In my eyes, the alps is a perfect playground; high enough to hold the ice and snow, yet not so high to make every step a huge effort whilst struggling in the thin air. From the granite spires and ridges of the Mont Blanc massif to the limestone of the Bernese Oberland and the chaotic towers and walls of the Dolomites, their variety and sudden fierce changes of weather make them an ideal training ground for the higher peaks of Asia.