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Review ------ This is a super guide for anyone planning some summer days walking near Mont Blanc. Chamonix and Courmayeur can be extremely busy and this suggests other valley options that have top-class walks and top-class views. In all it features 50 day walks and four multi-day treks, all graded for difficulty and with indications of the best periods for setting out - or not. Handily sized for a rucksack or jacket, it is meant to be used with the IGN Top 25 s but an overview is also recommended so you know what is in at the top. Good little tips can suggest extras on the route or options to avoid such as a "little southward ridge that gives good walking but has very exposed sections'. Detailed route descriptions are matched with superb photos and sketch s but a bonus is information on transport links and accommodation. In short, this is an incitement to head for the hills, especially as many of the walks require just ordinary fitness levels. --Connexion, February 2016 All levels are catered for, with some quite low-level walks and a decent number of more challenging hikes into the higher altitudes. The author lived in the Chamonix valley for many years and the guide benefits from her ins. Arguably the most useful aspect of this guidebook is the range of off-the-beaten-track walks. These will allow users to avoid the crowds that flock to the slopes of the Mont Blanc area in peak season. On a similar vein, a selection of four multi-day treks is proposed. Any of these would provide a good introduction to multi-day walking while again avoiding the well-beaten tracks of the Tour de Mont Blanc and the GR5. --Irish ain Log, Spring 2016 About the Author ---------------- Hilary Sharp is British, a qualified Accompagnatrice en Montagne (International ain Leader) based in France. After 23 years in the Alps she now lives in northern Provence, within easy reach of the southern French Alps. She runs her own trekking business, Trekking in the Alps and Provence (www.trekkinginthealps.com; www.trekkinginprovence.com, hilaryalp@gmail.com).