頂点（に達する） season

Summer in the アルプス山脈: getting started

You thought the アルプス山脈 were for skiing? How wrong could you be? In 訴える手段／行楽地s such as Chamonix in フラン, Kitzbuhel in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland, the number of summer 訪問者s already はるかに引き離すs the winter 一致する.

These days, summer is high season for families who enjoy walks, nature 追跡するs, mountain biking, tennis and ゴルフ. 十代の少年少女s can thrill to new wave summer sports such as Nordic walking, hydrospeed and canyoning. Best of all, prices are lower than in winter - and you can still ski.

Austria and Switzerland attract the older, 伝統的な Lakes-and-Mountains 始める，決める while Italy and フラン 申し込む／申し出 the 約束 of more Mediterranean-type 天候 along with a wide 範囲 of activities; and developing Slovenia has the lowest prices.

All the major ski areas open at least part of their winter ski 解除する systems during July and August, 許すing you to walk or bike downhill.

The mountains are dotted with huts where you can stop for a drink or food. In the main Alpine chain, the months with the highest 降雨 are June and September, while warm 日光 is the norm in July and August. The UV light can be 激しい so take your factor 15.

A classic example of what a 広大な／多数の／重要な winter 訴える手段／行楽地 can 申し込む／申し出 during the summer is Val Thorens, 2,300m up in the French アルプス山脈 (www.valthorens.com), the highest village in Europe. Hikers can 調査する the 山腹 with or without a guide (a 十分な guided day costs £15 for adults, £11 for children); nine major ski 解除するs are open from the beginning of July to August 22; you can 調査する the 法外な slopes of the 3,561m Aiguille de Peclet, or take a gentler ramble along the scenic Belleville Valley, visiting the farming village of St-ツバメ, and eating goat's cheese and 地元の honey at a mountain hut such as the 避難 de Gittamelon (00 33 4 79 08 91 46) or the R?fuge du Lac de Lou (00 33 6 12 20 61 44).

In th e 訴える手段／行楽地, you can play tennis indoors and outdoors. Five hours of group lessons (00 33 6 07 77 56 13) cost £70.

The sports centre (00 33 4 79 00 00 76) has a swimming pool and 施設s for football, squash and badminton.

And in the north of Italy, the Dolomites 申し込む／申し出 more hale and hearty summer fun. San Cassiano, an attractive village in the Italian South Tyrol, makes a good base (www.altabadia.org).

The gondola 解除する is open from June 26 to September 23 and takes you up to Piz Sorega, the start of a choice of walks. Guided 引き上げ（る）s (Alpine Guides 協会 of Val Badia (00 39 04 71 83 68 98) cost from £3 per day.Take a 15-minute bus ride to Passo Falzarego, a high mountain pass above the ski town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.The area was the scene of bitter fighting during World War I and the cliffs hide a 網状組織 of communication tunnels.

Where should you go? Now you know what's on 申し込む／申し出. But take care to match your family's 明確な／細部 needs to each alpine 地域's forte.

Austria 供給するs a natural playground, with summer skiing, fishing, horse-riding, sailing, tennis, windsurfing, rafting and kayaking all 利用できる across the country. Inghams goes to 30 訴える手段／行楽地s in Austria from the beginning of June. Stay at the familyrun four-星／主役にする Hotel Berner in Zell am See for £577 per person for a week from July 6 (020 8780 4433, www.inghams.co.uk).

Alternatively, 水晶 Active has holidays in nine alpine 訴える手段／行楽地s in Austria, フラン, Italy, Switzerland and Slovenia. Hotel Club Active Strass is in the centre of Mayrhofen, Austria, and costs £635 from July 16 (0870 402 0275, www.crystalactive.co.uk).

In フラン, you can take your 選ぶ of a bevy of alpine activities, from canyoning, dog sledding, ゴルフ, horseriding, hydrospeed, mountain biking, paintballing, rafting and tennis. In Chamonix, the two-星／主役にする Hotel La Chaumiere Blanc, with 見解（をとる）s of Mont Blanc, is a ten-minute walk from the centre.Thomson has a week there for £610 fr om June 29.Thomson also has holidays in mountain 訴える手段／行楽地s in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia (0870 405 5033, www.thomsonlakes andmountains.co.uk).

Erna Low has summer holidays with activities such as grass skiing, paragliding and 経由で Ferrata in eight 訴える手段／行楽地s in the French アルプス山脈. Les Fermes de Meribel Village is a four-星／主役にする apartment コンビナート／複合体 with an indoor pool.

A three-room apartment sleeping six people costs £428 from July. Self-catering price does not 含む travel (0870 750 6820, www.ernalow.co.uk).

The mountains of Italy - studded with 経由で Ferrata and summer bobsleigh 跡をつけるs and 申し込む／申し出ing sumptuous food and 見解（をとる）s - feature in the brochures of Thomson, 水晶 Active and Erna Low の中で others. A week in July, staying at the four-星／主役にする Hotel Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano, costs £808 含むing flights and car 雇う, through 勢い Travel (020 7371 9111; www.勢い.uk.com).

Switzerland's chocolate-box villages are just as 甘い during the summer and you'll find the mountains have every activity from glacierwalking to ゴルフ. Childcare specialist Esprit goes to Saas 料金, 同様に as to Tignes and Chamonix in フラン, and Scheffau, Neustift and Kaprun in Austria. The Chalethotel 外交官／大使, in the centre of Saas 料金, has its own nursery with qualified nannies and a pool, hot tub and sauna.

Self-運動 £379 from July 16, フェリー（で運ぶ） crossings 含むd (01252 618300, www. espritholidays.co.uk).

Slovenia is a good value, lakes and mountains 目的地 with canyoning, fishing, hydrospeed and rafting 同様に as 広大な／多数の／重要な 引き上げ（る）ing and horseriding. Just Slovenia 申し込む／申し出s a variety of activity holidays throughout the country. Hotel Jezero, Bohinj, on the 辛勝する／優位 of the 素晴らしい lake, costs £666 from July 9 (01373 814230, www.justslovenia.co.uk).

Teenage kicks Until ten years ago the アルプス山脈, from June to September, were almost 排他的に the domain of middle-老年の walkers. But all that has changed with the 人気 of new wave sports along with mountainbiking and summer 地形 snowboarding.

More and more Alpine villages are turning their attention to the 年次の 侵略 of parents with school-age children and 20-somethings who are forsaking the overcrowded seaside in search of adrenaline-fuelled adventure in the mountains. So what's 利用できる?

Hot jumping No 技術 needed - just lots of 瓶／封じ込める. 覆う？ in wet 控訴, life jacket and safety helmet, you go 負かす／撃墜する a waterslide built into the 山腹 above the lake.Then a ramp catapults you into the 空気／公表する, 投げつけるing you into the lake. Do it in Tignes, フラン, for £6 a 開会／開廷／会期 (www.tignes.逮捕する).

Hydrospeed This is human Pooh-sticks, or white water rafting without the raft. Float downriver in a padded wetsuit and safety helmet behind a guide. Much safer than it sounds. Do it at Rougemont, Switzerland (www.swissraft.ch) £55; Samoens, フラン (www.ecolorado-rafting.com) £27; Bovec, Slovenia (www.bovecsport.com) £25.

Summer bobsleigh Hurtle around the serpentine 跡をつけるs used in winter for Olympic races, on a bobsleigh with wheels rather than 走者s. As 'ballast' in a fourman （頭が）ひょいと動く with an 専門家 driver, you 攻撃する，衝突する exhilarating 速度(を上げる）s of up to 60mph. Try it at Igls, Austria(www.sommerbobrunning.at) for £18,Thurs/Fri, end of April to October; Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (www.adrenalincenter.it) £18.

Nordic walking Cross-country skiing without the skiing bit - stride along heartily at 高度 with 政治家s. Try it at Westendorf, Austria. 指示／教授／教育 and guiding £7 to £11 (www. wilderkaiserbrixental.at). Saas 料金, Switzerland, 申し込む／申し出s an introductory course on Mondays for £16. Guided walks on Thursdays cost £7 (www.saas-料金.ch).

Canyoning Abseil and 緊急発進する 負かす／撃墜する waterfalls and mountain streams in a wet 控訴, helmet and climbing harness, に引き続いて the melting snow to the valley. You need to be 公正に／かなり fit, not afraid of 高さs and tolerant of th e 冷淡な - a えり抜くing takes around six hours. Try it at Interlaken, Switzerland (www.alpincenter.ch) £67; Matrei,Tyrol, Austria (www.alpsport.逮捕する) £43; Meribel, フラン. Canyoning with Francis Petex (00 33 4 79 24 46 74) starts from e45pp (続けざまに猛撃する;31).

経由で ferrata 危険-解放する／自由な 激しく揺する climbing, 伴う／関わるing a steel wire 大（公）使館員d to the mountain. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, is 経由で Ferrata 中心地域. Jagged Globe 登山 runs courses, £795 for one week (0845 345 8848, www.jaggedglobe.co.uk). Or in Meribel, フラン: 経由で Ferrata at Lac Rosi?re with Philippe Carle (00 33 4 75 21 10 06) starts from e45pp (£31

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