Friday, December 30, 2016

Views of the Swiss Alps

2 very different views of the summit of the Grand Combin. Both taken in this crazy sunny winter sunshine weather. The spacial differences of what you can see or cant see as you walk around in the Val de Bagnes is astounding.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Hike up Dent de Valerette

Stunning hike! Stunning views! Stunning day!

This is a fun hike to a summit that doesnt take too long, but reaps all the benefits of being up high!

The Muverans poking out as you go up up up up in the dry grassy winter fields.
At the summit of the Dent de Valerette the Massif des Combins is just amazingly beautiful. It is hatd to catch the correct skyline in these photos, with so many ridgelines to get confused with...
A nifty cross at the top to remind us that we can be looking accross at the Canton de Vaud which is not Catholic (shudder)!
On the way back down passed by the Whitepod Hotel. Fabulous views above the stratus clouds with the Dents de Morcles here. Not much snow for snowshoeing....
And then the moon came up!!!

Friday, December 9, 2016

Hiking in the dry december swiss alpes

Not much snow to snowshoe on, so hiking is the activity at the moment.

From Fionnay, at the end of the val de Bagnes you can access the hikes on the sunny side of the valley without a problem at the moment. 
It is straight up for a bit less than 1000m. The views are totally worth it. We were lucky and had the gypaète fly right at eye level. I even saw his beard!!
The snow is hard enough to walk on near the cabana.
No fishing today in the Lac de Louvie! No skiing backside of the Mont Fort either!!
Views back onto the Massif des Combins. Breathtakingly beautiful with blue blue skies!

Monday, December 5, 2016

Hiking early winter

Well it snowed once...and now it has melted so much that the hiking has gotten amazing again!

We went up to roughly 2000m in the old larches and the dry grassy fields. 
The views are clear and beautiful all the way to the Jura. The Dents Du Midi are amazing as is the view accross to Verbier once we got to the top.
Just a notr to everybody, it gets cold quickly, dont forget to bring dry warm layers. Oh...and gloves!!! My hands got really cold on the way down...ugh!