day, altitudes between
8,000-11,600 feet, van support
Days 8-9 Gran Paradiso National
Park Gran Paradiso National Park is
a magnificent landscape of soaring
snow-covered peaks, glacial cirques,
alpine lakes, and remote valleys
with charming traditional villages.
Our hiking route brings us through
Lillaz, famous for its beautiful
waterfalls, and along ancient royal
hunting roads built by King Vittorio
Emanuele II (Gran Paradiso was
once his private hunting grounds).
Days 10-12 Courmayeur /
Mont Blanc From the town of
Courmayeur, stunningly set beneath
the Mont Blanc massif, we ascend
by cable car and hike to the
Elisabetta Hut. Our last hike is in
the Val Ferret, a lovely realm of
alpine meadows and fast-flowing
streams surrounded by the massive
granite peaks of Mont Dolent, the
Dent du Geant, and the Grandes
Jorasses. We catch the cable car
to savor spectacular views of the
“Roof of Europe” at the Aiguille du
Midi (12,678') in the heart of the
Mont Blanc massif, then descend to
Chamonix, France. Depart on Day
12 via Torino.
HIKE EPIC ALPINE TRAILS OF THE VAL D’AOSTA BENEATH ITALY’S HIGHEST PEAKS