This comprehensive book is an excellent planning resource for those who wish to venture into the Swiss Alps. Whether you are planning a walk, scramble, climb or ski tour this larger format guide describes each mountain area throughout Switzerland - the peaks, passes, valleys and bases - to help readers identify the best destinations for their chosen mountain activity. Dozens of individual valleys are described, together with the mountains that wall them, with recommendations given for their finest walks, treks and climbs. Working eastwards across the country, this guide is divided into seven chapters: Chablais Alps, Pennine Alp, Lepontine and Adula Alps, Bernina, Bregaglia and Albula Alps, Bernese Alps, Central Swiss Alps and the Silvretta and Ratikon Alps, each devoted to a specific range or group of connecting ranges. However, this is not a route guide and detailed descriptions are not provided. The aim of the book is to inspire as well as inform; to show first-time visitors just what the Swiss Alps have to offer and provide a new perspective for those who have been before.

The Valais region encompasses Switzerland''s most rugged terrain. Our coverage extends from the gateway city of Geneva to the upper reaches of the Walliser Alps along the Italian frontier. Visitors are apt to enter the region in Geneva, a small, cosmopolitan city between the border of France and the western end of Lake Geneva, known in French as Lac Leman. The city bustles with the business of international organizations, plays along a garden-lined lakefront, and harbors a pleasant pedestrian old town. The city of Lausanne lies across the lake, drawing visitors for its own pleasant lakefront and the Olympic Games History Museum. Beyond, in the Valais region, protrudes the magnificent Matterhorn Peak, with famed Zermatt at its foot and secluded Saas-Fee just over the hill. In southeastern Switzerland next to the border of Italy, Zermatt reclines amid a cluster of 38 4,000-m peaks. Above the town towers the distinctive hook of the Matterhorn crest. For most visitors, Zermatt isn''t a place to relax; it''s a place to play, and play hard. About 400 km of hiking paths wind through the mountains above Zermatt, most areas well-served by cableway or mountain train. The most spectacular of the trails run through the Sunnegga and Rothorn areas, winding around lakes, skirting glaciers, and all within view of the Matterhorn across the valley. One of these, the Marmot Trail, leads from mid-mountain Rothorn at Blauherd down to Sunnegga via a path lined with several marmot family groups. Walkers wanting a closer look at the majestic mountain should try the new Matterhorn Trail. It drops from the lift station at Schwarzsee, along the foot of the Matterhorn to Stafel, to the lake at Zmutt, and then down to the lift station at Furi OCo passing several inviting mountain huts along the way. Saas-Fee lies to the east of Zermatt, on the opposite side of the towering Dom. Like Zermatt, the resort is reached via a climb up the forked valley south of Visp OCo to reach Saas-Fee, drivers at Stalden take the lft fork toward Saastal instead of the right fork toward Tnsch. (Although only a few km apart as-the-crow-flies, the drive between Saas-Fee and Zermatt takes around an hour.) Also like Zermatt, the village of Saas-Fee is technically car-free, served only by a swarm of electric taxi carts. The swarm here, however, is considerably smaller and less menacing. Drivers park in the nine-story cliff-side garage on the village edge and, from the garage loading bays, telephone hotels for pickup. (Visitors arriving by train must bus in from Brig or Visp.) Guests here split into two distinct camps OCo those who''ve come for the small-resort exclusivity, and those who''ve come for the big-mountain recreation. Both camps enjoy the views from the Allalin, where the world''s highest revolving restaurant, the Drehrestaurant Metro-Alpin, does a full rotation each hour. Steps away, adventurers stroll through the largest ice pavilion in the world (the Mittelallin Eispavillon), a cave carved out of the glacier and embellished with sculptures and a chapel. At the heart of the Alps lies Switzerland; at the heart of Switzerland lies the Jungfrau region; and at the heart of the Jungfrau lies Interlaken. Tucked away in what is arguably the most spectacular Alpine scenery in the world, Interlaken enjoys renown for its diversity of outdoor adventures and its role as the Jungfrau region''s mountain transportation hub. It''s an inviting town OCo a busy, bustling place with back alleys few tourists take time to explore. These are just a few of the Swiss gems explored in this guide, equivalent to 160 print pages and loaded with detail on all the restaurants, hotels, shops and activities you''ll want to know about. Plus, there are maps and photos throughout. This is an excerpt from the much larger Adventure Guide to the Alps, which runs 500 pages in print, and covers the German, French, Austrian and Italian Alps as well."

A young, successful woman wants out - out of her hectic city life and into the quiet life on an alp in the Swiss mountains. Over three summers, Katharina Afflerbach learns what it means to lead a life determined by animals, physical labor and wind and weather: milking goats at half past five in the morning, bringing cattle to pasture, making cheese, mowing hay and felling trees. From sunrise to sunset there is work to do, everyone must be able to rely on each other, and work and life go hand in hand. While the pull of the mountains has Katharina firmly under control, she loses her little brother in a tragic accident three weeks before her third summer in the Alps. Between mountain and valley she seeks and finds comfort in nature, with the animals and the close, cordial alpine community. She comes back strengthened, with a new view of her life and her future. This is a book that encourages you to break new ground and discover exciting sides to yourself.

The Swiss Alps are criss-crossed by 22,000 miles of mountain trails, perfect for hikers and backpackers wishing to explore an area rich in beauty and tranquility. This guide lists Alpine Clubs and mountain inns, with individual maps and information on the flora and fauna of the Swiss Alps.

Switzerland is a small, landlocked country located in the heart of Europe. It is famous for its soaring mountains, sparkling lakes, and picturesque villages. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a highly developed economy and a high standard of living. Switzerland is a diverse country, with four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. It is home to over eight million people, many of whom live in major cities such as Zurich, Geneva, and Bern. Despite its small size, Switzerland has a vibrant culture that celebrates its unique history and traditions. It is known for its world-renowned chocolates, cheeses, and watches, as well as for its stunning alpine landscapes. Whether you are interested in outdoor adventures or cultural experiences, Switzerland has something to offer every traveler.

The Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides form a complex, highly curved and strongly coupled orogenic system. Motions of the European and Adriatic plates gave birth to a number of 'oceans' and microplates that led to several distinct stages of collision. Although the Alps serve as a classical example of collisional orogens, it becomes clearer that substantial questions on their evolution can only be answered in the Carpathians and Dinarides. Our understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the Alpine-Dinaride-Carpathian System has substantially improved and will continue to develop; this is thanks to collaboration between eastern and western Europe, but also due to the application of new methods and the launch of research initiatives. The largely field-based contributions investigate the following subjects: pre-Alpine heritage and Alpine reactivation; Mesozoic palaeogeography and Alpine subduction and collision processes; extrusion tectonics from the Eastern Alps to the Carpathians and the Pannonian Basin; orogen-parallel and orogen-perpendicular extension; record of orogeny in foreland basins; tectonometamorphic evolution; and relations between the Alps, Apennines and Corsica.

The Alps, with their outstanding outcrop conditions, represent a superb natural laboratory for many geological processes, and have played a crucial role in the history of geology. This book gives an up-to-date and holistic overview of the key aspects of Alpine geology. After a brief presentation of the plate tectonic framework, the rock suites are discussed, starting with the pre-Triassic crystalline basement, followed by Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary sequences. The lithological description of the rock types is supplemented by a discussion of their paleogeographic and plate tectonic contexts. The book goes on to describe the structure of the Alps (including the Jura Mountains and the Alpine foreland to the north and south) illustrated by numerous cross-sections. The evolution of the Alps as a mountain chain incorporates a discussion of the Alpine metamorphic history and a compilation of orogenic timetables. The final sections cover the evolution of Alpine drainage patterns and the region’s glacial history. Readership: The book is essential reading for students and lecturers on Alpine courses and excursions, and all earth-scientists interested in the geology of the region.

Lively and engaging, this invaluable handbook puts the continent's great cities and regions at your fingertips, and includes all the highlights plus the very best off-the-beaten-path experiences that make any visit to Europe memorable. Packed with experienced insider tips, Europe For Dummies offers: Essential information on London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich & the Bavarian Alps, Vienna, Prague, Rome, Florence & Tuscany, Venice, Barcelona, and Athens A select choice of favorite hotels and eateries in every destination and price category Indispensable foreign language glossaries Advice on everything from planning a sensible itinerary and getting the best deals to using public transit and catching must-see sights Helpful tips on converting currencies, overcoming language barrier, avoiding crowds, and sampling local cuisine

Geodynamics of the Alps consists of three volumes. This third volume is entirely dedicated to Alpine collision. It describes and interprets elements of the Alpine chain, including Alpine magmatism, the formation of external massifs, the foreland basin, the exhumation of the internal part of the chain and the northern deformation front of the Alps. The aim of this book is to create a space for experts on Alpine research to present the state of the art of specific subjects and provide their own interpretations.