Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
SUMMARY OF TRIP INFORMATION
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
Leader Pam Wilmot
Co-leader Mark Heslin
Valle d'Aosta, Italy
August 15-August 29, 2015
Total # of days 15
Backpacking
Bicycling-Mountain
Bicycling-Road
Title of trip
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip
check all that apply
Primary type of trip
Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Airfare range if not included
When should the trip notice be
published in AMC Outdoors?
Do you wish to have your trip
listed online before it is
published in AMC Outdoors?
Smaller trips and leader
subsidization
Camping
Cultural
Family
Hiking
Paddling-Canoeing
Paddling-Sea-Kayaking
Skiing-CrossSkiing-Downhill
Snorkeling
Country (Nordic)
(Alpine)
Trekking (e.g., hutWalking
Other – please describe
to-hut)
Trekking (e.g., hut-to-hut)
Select one of those checked above.
Minimum 10
Maximum 10
$
Does it include airfare? Yes
No
$ 1,200-1,600
Will leaders assist participants with flights? Yes
No
First Appearance: Month Jan
Year 2015
Last Appearance: Month July
Year 2015
Note: AMC Outdoors is only published in Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.
Yes
No If yes, please list the approximate month and year when it should
be posted on line. Deceber 1, 2014
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2
leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader? Yes
No
If yes, why is a small group proposed? A small group works best in backcountry
settings, and is helpful for getting reservations in limited capacity huts. While the trails
are well-marked they can also be very steep with occasional significant exposure. A
smaller group can traverse this terrain more safely and allow leaders to monitor
participants more effectively in these areas.
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain why?
Moving every night in the backcountry justifies the higher 20% leader subsidy rate.
LEADER AND CO-LEADER INFORMATION
Leader name
Leader address
Leader email
Leader phone
Wilderness first aid
training
CPR training
Prior leading experience
Form Revised February 2014
Pam Wilmot
32 Goodrich Rd, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
phwilmot@gmail.com
Home 617-522-6167
Work 617-426-9600
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: May 2015
Cell 617-962-0034
CPR
BLS
Expiration: July 11, 2015
If this is your first Adventure Travel trip as a Leader you must be present at the AMCATC meeting at which the trip proposal is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional
trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you are
proposing.
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 6
Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
Trip one
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip
experience
Under the Alpine Giants: Hut to Hut in the Italian Alps. AMC Adventure Travel Trip
#1325. August 2-17, 2013. Full trip but 9 participants due to one late drop-out who was in
an accident.
45 mile Kings Canyon backpack (5 day 2014 personal trip lead), 50 mile Olympic
National Park traverse backpack (5 day 2010 personal trip lead), Sierra backpack (5 day
2011 personal trip lead), Annapurna Basecamp Trek (10 day 1988 personal trip
organizer), Chang Mai Thailand Trek (5 day 1988 personal trip organizer)
Co-leader name
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
Trip one
Trip two
Mark Heslin
28 Perry Street, Watertown, MA 02472
marxterra@gmail.com
Home
Work 978-392-3125
Cell 603-930-6880
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 11/2014
CPR
BLS
Expiration: 11/2014
If you are a new co-leader you must submit an application to be an Adventure Travel
leader or co-leader prior to submitting this application. Also, it is strongly
recommended that you be present at the AMC-ATC meeting at which the trip proposal
is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Please indicate if you were
the leader or co-leader.
AMC Adventure travel trip #1030 "Hawaii: Adventure on the Islands of Aloha,"
December 26, 2010- January 11, 2011. 10 participants.
AMC White Mountain Hut Traverse. 9 day hut-to-hut in the White Mountains for the
NH Chapter, 2007. 20 participants.
Trip three
Other related trip experience
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip
before or traveled to this area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or
leader speak the local language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader
have a significant personal
relationship?
Private trips Do either of you
lead trips that are private - not
sponsored by the AMC?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below:
Pam co-led similar trip (Under the Alpine Giants, Adventure Travel trip #1325, 2013)
in the same area, on some of the same trails, including identical start, finish, and last
full hiking day. Under the Alpine Giants followed the Alta Via 1 and a small part of
the Alta Via 2. This trip follows most of the Alta Via 2, one day of the Alta Via 1, plus
some additional trails in Gran Paradiso National Park.
Co-leader: Yes
No
Leader: Yes
No
Not applicable:
Yes
No
If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or
both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Yes
No
If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private
trips together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any materials
you send out.
LOGISTICAL DETAILS OF TRIP
Summary
Please provide a description
of the trip and the activities
planned. If available, please
include or attach an itinerary.
Form Revised February 2014
This trekking trip will follow the Alta Via 2 trail through small alpine villages, a regional
park, and a national park, traversing the northwestern edge of the Valle D'Aosta in Italy.
We will divert from the Alta Via 2 for several days to more fully explore Gran Paradiso
National Park, the oldest national park in Italy. It is a refuge for the majestic mountain
Ibex and the shy Eurpopean chamois, along with other rare Alpine species. Gran
Paradiso also contains the highest peak in Italy as well as many other beautiful high
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 6
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
Accommodations
Please describe your plans for
accommodation(s)
Meals: Please describe your
plans for providing meals. If
the budget includes any funds
for leader meals not shared
with the group please justify.
Local Transportation
Please describe your plans for
local transportation
Will leaders or participants be
drivers of motor vehicles?
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special
permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S.
federal lands and national
parks)
Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
peaks and glaciers. At the end of our route we will hike past the massive Mt. Blanc on
the Alta Via 1 and then end our trek in the Roman city of Aosta where the trip began. In
thirteen hiking days we will travel approximately 100 miles and climb 34,000 feet for an
average of about 8 miles per day and 2,800 feet of elevation gain. We have several short
days built in for resting, but there are others that are longer than the average. An itinerary
and statistics are attached to the budget.
Rifugio huts in the mountains and simple hotels in villages.
All breakfasts and dinners will be provided, mostly as part of each night's half pension
lodging cost. The only exeptions are the travel days with dinner only on arrival day and
breakfast only on departure day.
Public trains and buses only.
Will leaders be drivers?
Will volunteer participants be drivers?
If so, MVR checks will be needed. See Appendix S1.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not
required:
Read guidebooks, and co-led another section of the same trail in the Aosta Valley,
including the last full hiking day of this route.
Special equipment
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you
Does the trip require special
will ensure that people know how to use it:
equipment?
Participants need packs big enough to carry clothing and lunches for multiple days.
Sleeping bags are not allowed in the rifugios and not needed in the villages.
Special experience
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe
Does the trip require special
how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
skills on the part of the
Participants must have at least intermediate multi-day backpacking experience and
participant?
exhibit evidence of good physical conditioning. The trip screening process will involve
email and telephone interactions, augmented with personal background checks (i.e.
speaking with leaders of past trips that included participants) as necessary.
Pre-trip activities
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will do:
Do you plan to get your group We will have at least one pre-trip hike to get to know each other and to assess participant
together before the trip for an
coditioning. Depending on how soon the trip fills, we may have a second social
activity or social event?
gathering.
This trip will explore both the natural splendor and cultural interest of a FrenchConservation, education and
oriented part of the Italian Alps. We'll interact with locals throughout the trip,
recreation
How will this AMC-AT trip meet the
learning about their customs, natural resource management, and environmental
mission of the AMC?
stewardsip. To increase our understanding of the area, we will employ a local
www.outdoors.org/about/mission.cfm
naturalist and cultural guide for two days who will share his expertise in
architecture, geology, history, culture, and local flora and fauna. Our route takes
us from a small city, to small villages, a national park (the oldest in Italy), and a
regional park. Along the way, we'll enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery that
generations before us have enjoyed.
TOUR OPERATOR AND GUIDE SERVICE INFORMATION
This section should be completed if the trip will be using a tour operator, outfitter, guide service, travel agency or
other such company or person(s) for a significant part of the trip or for the entire trip. Any person(s) or companies
that are handling a significant portion of trip funds or arrangements need to be vetted. If there is more than one
tour operator please provide this information about each such entity.
Form Revised February 2014
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 6
Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
Will this trip require a tour
operator or guide service
during part of or for the
entire trip?
Name of tour operator/guide
service
Tour operator website
Safety record
Please provide information
about their safety record.
Insurance
Do they have liability
insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’
response plan in the case of an
emergency.
Yes
No
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip,
please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
This trip does not require a trail guide or tour operator. However, to enhance the
educational aspects of the trip, we plan to hire a local naturalist and cultural guide for
two days to share his knowledge of local customs, history, culture, architecture, flora,
fauna, and geology. I observed this particular individual in action during our 2013 trip
and was impressed with his knowledge and ability to relate it to participants. We have
remained in contact. He was born and raised in the area, is an architect, a naturalist, and
an expert mountaineer. We are not hiring him for his trail expertise, rather to increase the
cross-cultural understanding of participants and their appreciation of the unique history,
geology, and ecology of the area.
Mien Barrel/ Sirdar Montagne et Aventure
Liability? Yes
No
Are they willing to list AMC as an
additional insured?
Maximum amt: $
Yes
No
RISK ASSESSMENT
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section
if applicable.
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
Rugged trails, unpredictable mountain weather, altitude, some exposure.
Response
We will travel as a group and assess conditions as we meet them. There are lodging
options along the route if the itinerary needs to be changed due to unsafe conditions. The
route follows standard, safe trails. The maximum altitude of about 10,800 feet should
not be a problem for a screened group of hikers qualified for the altitude changes.
Moreover, it takes several days to reach this altitude. We will of course exercise caution
when near steep drop-offs. The itinerary includes a very short day in the middle and a
slack day at the end, both of which are available to accommodate possible schedule
slippage caused by bad weather.
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
None
Response
Italy is an economically and socially stable member of the European Union. Many
people in this tourist area speak English. The leader and coleader both have some
French, and access during the planning process to help from fluent speakers of both
Italian and French.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Transportation
Potential hazards
Nothing more than would be encountered using public transportation in the U.S.
Response
We will use public transportation, relying on trains and buses to get us to and from the
trailheads.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Participants
Potential hazards
Experience level, health, inadequate conditioning, social interactions
Response
A full and careful screening process will eliminate many potential problems, and those
that arise will be dealt with on an individual basis. Both leaders have extensive group
Form Revised February 2014
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 6
Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
Other
Potential hazards
Response
leadersip experience and are practiced at handling uncomfortable sistuations. Potential
health threats will be aired during the screening process so leaders will be aware of
participants' risks. We will also educate participants on the need for preparation and
assess conditioning during a pre-trip hike.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
None
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Give as much detail as possible and list any special
communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS BLANK
Mountain huts all have wardens who have communication abilities (e.g. telephones,
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language,
radios, etc.). We will both carry cell phones that will work for many parts of the route.
documentation, distance from
The hiking trails we'll be on will have significant traffic in August and we will never be
emergency services
more than a few hours from a hut, road, or village.
We will be carrying first aid kits, pad, and warm clothes, as well as cell phones that
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first
should work for much of the route.
aid or communication
equipment (satellite phone,
two-way radios) do you plan
to use, if any?
Mountain safety is taken seriously in the Alps and there are numerous rescue options
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for
including helicopters.
evacuation from the
backcountry location if
applicable?
The area has towns with first-world medical facilities. Lots of mountain activities means
Medical care
Please describe the medical
local familiarity with mountain safety and rescue, and appropriate facilities are available.
care available in the area(s)
where you will be traveling
and list names and telephone
numbers for these facilities.
COST AND BUDGET DETAILS
Italy uses the Euro. At this time the exchange rate is about $1.30; the
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign currency, the
budget is figured at a rate about 11½% higher or $1.45. Except for
current $US dollar exchange rate and what
leader airfare and minor administrative expenses paid in dollars,
contingencies you have if that rate changes. If
everything will have to be paid in Euros.
a tour operator or agent is being used, what
currency is the agent to be paid in?
Non-refundable airline tickets for the leaders will have to be purchased in advance, but
Group Trip Deposits
What deposits will be required
not until it seems clear that the trip will go. (The added cost of refundable tickets
from you by airlines, hotels, tour seems wasteful.)
operators, etc., and when?
The purchase of non-refundable airline tickets will be postponed until it seems clear
Group Trip Refunds
What is the latest date you can
that the trip will go.
cancel and still receive a full
refund of any deposits?
Initial deposit of $500 will be due with application. Second payment of $500 will be
Participant deposits
What are the initial deposit and
due two weeks after acceptance. Final balance of $1330 will be due June 1, 2015.
your schedule of payments by
Deposit checks from wait listed applicants will not be cashed unless and until we
participants to you?
accept them AND they confirm continued interest.
Cancellation by an accepted participant will not be allowed to raise the cost to the
Cancellation policy
What will be your cancellation
other participants or to the leaders. Published MINIMUM penalty schedule: zero
Form Revised February 2014
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 6
High Road in Paradise: Hut-to-Hut in the Italian Alps
policy for the participants?
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you
do not get the minimum number?
Reference web links:
AMC-ATC Home Page:
Forms:
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses:
Club House:
AMC-ATC Chair:
Form Revised February 2014
Pam Wilmot/Mark Heslin
before February 2015, $200 in February 2015 through April 2015, $400 after April
2015. If actual costs are higher, they will be included in the assessment. We will
reserve the right to REDUCE cancellation penalties if costs incurred can be passed to a
replacement participant.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe conditions:
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/committee/proposals/
nholland@outdoors.org
mikebarry657@mac.com
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 6 of 6