John Lisker/Fred Smith
Tour de la Vanoise
SUMMARY OF TRIP INFORMATION
Tour de la Vanoise
Leader John Lisker
Co-leader Fred Smith
Vanoise National Park, French Alps, starting and ending in Modane
July 26 - Aug 9, 2014
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 Sight-seeing
to-hut)
Trekking (e.g., hut-to-hut)
Select one of those checked above.
Minimum 10
Maximum 10
$ 1975
Does it include airfare? Yes
No
$ 1400-1600
Will leaders assist participants with flights? Yes
No
First Appearance: Month January-February
Year 2014
Last Appearance: Month July-August
Year 2014
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. 1 Dec 2013
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 for getting reservations in limited capacity huts.
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain why?
See above. Making the arrangements to move every night in the backcountry, and
then doing it, 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
Trip one
Trip two
Form Revised February 2013
John Lisker
2390 Commonwealth Avenue, Auburndale, MA 02466
john.lisker@juno.com
Home 617-244-1636
Work
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: May 2015
Cell
CPR
BLS
Expiration: June 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.
Under the Alpine Giants Hut-to-Hut, August 2013
Down Under Adventure in New Zealand, February 2013
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 5
John Lisker/Fred Smith
Tour de la Vanoise
Trip three
Other related trip
experience
Hut-to-Hut in the Dolomites, Aug-Sept 2012
Tuscan Mountains and Cinque Terre, May 2012, Patagonia February-March 2012,
Yosemite backpack July 2011, Canadian Rockies backpack Aug 2010, New Zealand JanFeb 2010, Morocco Feb 2009, Tour du Mont Blanc July-Aug 2008, New Zealand Feb
2007, Colorado San Juans backpack 1999, Greece May 1999, Wyoming Wind River
Range backpack 1998, Colorado Elk Range backpack 1997, California High Sierras
backpack 1996
Co-leader name
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
Fred Smith
12 Clearview Drive, Natick, MA 01760
fredsmithhikes@gmail.com
Home 508-650-9838
Work
Cell 774-270-1207
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 6/2013 (will take AWFA before trip)
CPR
BLS
Expiration: will CPR take before trip
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.
Trip one
Trip two
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:
This will be the leader's 4th AMC AT hut-to-hut trek in the Alps.
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.
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.
Form Revised February 2013
This trek will follow a long-distance route in the Vanoise National Park, trekking a 96
mile loop in 11 hiking days. Aside from the days of arrival and departure, and one rest
day, there will be hiking every day, with average altitude gain of about 2,250 feet/day,
and average distance covered of 8½ miles/day.
Refuge 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.
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 5
John Lisker/Fred Smith
Tour de la Vanoise
Local Transportation
Please describe your plans for
local transportation
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special
permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S.
federal lands and national
parks)
Special equipment
Does the trip require special
equipment?
No transportation planned between start & finish. Public trains (and maybe buses) to get
to and from Modane.
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 did similar hikes in Italy and France.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you
will ensure that people know how to use it:
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.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe
how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
Multi-day backpacking experience; this will be determined during careful pre-screening
of the applicants for the trip and checking references.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will do:
A day hike, weather permitting.
Special experience
Does the trip require special
skills on the part of the
participant?
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group
together before the trip for an
activity or social event?
Conservation, education and
recreation
How will this AMC-AT trip meet the
mission of the AMC?
www.outdoors.org/about/mission.cfm
This trip will explore both the natural and cultural splendor of the French Alps.
We'll interact with locals throughout the trip, learning about their customs,
natural resource management and environmental stewardsip. Along the way,
we'll enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery that generations before us have
enjoyed.
TOUR OPERATOR AND GUIDE SERVICE INFORMATION
Will this trip require a tour
operator or guide service
during part, or 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:
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.
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
Form Revised February 2013
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 5
John Lisker/Fred Smith
Tour de la Vanoise
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
Response
Transportation
Potential hazards
Response
Participants
Potential hazards
Response
Other
Potential hazards
Response
route follows standard, safe trails. The maximum altitude of just under 9,200 feet should
not be a problem for a screened group of hikers qualified for the altitude changes. The
itinerary includes a rest day in the middle.
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
n/a
France is an economically and socially stable member of the European Union. Many
people in this tourist area speak English. The leader has some French, and access during
the planning process to help from fluent French speakers.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Nothing more (perhaps somewhat less!) than would be encountered using public
transportation in the U.S.
Modane is on the TGV main line between Paris/Lyon and Turin/Milan.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Experience level, health, social interactions
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
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.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
None
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 capabilities (e.g. telephones
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language,
and/or radios). The hiking trails we'll be on will have significant traffic in July and
documentation, distance from
August.
emergency services
Leaders will carry first aid kits and ask participants to carry basic first aid/medications,
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first
etc.
aid or communication
equipment (satellite phone,
two-way radios) do you plan
to use, if any?
Leaders are trained in AWFA. Mountain safety is taken seriously in the Alps and there
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for
are numerous rescue options including helicopters. Most refuges are accessible by
evacuation from the
vehicles.
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
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign currency, the
current $US dollar exchange rate and what
contingencies you have if that rate changes. If
a tour operator or agent is being used, what
Form Revised February 2013
France uses the Euro. At this time, the exchange rate is about $1.33;
the budget is figured at a rate almost 13% higher. Except for leader
airfare and minor administrative expenses paid in dollars, everything
will have to be paid in Euros.
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 5
John Lisker/Fred Smith
Tour de la Vanoise
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.) Some refuges will require the payment of refundable deposits at the
operators, etc., and when?
time reservations are made.
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 $950 will be due 1 May 2012.
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
policy for the participants?
before before March 2014, $200 in March 2014 and April 2014, $400 after April 2014.
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.
Minimum numbers
Yes
No
If yes, please describe conditions:
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 2013
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/committee/proposals/
nholland@outdoors.org
amcatchair@comcast.net
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 5