1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

We were fortunate to see a 'troupe' of animals being brought down from the Alpine meadows to lower pastures in October - it brought my geography lessons of 50 years ago of 'transhumanse' alive. About 3,000 animals, mainly sheep, but also goats and a few donkeys, were being driven down the narrow road and holding up the traffic!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

You may need walking poles for high Alpine paths, especially if you have a tendency to vertigo, but the guide tailored our walks to our abilities and we always managed to complete them without too much difficulty. The best advice we received was 'if you get out of breath you are going too fast - slow down!'

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Because we ate all of our evening meals in the hotel we felt we were benefiting the owner - a two way process as the meals he served us were superb!

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

We felt as if the holiday had really done us good - some amazing walks and views, sight of a golden eagle, chamois and marmots in the highest altitudes (2,860 metres) - and a suntan even in October.