SUMMERTIME HIGHS
PHOTO Penny Kendall
Dreaming of a European getaway this summer? With borders gradually opening up to travellers, it is time to start planning that getaway. Summer in the Alps is just as brilliant as winter, with awesome scenery, loads of fun activities, and, best of all, low prices and few crowds
While beach spots Europe-wide traditionally hike up prices in summer, the Alps do exactly the opposite. And as sweltering coasts begin to teem, the mountains largely remain somewhere between peaceful and deserted. Prices for lodgings are generally lower than in winter, and in most places you can turn up without a booking and still have a choice. Most activities – from hiking to swimming in a lake – are either free or cheaper than skiing.
Summertime in the Alps offers limitless variety. Some of us may just want to breathe mountain air, loll by a pool, lake or spa, have picnics and go wine-tasting. At the other extreme, you can sign up for a hut-to-hut hiking tour, crossing glaciers and scaling peaks en route. You can windsurf on Carinthia’s lakes, stroll Salzburgerland’s meadows spotting chamois and marmots, cycle sections of the Tour de France… we could go on.
We won’t: instead here are four of our top picks for summertime highs.
PHOTO Sylvain Cochard
SPORTY SUMMERS IN THE PDS
“People come here for the winters and end up staying for the summers.” So goes a saying among Morzine locals. Yes, summers in the Portes du Soleil are pretty epic – one taste and you won’t want to leave.
The PdS, just an hour from Geneva, is the epicentre of France’s mountain biking scene. There are 600km of trails across 12 linked resorts and two countries (France and Switzerland). The variety is outstanding – sure, there are plenty of Championship courses (hello, Champery World Cup downhill track), but there are also miles of wide and mellow routes across scenic meadows for people just starting out.
The resort is embracing the e-bike movement, too. Almost all bike shops in Morzine and Les Gets have e-bikes to rent, and riders can ascend Europe’s first Bosch 'Uphill Flow' trail in France (second in the world) on Super Morzine – a trail designed to replicate the fun of downhill, but going uphill on an e-bike.
For people who prefer to explore the mountains with two feet firmly on the ground, the PdS has 7,000km of marked walking trails, many of which are accessible via the extensive summer lift system. There are technical climbs such as the three-hour Roc d'Enfer route, lake walks with views, family-friendly forest rambles – just take your pick.
Speaking of families, there are plenty of child-friendly activities to get stuck into, especially down at the Parc des Dérèches, in the centre of Morzine town. Tennis, horse riding, volleyball courts, a swimming pool, skate park and treetop adventure park – you could easily spend a whole day down there and not get bored. There is plenty of action to be had on the River Dranse too, from rafting, canyoning and hydrospeeding to airboating and canorafting – book via the superb Frogs Rafting team.
PHOTO Yolanda Carslaw
WALK-BUS-TRAIN IN THE VALAIS
The best things about a summer foray to this part of southern Switzerland are the variety and the satisfaction of having so much fun, mostly for free, in a country people assume is wildly expensive.
If it’s sunny, you pack a picnic and a map and hike the high-meadow and mountain paths, following the trusty yellow signs, and sometimes using the equally yellow postbus to complete a satisfying circuit. If the tops are clouded out, you go on the level or downhill, exploring the vineyards or the bisses – the network of ancient water channels that criss-cross the mountainside. If the weather is truly foul there are public thermal baths (Saillon, Leukerbad, Ovronnaz) plus ‘proper towns’ to visit, such as Sion or Martigny, complete with galleries, shopping and indoor tennis.
A popular full-day, one-way hike starts at Lac de Tseuzier (reach it by postbus). It climbs north over the magnificent Rawyl pass and descends into the Bernese Oberland via lush rolling meadows to Lenk im Simmental. Either stay overnight and hike back the next day or continue on a circuit using trains, buses and foot. Not far away, the timeless, peaceful valley of Derborence has easy day-hikes and wonderful wildflowers.
Across the other side of the Rhone valley in the Val d’Anniviers, the trails above Zinal, around the Weisshorn hotel and further south, are spectacular. Pack your bathing suit for a refreshing swam in a lake seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
A good base in the district is south-facing and car-free Anzere. There are also the traditional old villages of the Val d’Anniviers. The more touristy areas of Crans and Verbier have a lot to offer, especially if you play golf or enjoy a busier atmosphere. It’s fun to spend a night or two in a mountain hut, or indeed just to pack overnight stuff in a lightweight rucksack and tour around on foot and by bus and train.
PHOTO Penny Kendall
HIKING SENJA’S PEAKS
A drone’s-eye view would be ideal to appreciate the extraordinary topography of the Arctic island of Senja (Norway’s second-largest island outside of the Svalbard archipelago). But if walking rather than flying is your thing, you can get much the same perspective from any number of peaks. Because a Norwegian footpath doesn’t mess about.
Even though there would be plenty of reasons to meander in most corners of the island - from the gentle hills, beaches and forest of the southern parts to the craggy north-east - straight up and down is generally preferred.
Heading for the ultimate view as directly as possible might have something to do with the weather: if it’s clear, you don’t want to waste time on the way to your summit, in case the weather is rolling in to spoil things. Or it might be simply a Viking thing; after all, they were known for being direct.
It’s worth preparing yourself mentally, not just for the lack of switchbacks on steep bits, but also for the kind of finish – that last little scrambly bit – preferred around here. It’s not for the faint hearted, but very worthwhile in terms of knock-your-socks-off views.
And if you’d prefer something a little more low-key, you can usually get much the same perspective without actually doing that last little bit. Plus, factor in white sand beaches, charming fishing harbours and waterside lodgings such as at Hamn i Senja, with – it goes almost without saying – the freshest seafood on the planet.
VIA FERRATA IN THE DOLOMITES
A via ferrata (literally ‘iron path’ in Italian), Olly Allen at Mountain Tracks explains, is a route with fixed protection that helps people move safely along cliffs and precarious mountain routes. In regions like the Dolomites they link isolated areas and allow parties to undertake hut-to-hut treks incorporating via ferrata (‘Klettersteig’ in German) on the way. Protection includes a combination of thick steel cables, metal bars, steps, ladders and bridges. These are usually bolted and glued to the rock face.
Initially, these iron paths were built to allow the movement of Italian troops across the Dolomites during WW1, but modern via ferrata have since been constructed all over the Alps for adventure tourism.
Over the past 10 years via ferrata has snowballed in popularity, allowing people who aren’t serious climbers to access truly spectacular situations. Any trekker or walker who is not afraid of heights can tackle a via ferrata.
In the Dolomites, there are routes for every level, from easy walks to full-on vertical ladders with lots of exposure. Jaw-dropping Dolomite views are guaranteed at every one.
When beginning your climb you’ll attach and lock two carabiners onto the wire cable of the via ferrata. Each time you reach a place where the cable is attached to the rock (usually a steel bar, bolt or stanchion), you will need to unclip and re-clip your carabiners beyond the attachment point. This is done one at a time, ensuring you are always attached to the cable by at least one carabiner. It’s easy to pick up: after a few metres you’ll practically be jogging up the cliff.
Mountain Tracks runs trips on the Via delle Bocchetta or ‘Bocchette Way’, one of the great mountain journeys of the Alps – an epic hut-to-hut traverse of the main Brenta range taking you through some of the most spectacular rock scenery in the Dolomites.
DOS AND DON’TS
Do check when mountain passes open if planning a road trip.
Do book mountain huts in advance: occasionally they’ll be booked by a group or organisation, and it’s not as if there’s anywhere just round the corner, although they’ll probably give you floor space...
Do remember you can pop ‘over the top’ to the southern side of the Alps (usually Italy) for potentially better weather if you’re road-tripping and a summer blizzard hits.
Do seek out summer festivals and music: in Austria many villages have a traditional ‘Dorffest’ while Swiss National Day on 1 August brings mini-celebrations all over the country.
Do notice the mountain farming and its culture: as well as hearing cowbells up on the meadows you may get to see the Combats des Reines (cow fighting) in spring or the Desalpe or Almabtrieb (bringing herds back down) in autumn, both of which are usually an excuse for a good party.
Do consider September and early October as well as summer in the Alps. The weather and autumn colours can be splendid.
Don’t go too high too early, especially in a snowy year – it may still be wintry.
Don’t aim for the Jungfraujoch or Gornergrat trains expecting lower prices than in winter: crowd-pullers like these are just as pricey in summer.
Don’t hike without waterproofs and insulation: the weather can blow in just as quickly in summer as in winter.
* In collaboration with Fall-Line Skiing