The Tour of the Oisans on the GR54 is a challenging two-week trek around the Ecrins National Park (southeast of Grenoble) in France, one of the most visually spectacular regions in all the Alps. Beginning in Bourg d'Oisans, the route folows a clockwise direction, and in the course of 10-13 days it covers 176km and climbs more than 12,800m to cross a series of challenging cols that separate deep and enchanting valleys. The scenery is spectacular and ever varied, and with charming villages and hamlets to visit on the way, the trekker's experience is both rich and rewarding. Accommodation is in valley hotels or gites, or in mountain refuges set in idyllic locations. The route is divided into 10 stages, but with suggestions for a 13-day itinerary and alternative stages are also described. Full accommodation details are given along with background information on how to get there, what to take, mountain safety, and notes on the flora and fauna of the region. All illustrated with colour sketch maps and photographs.
Author Biography
Kev Reynolds is a freelance author, photojournalist and lecturer whose first title for Cicerone Press (Walks & Climbs in the Pyrenees) was published in 1978, and has been in print ever since. He has produced many books on the Alps, a series of trekkers' guides to Nepal and, nearer to home, several guides on walking in southern England. He also contributes regular features for the outdoor press, writes and illustrates brochures for tourist authorities, and occasionally leads walking or trekking holidays in various high mountain regions. The first honorary member of the British Association of European Mountain Leaders (BAEML), and a member of the Alpine Club, Austrian Alpine Club and Outdoor Writers' Guild, Kev's enthusiasm for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, remains undiminished after a lifetime's activity. When not trekking or climbing in one of the world's great mountain ranges, Kev lives among what he calls 'the Kentish Alps', and during the winter months regularly travels throughout Britain to share that enthusiasm through his lectures. Check him out on www.kevreynolds.co.uk.
