Chamonix Snowshoeing

Who can resist?

Just across from Argentière the snowshoeing is amazing at the top of Flégères!

Top of the Brévent, not on snowshoes, but in the summer it can be done on foot. 

Some fun wildlife!

Oh la la! Mais oui, mon chéri!

Hopefully this guy is in his warm hole in the ground dreaming of summer wildflowers!

And some fun locals too!

Hahaha!

Mont Blanc and the village of Chamonix right below the clouds. Lots of Alpine Yellow-Billed Choughs flying all over the place. I guess they like the views and our picnic crumbs!

Wild Passes in Val Ferret

The val Ferret is still a relatively wild place to hike. In this day out we can cross 2 or 3 passes to get a good close view of magnificent glaciers. The passes lead from Switzerland into Italy and one is very popular with the hiker's doing the Tour of Mont Blanc.

Little man, big glacier! Although the glaciers are dissapearing at the alarming rate of 1 meter per year (and it is visible to me in the past 15 years of living in the Alpes) they are still something to ponder and gaze at. 

The Mont Dolent

Walking up to the blue blue sky!

Larch trees and a beautiful balcony walk above the valley are really worth visiting once. There is a place you can spend the night at, or just have a crôute au fromage at just around the corner!! 

St. John's Wort - a sunny happy flower!

I hope I can tempt you to come here with me for a hike once!

Snowshoeing in the Verbier forests

Breathtaking views, crazy lichens, winter survivor plants, Norwegian spruces & larches with wildly textured barks, mosses, last autumns dead flowers heads & seed pods, perhaps even some trolls or fairies - what is there not to like about this?

 

 Stunning views of the Chamonix massif range, peeking over the top of Bruson - the Aiguille d'Argentière. We really are just a hop, skip & a snowshoe from Italy & France.

The quantity of lichens hanging here make one wonder if we are not walking through a mystical swampland like the Florida Everglades - just don't snowshoe on a hibernating crocodile!!

Another successful Cham to Zermatt trek!

What a great summer I have had! Thanks to all who joined up for all my tours, I really enjoyed myself! I mean look at the picnic spot here! Who can top that?!

Tour du Mont Blanc

 

Zermatt!

We did it!!!

And the Matterhorn was still there with us & a gazillion tourists taking photos of it!

Day VIII Gruben - Zermatt

ummmm....did I mention lots of rocks yesterday? Well there were even MORE today!

Just before getting to Jungu we got to watch a big daddy bouquetin (ibex) loftily munching on some grass on a death-defying slope below us.

Day VII Grimentz - Gruben

So much to say about today's hike, I really don't know how to cover it all!

Lots of rocks today!
Views of the Zinalrothorn that were unimaginable!
More rocks, granite this time!
Alpine lakes to dip into!
Rocks!
Hot sun!
Rocks!
Descent into the arolla & larch forests!
Arnica & bluebells everywhere!
Swiss-german to be spoken!

Yodeliiihiiihouuuuuu!
(that says it all!)

Day VI Arolla - Grimentz

Heat wave hit us for sure today! But I have to admit after the snowy hikes of July this year I am not too distressed at walking in the heat. The Grand Raid was ending in Grimentz today, so we had a lively time watching bikers and helicopters buzzing around the val d'anniviers.

Houseleek - supposed to protect houses from being hit by lightening. Maybe I should think about attaching some of it to my backpack on these hot days that end in storms?!

Edelweiss

Day V Cabane Prafleuri - Arolla

What a splendid view onto the Grande Dixence dam! Today we saw marmots & lots of edelweiss as we ascended to the Col de Riedmatten. Now this is not for the faint hearted! We made it just after a hail storm soaked us from behind!

A looooooong descent took us to Arolla for the night. The view onto the glacier & cows grazing right by the shining blue ice was spectacular!

What a day! Bravo! Cannot tell you how nice it was to take off my boots in Arolla!

Day IV Verbier to Cabane Pra Fleuri

We hiked from the Grande Dixence dam up to the Cabane de Prafleuri today taking advantage of the good weather to try and see some marmots. But I guess it was too hot for them, as we did not see any.

Day III Champex Lac to Cabane Mont Fort Verbier

Wow, what a beautiful morning to walk around Champex Lac before heading up into the alpine fields of Verbier.

After observing a blue heron we headed off to stroll up to the Cabane Mont Fort to watch the sun-set and have a yummy dinner on the terrace. Can't think of many better ways to spend a day! Ahhhh!

Day II Trient to Champex Lac

Sunny & beautiful day to arrive and plunge our feet into the glorious mountain lake in Champex. We had wild strawberries, rasberries & myrtilles the whole way - why bother carrying chocolate that melts?!? Oh yeah, because it is so goooooooooooood!

Day I Argentière to Trient

 

Started off with a bit of rain on our 10 day hike to Zermatt! Funny that as soon as we crossed the mountains into Switzerland the sun was shinning...hmmmm...!

Hiking in the Aiguilles Rouges reserve

Starting in the col des Montets we did a tour up and around the cliffs of Chéserys. The views were just crazzzzzy over onto the Aiguille Verte, Les Drus, Mont Blanc, and the glacier du Tour, Argentière and Mer de Glace (to mention the BIG ones). The ladders are part of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and are definitely the more sane way to get your knees up to the Flégère area than climbing up the way we went down, by the lake of Remuaz. Although the trails around here are kept in tip top shape.

But thanks to the way down we got to see some bouquetins (ibex) up close. We also got to listen to the mothers and children calling each other. Was exceptional!

Balloons

At the top of Col de Balme we found a bunch of balloons from a wedding in Swiss-Germany! I am off to Marocco for the rest of the month to meet mules & camels! Keep the cheese ready for when I return!

Col de Balme

Well the last outdoor fondue was such a hit that it had to be done again! Oh yeah, and the hike was magnificient, views of Mont Blanc & Chamonix at the col. As well as alpine blueberries fresh off the bushes!

Chamonix valley

The forest was lush & green today, just perfect for hidding from the shopping crowds and the heat. At the end of the day the Mont Blanc was still there majestically overlooking us all.