Geography
Centrally located within Europe, the small landlocked country of Switzerland is surrounded by France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and Italy. Almost two-thirds of the land area can be categorised as mountainous, with the European Alps taking up the southern and central parts of the country. Alpine meadows, thick forest and snow-capped peaks combine to make Switzerland one of the most picturesque of European countries. The Swiss Alps which includes the most impressive mountains in the country is a part of the European Alps, which extend for some 1000 kilometres (620 miles), through parts of southeastern France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. Amongst the hundreds of peaks comprising this range, there are some 75 which top the 4000 metre (13000ft.) mark. Above 3000 metres (10000ft.), the mountains are permanently snow-capped and the region is heavily glaciated. In many alpine valleys, forests of pine reach above 2500 metres (8000ft.)and there are flower-filled alpine pastures above this height. At 4808 metres (15,767ft.) Mont Blanc is the highest and most complicated mountain massif in the Alps, extending southwest to northeast for 50 kilometres (30 miles) at the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy. Thirty glaciers flow down from its upper snow slopes and these have contributed to the creation of the jagged rock spires (aiguilles) which are such a distinctive feature, when viewed from the French town of Chamonix. No fewer than 51 of the Alpine ‘fourthousanders’ are located in the Swiss canton of Valais, which takes its name from the upper part of the Rhone Valley, which links the Rhone Glacier and Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). The Saas Fee or Saastal Valley, is ringed by 13 of these 4000 metre (13000ft.) peaks. Like its neighbour, the Mattertal or Zermatt Valley, from which it is separated by the Mischabel Range, Saastal is a tributary of the Rhone. Many of the peaks in this area present relatively easy mountaineering objectives. The biggest mountain lying entirely within Switzerland is the huge many-summitted massif of Monte Rosa at 4634 metres (15200ft.), which dominates the town of Zermatt.

Time Zone
The time in Switzerland is GMT + 1 hour and GMT + 2 hours in summer time (from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday in October).

Climate
Most of Switzerland has a central European climate, with temperatures typically between 20 and 25 degrees centigrade (68º – 77º F) in summer (June to September) and between 2 and 6 degrees centigrade (36º – 43º F) in winter (November to March). At higher elevations in the Alps, however, it can be expected to be rather cooler than this. Although the central part of the European Alps can present pretty arctic conditions during the winter, it pays to remember that the Swiss canton of Valais is little more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) from the Mediterranean. In summer, the climate is hot and sunny in the lower valleys and pleasantly cool at the high cols. June, July and August usually provide the most reliable weather conditions for mountain activities in this area. The temperatures that we can expect to encounter during the day will be reasonably warm, whereas it will be cool in the evenings at our highest overnight stopping places, falling below freezing point at night. We can also expect clear, frosty conditions on our early “Alpine” starts. Of course, mountainous areas do produce their own weather systems and short-lived storms cannot be ruled out at any time of the year.

Rough guide to temperatures June to September

Currency
The unit of currency in Switzerland is the Swiss franc. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

£ 1 = CHF 2.29
$ 1 = CHF 1.31
€ 1 = CHF 1.56

You should take some Swiss francs with you on your holiday to Switzerland. These are readily available at most banks. If you run out of Swiss currency, dollars, sterling and euros (cash or travellers cheques) can easily be exchanged once you are in Switzerland. Credit cards can be used widely and you will also be able to obtain currency at cash machines (ATM’s) at most Swiss banks in the usual way.

Visas
Citizens of the UK, USA, other European countries, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, amongst others, do not require a visa.

Vaccinations
There are no specific innoculations or other medical requirements for Switzerland. If you are uncertain about the state of your health, you should visit your doctor for a check-up prior to your proposed trip.

Drinking water
The tap water will normally be safe to drink in Switzerland. If you are in any doubt about this, bottled water is widely available. Your trip leader will be able to advise you about this.

Additional Sources of Information

Books
Alps 4000: 75 Peaks in 52 Days – Martin Moran
Walking In The Alps. Kev Reynolds.
The Mountains of Europe. Kev Reynolds.

Maps
The Swiss map series – Carte Nationale de la Suisse - at a scale of 1: 50,000 provides excellent coverage of the whole country.

The Matterhorn – Mischabel sheet – ref.no. 5006 provides coverage of the area of our Saas Fee 4000 Metre Peaks trip and also of the Monte Rosa Climb trip.

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com