Walking in the Alps (Travel) [Paperback]

Kev Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Series: Travel | Publication Date: March 15, 2000

Half a century has gone by since J. Hubert Walker published his classic "Walking in the Alps", now a collector's item. The mountains have seen many changes since then - dams have been built, roads improved, chair-lifts multiplied, huts improved - an almost endless catalogue, even though the beauty of the region remains and its attraction undiminished. This new book takes all this into account. Each alpine area is comprehensively described with suggestions for walks which will stimulate the imagination. Details of guidebooks and maps are given. "Like its namesake this book sets out to describe some of the loveliest Alpine regions from the point of view of the walker who is, after all, in the most favoured position to witness and enjoy mountain scenery in all its abundant variety. Only the mountain walker, the individual with good general fitness, a modicum of scrambling experience and an eye for the hills, can move far enough and at the right pace to enjoy the full range of wonders that the Alps so generously offer. This is the person for whom this book is written." - Kev Reynolds

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When most people think of the Alps, they think of Switzerland. The Alps actually stretch from Southern France to Austria, passing through several countries in between. The purpose of this book is to provide a compilation of walks available throughout this mountain chain. Reynolds, one of the foremost authorities on the region, has modeled the book after J. Hubert Walker's classic Walking the Alp, with the goal of creating a more updated version. Peppered with breathtaking photographs, the text is divided into manageable sections of the Alps, each section ending with useful information on which guidebooks to use and whether accommodations are available. However, crucial details about contacts, weather, money, and visas are not provided; it certainly would have been useful to offer at least an appendix with basic information on each country. Reynolds obviously didn't intend to write just another travel guide but rather a reference tome. This bulky book is recommended for purchase, though it should not be a hiker's sole resource.DSandy Knowles, Henderson Cty. P.L., NC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

'The most comprehensive book about alpine walking in the last fifty years.'(Chris Bonington)'This is a book that needed writing, and who better to write it than that doyen of guidebook authors - Kev Reynolds. It is a hefty volume that makes no pretence of being a pocket or even a rucksack guidebook, it's a full scale Alpine bible weighing no less than two and a quarter pounds. It's a book for the long winter evenings, not to dream over but to conspire with, to plot with and to use.'(John Cleare, High)'According to my calculations, if I wanted to do everything listed in this marvellous book I would need to live to just over 400 years and remain fit to the end.'(Ernst Sondheimer, The Alpine Journal)'In his own poetic and inimitable style, [Kev Reynolds] has produced a book that condenses the vast wonderland that is the Alps, from the Mediterranean coast near Nice to the wooded hills of Vienna, into 480 pages of densely, yet eminently readable, information. ... This then, is probably the most important guide to walking abroad that has been published in Britain. It is simply stunning, and should be on the shelves of every walker, scrambler and backpacker who harbours any inclination to travel south to these, one of the finest ranges of mountains in the world.'(Cameron McNeish, TGO)'Illustrated with excellent colour photographs and sketch maps, it's definitely a book for the enthusiast.'(Walking Abroad)'Kev Reynolds' style of writing combines graphic visual descriptions with a real feeling of his love for the mountains - there is nothing dry or understated in his prose. The second feature which I found most attractive, is [the] use of quotations from earlier writers, such as Tuckett, Freshfield, Whymper, Leslie Stephen and many others. He goes further and provides reading lists at the end of each chapter and this, for me, adds perspective and a sense of the inheritance of a wonderful recreation from those who have trodden these incomparable mountains in the past.'(Ewen Moir, Austrian Alpine Club Newsletter)'Perhaps you are thinking of your first walking trip to the Alps; but where? How do you decide? Well you can't do better than start with this comprehensive guide to the whole Alpine chain. It is a soft cover update of the original 1998 hardback, which was recognised immediately as the most complete description of the Alps and the walking it offered.Kev Reynolds is a long established writer in the field with a string of guides to individual areas. It is hard to think of anyone to better his extensive knowledge of the Alpine world and clear writing style. I think even old Alpine buffs will discover a corner they were unaware of.'(Scottish Mountaineer Magazine / August 2006)'A big book in every sense, Reynolds' classic was originally published in 1998 and has been republished in soft cover, with improved mapping and a lot more colour photographs. Its format is simple but highly effective.There is little route description - books that offer that are referred to at the end of each chapter - but there is much loving details of what makes each sub-range and its region unique. The suggested tours are well-thought out, with plenty of scope for personal variations.'(Walking World Ireland / July - August 2007) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Publishing Group (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566563437
• ISBN-13: 978-1566563437
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful in only a very specific way, April 7, 2001

By 

C. Anderson (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walking in the Alps (Travel) (Paperback)

This book has a wealth of information on specific trails and specific mountains. It is incredibly detailed, but it lacks any overview. It provides no help on how to choose a trail or select where to go. Nor does it cover what sorts of things you will need on your trip or how to plan it. So unless you know exactly where you want to go hiking and need some specific information on trails in that area, this book is not too helpful.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Reference for the Experienced Walker, December 14, 2002

By 

disheveledprofessor (the home of the Blue Angels) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking in the Alps (Travel) (Paperback)

] The mere words "walking in the alps" conjure images of snowcapped mountains, lakes nestled in valleys, breathtaking scenery and fill the heart with longing to be there. This volume does not transport the reader - it is not an "armchair travel" experience". But it does provide massive amounts of information to the traveler planning a trip.

Planning is the key word. The paperback volume is too bulky (480 pages) to pack to take with you or to comfortably carry, although if you don't mind destroying your book (paperbound), you could easily tear out the sections appropriate for your travel plans.

Coverage is exhaustive in terms of area: from the Alpes Maritime in France to the wooded hills of Vienna, with Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria in between.

This book is not for the general tourist or casual walker, but is geared toward a specific audience. The introduction says that "the mountain walker the individual with good general fitness, a modicum of scrambling experience and an eye for the hills, can move far enough and at the right paced ... is the person for whom this book is written."

Since it is written for such a specific audience, I was surprised at some of the omissions. The maps are excellent. Attempts have been made to define the topography of each area. But precise route descriptions are not supplied.

In summary, this is a good, but not stand alone, reference for the serious walker to use in planning a trip.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mine better book of the Alps, July 22, 2001

By 

Flávio Miguel Castro da Mota - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking in the Alps (Travel) (Paperback)

When buying this book, a person feels will to walk in the Alps. When reading it this will fast becomes in life objective! I really disagree with the affirmation that this book does not serve to choose what to make in the Alps. I covered 3 passages indicated for this great man (Kev Reynolds) in the zone of the Graian Alps, in France, and any one of the passages corresponded to the one that assumes to be. Absolutely incredible! It is a book to read in house even because the bookbinding is, no doubt, the weak part of this magnificent book. The indications concerning the maps to buy and of the difficulty of the hikes are correct.