Tour du Grand Chavelard

We couldn't get our arms around this larch which must be at least 400 years old! But we did make it around the Grand Chavelard (2899m) in about 5 hours.

Just driving the road up above Fully to Chiboz is enough to get excited! The hike around the Grand Chavelard is fabulous, the views are breathtaking and the wind was definitely refreshing! After passing under the south face cliffs with the flat Rhone valley below, we entered the realm of the Lacs de Fully. Beautiful blue alpine lakes shinning in the sky with the original view onto the Dents de Morcles and the West cliffs of the Chavelard - where you can see the cross at the summit. Then you pass over the col de Fenestral and descend into Ovronnaz's ski area and hang right to come back around into a beautiful old larch forest with lots of tasty rasberries to pick!
Yep, that is the Pierre Avoi.

Tettigonia viridissima - Big Green Grasshopper!

She is laying her eggs in the only spot she could find - between the road and a stone wall, the joint has a bit of earth for her to plant her rear into and lay her babies. The next morning I found her run over with a bunch of rather large black things around her and realized that those were eggs she had not lain yet. Well I hope she laid most of them... Nature is amazing, yet fragile
For more info: http://www.insectes-net.fr/locuste/locuste3.htm

Hunting myrtilles

Yum Yum, the season is bountiful! So many little berries waiting to be eaten! It really is a pleasure to wander off the beaten paths to pick myrtilles (alpine blueberries) and get close to an array of insects and flowers. Once I looked up I realized I was in a field of arnica! And if you are silent and patient enough you might even have a deer and her baby walk right by you!

Mont Gond

We opted out of hiking up the Haut de Cry - as apparently the rock is very unstable and should be done when the ground is frozen so you can get footholds in! It turned out to be a great idea to walk around the Mont Gond which is in between Derborence & the col du Sanetsch. We started off in the cow fields and soon found ourselves in a 'lapiaz' - a carsistic formation of limestone which has been worked-out by the elements (mainly water). Just overhead we had a juvenile gypaète flying in the bright blue sky! What a wing span, even for a young one!! Then up and over the col to the other side which was really a lunar pile of shale with massive rivulets from rainstorms.


Then it was picnic time with 25 to 30 bouquetins females with their young ones eating as well, the males with their huge horns were lying in the sun watching it all. The views were stupendous, the whole range of Valaisan Alpes from the Monte Leone to the Matterhorn, Grand Combin all the way to the Mont Blanc on one side; and the Sanetsch area to the Diablerets and Muverans - wow!

Barage de Mauvoisin

Went out for an original tour from Mauvoisin up to the Pierre à Vire which brings you around to a plunging view down onto the entire lac de Mauvoisin. Up to then the view is astounding and one we do not see too often with the hanging Glacier de Giétro and the Grand Tavé's East face. Then back down to the écuries, where a big white dog was tending to the cows, just in case we were wolves come to get a free meal. The mountain tops are white and beautiful, but it is a bit chilly out. Hopefully it doesnt mean the end of shorts yet! Stopped in at the Hotel de Mauvoisin which has been recently renovated by the commune. They have done an excellent job, the rooms and dinning areas are spotless and the terrace is lovely. A nice day, close to home!

CherriesWalks goes for a 4* flight!

What an exceptional day! Off in a helicopter for just under an hour to view the Swiss Alps - oh and all the rest of them too as there was not a cloud in the sky! Wowwwy!
Took off from Sion with Jean-Daniel (Heli Alps). He took us into the valley of Herens and grazed the arrête of the Veisivi before taking us up the Glacier du Mont Miné and above the tops of the Tête Blanche, Dent d'Hérens, and the Matterhorn which had 2 people on the top (as well as 80 other avid climbers coming up the ridge!!) Then we did a few 360s to show off and plunged into the seracs of the Glacier de Moiry (literally!) The lac de Moiry was stunning. And poof! Back at home base! AMAZING!

Now this was the most unusual view of the Matterhorn for me! Can anyone guess which glacier this is?

Finished it all off with a 4* picnic in the delightful forest above the Bisse in Savièse. Lots of mushrooms for the trolls to hide in here. Vive les mariés!

CherriesWalks t-shirts

Now the fun begins!

These t-shirts are in Verbier on top of the Pierre Avoir, but are going to go live in Australia!

All you lucky t-shirt owners need to send me a foto of you in fun, exotic, happy places wearing it! And if you don't have one yet, get one of the few I still have!

Rogneux en été!

The way up!

You know how when something is close to home you just have that feeling that you will always get around to doing it 'one of these days', but it just never seems to happen?!? The day finally came to walk up the Rogneux at 3084 meters after gazing at it every day for the last 11 years! Youpiiiie! The view was simply awesome and the walk was relatively easy and short (just 2 hours), as long as you drive up to the Ecuries de Mille. The amazing thing is the vegetation, little flowers all the way up to the tipppy-top of the summit!
View off towards the Mont Blanc Massif!

Ligurian Sea

Ahhh, it was beautiful. Oh and sunny, phew! As it seemed to have rained non-stop the whole time we were away from the Valais!

Ligure Biking - Monte Beigua

There was the top of the world in this part of the world, Monte Beigua at 1287 meters...what a hellaciously long uphill to get to it!!! The downhill started off as an epic 'to be done again' ride, untill we ended up in the washed out single track, full of unstable rocks, branches and leaves! Yikes! Ended up pushing the bikes for about 40% of it! But it was beautiful and fun and probably not the last 8 hour expedition I go on!

Ligure Bouldering

What a magical forest of chestnut trees we discovered on one of those windy twisty tiny overgrown with weeds Italian roads in the middle of nowhere! Amazing discovery only 4 hours from home & just a half hour up from the coast of Genova. Fresh pools of crystal clear mountain water to jump into to cool off in as well, ahhhh! Of course a gellato was in order and a dip in the Med after the day in the forest. What fun it was to hang out with the Italians on their beach.

Butterflies everywhere!

The blue & red butterfly is a zygène, a highly toxic bug which is why it has the bright 'keep away' colors that it does. The one on the right is a male demi-deuil, the females are more yellowish. The valais has many micro-climates that accomodate some spectacular butterflies.

Cabane Rambert

What a way to start off the Swiss National Day! Sunrise at the Cabane Rambert at 6:30 a.m. We walked back down to Ovronnaz taking a route that took us through a rocky path where the ibex (bouquetin) were butting horns. It was absolutely spectacular. We then hooked up to the ancient Bisse de Pathier (a water way from the 15th century to bring water to the dry fields). The sun shone high and strong, but we managed to pic-nic in the shade of an old larch with a view onto the Combins and their glistening white glaciers. Really a wonderful day!

Ovronnaz to Cabane Rambert

A beautiful sunny day to take the lift up to start off our hike up to the Cabane was a fabulous idea as we then had more time to hang out and oggle the view which spans from the Monte Leone (Simplon pass) to the Matterhorn, the Combins, the Mont Blanc and to the most amazing view of the Dents du Midi that I know of. The hike up was fun as we took the time to wet our feet in the alpine stream.

The boys had lugged up climbing ropes and harnesses and took the time to climb a few routes that are on the Grand Muveran behind the cabane. We also had a non-stop parade of bouquetins surrounding us all afternoon.

Bec de Sery

Here is a mountain I have been wanting to climb for a long time. We set off from the Cabane Brunet and hiked clockwise up to the col des Avouillons and back. The hike up was amazing with the Grand Combin & Corbassière Glacier literally in our face. The hike back down to the flower fields and raging torrents was fabulous with the Petit Combin watching over us. Lots of wild flowers and butterflies accompanied us the whole way. The air was nice and fresh and the sun was not too hot. Thanks for a fun day!

La Tzouma hike

We took off from Verbier and drove up and over the Col de Croix de Coeur. As it has recently snowed it was chilly and I took my wool hat with me! After hiking the Ancien Bisse de Saxon we ended up with this fabulous view up the Vallon d'Arby! There are tons of orchids & arnica & fireweed and other super flowers to be admired. Well worth the excursion. We then drove back up to Croix de Coeur in fog thicker than pea soupe! It is beautiful to see the mountain with its many different looks.

Mont Fort sunrise!

At 04:45 we left Verbier where it was already 17 degrees! As the doors of the Mt.Fort lift opened at 3330 meters jackets & hats & doudounes were quickly put on as the wind was blowing and the coolness in the air was striking! There are 4 morning trips this summer to the top of Mt. Fort to see the sunrise. I cannot stress how intense an experience this is. Just do it!
I took the time to walk back down to La Chaux, passing by the Cabane Mont Fort for a drink on the way. What a way to wake up!

Peaks of Verbier

The Combins seen from La Chaux, just an amazing view. A quick trip to the top of the Mont Fort to see the Matterhorn & Mont Blanc as well as most of the 4000 meter peaks of the Alps. It is really worth going up there to see this and check out the Tortin Glacier which is receding rapidly (snif!)

100% Natural Fun

Verbier's Eco Bio Market is too much for me! I have once again sold all my stock! Then again I don't have much as my products are all made by hand and are all wild produce. Maybe I should make it more expensive?!
A fresh calendula flower to be dried and added to a happy flower tisane!

La Marlenaz

Had a beautiful day hiking up to the Marlenaz. On the way we passed by the cow herd at the alpage des planards. The night before had been super stormy and three of their cows got hit by lightening! An interesting question was posed to me: do I think the cow bells attracted the lightening?

Verbier Market

My stand at the Verbier Bio Market. These are all products that can be made if one takes the time to learn what is edible in nature. What a success! Sold my 100% Natural fun tisanes & herb mixes. Had pots of 'oh la la origano' for cooking, a 'lavender splash tisane' & a 'tisane méga tonique!' Came home with nothing! Will have to make more next time, and at least enough so that I can have some too!

Eat weeds!

They say that a weed is just a name for a plant that one doesn't know what its uses are, perhaps. Here I took the day to cook a meal out of what we picked in the fields & forests of La Tzouma. Wild salad & jardin sur pain as starters; a potatoe, tomatoe, onion meshoui with wild spinach, fireweed, betony, & plantain leaves as a main dish, followed by the wild monk's rhubarb coulie desert! Yummmie!

Making swiss cheese

What a way to start a hike! There is nothing like starting the day helping the locals with their daily work making cheese. It is not as easy as it looks! Hard & hot work! The cows have the easy job, I mean not only do they have an awesome view to hang out in but look at what they eat - wild orchids!

Pulsatilla sulphurea

Anémone soufrée - Pasque flower

Pierre Avoir

Super hike up to the Pierre Avoir from the Marlenaz. We climbed up in the sun and as we got to the top 'poof' the clouds came in and we were in a whiteout. They aren't kidding when they say that weather changes fast at altitude! Fantastic pic-nic with local sausages & cheese!

Wild tisanes & herb mixes!

Starting to dry wild ingredients that I pick on my mountain walks to make products for selling at the Verbier Market. The market will be running every Sunday of July & August. I hope you stop by my stand for a fresh wild sirop!

Turkish delight!

This was a while ago...back in May I went to guide in Turkey again and I am more and more in love with this country as a trekking destination. The food is deeeelicious, the views are fabulous, the people are friendly, the flora is fascinating, the ruins are worth it, the weather was cold at first and tropical by the end! We discovered the Agean sea-side village of Ayvalik and almost forgot to leave! Turkey is a marvelous place to loose your guidebook and travel by instinct.

CherriesWalks Nature Walks

Awesome! Today I got the 40 kids into the snow to recognise fresh wild animal tracks! After playing a predator & prey game where the foxes were at the bottom of the food chain - which needless to say upset the 10 year old foxes... They decided they wanted to be polar bears. So we all became polar bears and realised that even though we were the most recently evolved mamal on the planet we were in deep survival trouble! The foxes suddenly realised that they were the luckiest of all as they have managed to evolve to survive in all sorts of ecosystems. Once they understood that they can live with man as well as up at 2500 meters they were a bit happier. Although they still didn't like the fact that the girls who were eagles & cougars could kill and eat them....Ahhhh, there is nothing like guiding 40 ten year olds, I love my job!

Nature walks with kids in Verbier

I managed to guide 40 kids around Verbier while a snow storm was raging overhead! We found a nice dry spot and made some land art to learn about ecosystems.