Most Inspirational Moment
								
																	For me it has to be reaching the top of Monte Piano after an enjoyable and entertaining climb up.  The splendour that greeted us was just incredible.   I felt that I had arrived into another world,  trodden on sacred ground and was  left in awe of the surroundings.   Carl explained things very well indeed and kept us safe and entertained along the way.  It was a poignant moment when we stopped at a point on the way up where lay the graves of some  fallen heros of the brutal action during the war.  There were red  sanctuary lamps beside each rough woodden cross,  showing that they had not been forgotten  where they had fallen  , in that inhospitable spot.  As we walked  through the trenches and visited  observation posts,  Carl very knowledgably  explained what had happened there.   He  brought us over to the little war museum on the mountain.  It left me with a sense of just  how savage and cruel the kind of fighting must have been for the soldiers of both sides.    
														
																												Thoughts on Group Leader
								
																	Carl was an excellent leader.  Very approachable when you had a difficulty.  He is well qualified and it was plain to see that  he is a past master of mountaincraft.  As a result,  I felt very safe throughout the trip and had no worries.  He was also very entertaining and it was like  listening to David Attenborough as he spoke in quiet tones about some marmots that appeared in the vicinity.  For his  knowledge of the surroundings, its botany,  geography and the manner he presented it,  I would describe him as a scholar and a gentleman. The weather was not ideal the first two days but  we got sound advice with regard to our gear and equipment,  what to expect and what to do about it. Things came right after day two and Carl explained about how to cope with the heat and sun. Overall  he proved himself to be a man for all seasons.  I would go up any mountain with Carl.    Next time it will be a grade C and I am even dreaming about a via ferrata.
														
																												Advice for Potential Travellers
								
																	Yes, regarding pace.  Carl set an easy pace but some of the group appeared to lag behind splitting the group from time to time.  I could hear them complain on two occasions  that they felt that the  pace was too fast for them.  However I walked to the front and back of the group and made a point  of checking their pace against  the leader's and found it to be the same.  All they had to do was follow Carls instructions when he asked them several times to walk directly behind him in front especially when setting off after each break. If you do that then it is  you who will set the pace for the group.  The leader is trained not to  go any  faster than the people behind him are going.   Its also not a race to the top. I could hear him explain all of that that many times.   You need to take heed of the leaders instructions and also not dally about after everyone has started off  -unless of course you need a comfort stop.