Mont Blanc:France & Italy- is the highest mountain in Europe, the towns of Saint Gervais Les Bains-Italy and Courmayeur- France share the administrative responsibilities. The first recorded climbers were Jacques Balmat & Michel Paccard who scaled the mountain in 1786 and are credited for popularising the sport of mountaineering. Interestingly the Luxury Brand Montblanc’s rounded star logo represents the snow covered peaks of Mont Blanc.

Monte Rosa:Switzerland & Italy- the name is derived from the word ‘rouese’ which means Glacier. It is completely covered with snow and glaciers. It is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing & snowboarding. There are even two science laboratories up there.

Gran Paradiso: Italy- is the highest mountain solely in Italy. It is located in the Gran Paradiso National Park, especially created to shelter the Alpine Ibex. If you take a a trip to Gran Paradiso you will experience gorgeous alpine grasslands, glaciers, unique rock formations and variety of vegetation & animal life.

Mont Agel: Monaco & France: the summit of the mountain is in France, while the highest point is in Monaco. It is the home of Nice Air Force, Monte Carlo Golf Club and Roc Angel- one of the homes for the Monaco’s Royal Family. It is a popular venue for cyclists. it is the starting point of Monaco Marathon which is the only Marathon that passes through 3 separate countries.

Grauspitz:Lichtenstein & Switzerland- About half of the area of Lichtenstein is comprised of the Central Alps and Grauspitz is the highest mountain in Lichtenstein. While it is known for its abundant hiking trails, scaling the summit is very difficult due to its terrain.

Grosslockner:Austria- meaning ‘big bell’ due to its shape, it has a twin peak, called the Kleinglockner meaning ‘small bell’. It is Austria’s highest peak and centrepiece of the High Tauren National Park which is home to numerous animals and rare plants.

Zugspitze: Germany- at 9718 feet, it is the highest peak in Germany. The top layers of the peak consist of limestone and numerous caves that are interesting to explore. It is an extremely popular destination for hiking, skiing and snow boarding.

Triglav: Slovenia- meaning ‘three peaks’, it is the highest mountain in Slovenia. It was first scaled in 1776 and is an important symbol of Slovenia. It was the symbol of the region’s resistance movement during World War II and is featured in Slovenia’s coat of arms and 50 Euro cent coin.

Barre des Ecrins: France- at 13,400 feet, it is the highest mountain that is stands in France alone. It is located in the Ecrins National Park, which is known for its flora and fauna. It is the subject of the longest photographed and recognised ‘line of sight on earth’. In July 2016, Marc Bret took a photograph of the mountain from the Pic de Finestrelles in the Pyrenees, 443 Kms distant.

Dom: Switzerland- is the highest mountain located on the Swiss territory. It’s name can either mean ‘dome’ or ‘cathedral’ although its former name, ‘Mischabel’ meaning ‘pitchfork’. It was first scaled in 1858, today it is popular for hiking and camping.

There is probably no pleasure equal to the pleasure of climbing a dangerous Alp; but it is the pleasure which is confined strictly to people who can find pleasure in it- Mark Twain.

365 Tours News Letter

Up the Mountains- Alps ( 2 Min Read )