boscomantico wrote:
Just fly VFR at 10-11000. Largely the sane routing.
That works well if weather obliges. To avoid the need to climb to FL140, I’ve filed and flown a Z-FPL with VFR across the Alps to join IFR at SRN at FL110. If you can get to the Italian border at FL110, then you may get lucky and be allowed to join IFR before you get to SRN, but officially all the airway routes north of there have higher MEAs. I flew the reverse once north from Corsica, and had to cancel IFR at SRN. The controller said I needed to climb to FL130 at SRN to maintain IFR, even just to a WPT on the border (off-airway) in VMC. But he had no trouble clearing me from SRN on to the border (ABESI) VFR at FL110 even though it’s Class A airspace.
Another alternative using a Z-FPL is to fly via the Ofenpass to Bolzano/NAXAV and IFR from a waypoint near there. For example, if you set a max FL120 you can get IFR joining at DIBAX, depending on destination. South-eastern Switzerland often has manageable or better VFR conditions when a central Alps crossing VFR is not recommended or possible.
Otherwise, as already suggested, the lowest route is east to near Salzburg and then south.
Marsen writes:
Are there a few kits that people regard as the best options?
Many of us agree on Mountain High.
Have a look/read at Peter’s excellent summary
Expect you‘ll have to climb to FL140
That’s exactly what will happen mostly. They did only agree once that I may maintain FL130, but there where so many heavy up- and downdrafts, that they offered me a band of 2000 feet anyway. I think they where as happy as I was, when we made it save out of the turbulences reaching smooth air and had passed the alps to the north so could decent anyway.
I know, it was more of a swipe. It‘s a known thing of that airway that it is listed at 13000.
I don’t think it’s foreflight – the Eurocontrol response of the flightplan (submitted at FL130) is “Valid” – foreflight is just displaying that.
Foreflight does weird things. In general.
Expect you‘ll have to climb to FL140.
But anyway, 130 or 140, a no-go without oxygen, at least if you have pax.
Just fly VFR at 10-11000. Largely the sane routing. Only thing is that LIML (bloddy expensive) has certain VFR restrictions. That might be the reason. LIMB is better and does offer customs.
Thanks for all the comments – I agree that in general I need to invest in an oxygen kit. Are there a few kits that people regard as the best options? Grateful for pointers here.
I was trying to avoid it because it’s yet another thing to have to manage / explain to non pilot passengers and if you have a few passengers you end up with tubes everywhere.
From a theoretical point of view I did actually find a routing. See below. However, I don’t understand why eurocontrol think it’s valid. The MEA on N850 is 14,000’ and there does not seem to be a MOCA published. Eurocontrol have said that the following flight plan based on FL130 is valid.
How do we explain that?
Ibra wrote:
Who flies the Alps in IMC?
I did a few times but I think you need to fly so high it does not really make a difference if there are mountains below or not, so maybe FL200 and up.
The Q was Who flies the Alps in IMC? but the above pics are all VMC.
Over the Alps, icing is highly likely, because the conditions tend to be ISA+X and IME one tends to see stuff like -5C at FL160.
Some good reading under “Threads possibly related to this one” below.
I have done so a number of times, but generally don’t do it anymore because there are safer strategies. TKS doesn’t last all that long…
No need for TKS, just keep ground in sight and cross it in VMC, you may have to turn back though 
I do get that “Oxygen IFR” tend to solve ATC issues, for weather if you are keen on going and looking to enjoy it, it has to be CAVOK !
