Kev Reynolds - Trekking in the Alps

Alan Castle has trekked and travelled in over 50 countries within Europe, Asia, Australasia and North, Central and South America, and for 17 years led organised walking holidays in several European countries. A member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, he has written 18 walking guidebooks, several on long-distance mountain routes in France, and one on mountain biking, and has published articles for a number of magazines, particularly for Strider, the magazine of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA). His longest solo walks include a Grand Traverse of the European Alps between Nice and Vienna (2430km), the E2 across Europe from Holland to the Mediterranean (2253km), the Pilgrims Trail from Le Puy via Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre (1545km) and a Coast to Coast across the French Pyrenees (870km). A mountain walker for over 40 years, he completed the Munros in 2000. Erstwhile National Secretary and Long Distance Information Officer of the LDWA, Alan founded the successful Hillwalkers Register for the LDWA in 1994, and the National Trail Walkers Register in 2009. A keen cyclist and one-time marathon runner, he lives among the hills of the Southern Uplands of Scotland.

Roy Clark and Justi Carey started visiting the British mountains in their teens, a discovery which has shaped their whole lives. Rock climbing and walking in North Wales and the Lake District eventually prompted a move to the Scottish Highlands, with its remoter hills and potential for winter climbing. Their passion for the outdoors has led to travels across the world, including Iceland, North America, Jordan and New Zealand, and their continuing interest in being out there has resulted in an enthusiasm for downhill and cross-country skiing, canoeing, cycle-touring, as well as mountaineering. Since moving to Slovenia in 2002, Justi has worked as an English teacher while Roy has developed his skills in and passion for landscape photography, and their exploration of the local mountain environment has resulted in two Cicerone guidebooks, The Julian Alps of Slovenia and Trekking in Slovenia, with a further work in progress on the Karavanke Mountains, which form the natural border between Slovenia and Austria. See www.rivercottageslovenia.com .

Paddy Dillon is a prolific outdoor writer, with over 40 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 20 more. He is an indefatigable long-distance walker, who has walked all the National Trails in Britain, as well as several European trails, stretching from the sub-tropical Canary Islands and Mediterranean northwards beyond the Arctic Circle. Further afield he has walked in Nepal, Tibet and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States. What he enjoys most in his travels is variety, climbing mountains and following coastlines, crossing semi-deserts and penetrating evergreen cloud forests, enjoying the simple pleasures of an easy nature trail as much as a challenging long-distance trail. Paddy aims for a quick turnaround with his guidebooks, partly to present the most up-to-date information to readers, but also because he is always eager to start the next project, wherever it might be. Next destination everywhere! His website is: www.paddydillon.co.uk