Being a circular route, the Tour of Mont Blanc could be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction, and started from any one of a number of places. By tradition it has begun in the Chamonix valley (the Vallée de l’Arve), but not in Chamonix itself, for in order to make the most of the splendid views afforded of Mont Blanc from the slopes of the Aiguilles Rouges chain, the route avoids the bed of the valley except to cross it at either end. Instead, by tradition the TMB begins about 7km downvalley from Chamonix, in Les Houches, and tackles the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction.

The Tour of Mont Blanc lasts between 9 and 13 days — depending upon your level of physical fitness - averaging 5 hours walk daily, between 800m and 1000m daily climb and crossing 3 countries: France, Italy and Switzerland.

The Tour of the Matterhorn is regarded as a relatively ‘new’ tour, as it has been documented only in the last few years. However, the trek takes in many ancient trails which have linked the Swiss and Italian valleys together for centuries. On this trek the walker becomes a traveller again, crossing cols and frontiers that were used in the old days by porters, soldiers, peasants, traders, pilgrims and bandits. The trek is quite rigorous and weather conditions have a strong influence. The crossing of some passes requires glacier-travel techniques, and the high altitude traversed requires a good level of fitness.

The Tour of the Matterhorn is a superb alpine trek with a huge variety of scenery and culture. As the Matterhorn straddles the Swiss–Italian frontier, the trek visits both countries, each with its own unique traditions, way of life and scenery. The tour goes over high passes reached by delightful footpaths and through charming alpine villages where life has hardly changed for centuries, providing a precious insight into local life. Not only is the Matterhorn seen from all sides, but there are also superb vantage points for views of many of the other high summits of the region.

Thomson Holidays with lakes and mountains in their new brochure

Thomson has launched their main edition of next summer’s Lakes & Mountains brochure featuring over 60 resorts in nine countries and a wide choice of destinations: hotels, B&B, self-catering properties as well as tours, fly drives, cruises and twin centre holidays.

Spend this summer in Finland on an adventure holiday

For summer 2010, Visit Finland is launching a new initiative to showcase some of their many National Parks. Each month, one National Park will be selected and featured on VisitFinland.com, highlighting key treks, special events and a range of tips, ideal for nature lovers, adventure seekers and wildlife enthusiasts.

So there I was, lying in a bed big enough for giants, with crisp cotton sheets. Having done a few hours’ hiking followed by the best massage in the world, I was thinking in an American accent: ‘Yup, this is, “Not exactly roughing it”.’ For that is the Beaver Creek motto.