Lac de Louvie

Magnificent fall colors to get to the lac de louvie in the upper val de Bagnes. Fresh snow at the cabane.

In New Zealand they have signs up all over the place about their wonderful reflecting lakes, well ours aren't so bad either!

The steeeeep descent back to Fionnay with amazing views of the Massif des Combins, as well as Mont Blanc and every happy snow white peak in between!

Geology in the Chablais

First part of a majorly intense geology course started in the Chablais in France. It was a fun surprise to see the Dents du Midi hugging the side of the Grand Combins massif!

We spent the first day figuring out how to make a geological map - wow! I don't think these guys could ever be paid enough for the minute work they do! Not sure that I will ever make anyone do this type of exercise, unless we are stuck somewhere for days!

We went out searching for fossils in the recently melted snow around the limestone of the Mont Chauffé near Ubine one day. These little stars are not star fish, but a plant's stem which fossilized in the shallow warm seas which were where the alps now are.

By the end we walked in an area I have only explored covered in snow with skis, where one can walk on the continental crust & the oceanic crust simultaneously!

Lac de Salanfe

Just above the Rhone valley is a fabulous spot that brings you to the foot of the Dents du Midi. The fall colors are not quite out yet as we have not had a frost. But as we returned to the car we heard the 'brame du cerf', which is the mating call of the male deer. It was impressive, there were 2 deer in the valley and their ruminations were resonating loudly! I was super happy to come here today, as this month I am following a geology course on the region of the Chablais, which the Dents du Midi are a part of.