Happy May

Muscari à toupet, very pretty type of flower that is going crazy in the dry hot sun just around the corner from my house. We have a really interesting micro climate that attracts different flora & fauna than the rest of the val de Bagnes.

Fabulous weather out for going for frolics in the flowery fields! We were lucky enough to see a green lizard. The head has some turquoise on it, so it is a male. They are quite big and fun to see if you are quick, or slow enough!

Hiking around Verbier

As the snow has disapeared up high it is ideal for long sunny walks with outrageous views of the Alps! What an awesome day out with someone who has done all the Munroes.

I have to admit I had no clue what that meant when first contacted. But now I know it means that there are some people who are daring enough to climb, walk, hike, scramble around in Scotland and make it up every peak over 3000 feet! Wow! Bravo!

Wild cooking!

Spring is here and with it all sorts of goodies are popping out of the ground to eat!

It just takes a little time to learn which plants are the right ones to eat and how to eat them, as well as which part to eat! All this is very important as you can make some pretty fatal mistakes...

So it is best you learn what is the right plant to start off with. I suggest taking it one plant at a time. After one day of picking and preparing one variety you will probably never forget its characteristics and make a mistake. But PLEASE, be very careful with this. Certainly if you are with pregnant women or children. Mistakes can be fatal.

I had to go to the flat lands to pick some wild bear garlic (ail des ours), I used it fresh to make some amazing pesto & put some in a bottle with apple cider vinegar (bio) and wow! Talk about having a 'zing' to it - without adding any garlic!

As I said above be sure you know what you are picking! This plant can be confused with muget - which is toxic!
If you ever have any questions about what plant you are picking you can ask me.

Fresh snow snowshoeing!

It is spring, and you've got to get up and get the fresh snow as it is falling! Basically the rule is 'you snooze...you looze!' It was just a magical winter wonderland day!

Got to see some fresh squirel tracks, they are so cute. Probably one of my favorite tracks to see!
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Had a beautiful snowshoe in the fresh flakes up to Ruinettes. By the time I got back down to Carrfour the snow was already melting!

Look ma! No snowshoes!

Yep, the sun is shinning, the crocuses are popping and the snowshoes are starting to be put away!

A fabulous sunny day to go for a walk and check out all the views from the Massif des Combins to the Massifs du Mont Blanc. I will never tire of this view, and it is so much fun to show it off to people who have never seen it!

Had a huge walk this morning up to Marlenaz area and back along the bisse du Levron to Namasté and down in the flowery fields to Carrfour. Absolutely tiring and fun!

Snowshoeing in Valais with CherriesWalks

My new snowshoes!

The view from the Col de Golette, not an outing on snowshoes, but a nice ski tour from the top of Les Marécottes. The view of the Valaisans Alps is breathtaking, as is the panorama off the back of the Dents du Midi, Luisin, Tour Salière. Ahh, such a beautiful day!

Sun is out again...! And the snowshoeing is awesome! Beautiful views to be had where ever you chose to go! Had a fun day showing what squirels are up to in the winter. It is so great to snowshoe with skiers, they see the area in different and new ways they knew nothing about!

Yahoooo! It is snowing all over the place! Hopefully it will last! Once again can see animal prints and snowshoe all over the place without playing snowpatch hopscotch!

What an expedition!

Took off in the Jura without snowshoes, but with a caquelon & fondue. We made an offering of a snowball to a dead tree before spending the night in one of the barns that is on the ridge.

The next morning we awoke to 25cm of fresh beautiful powder snow! It worked! The snow-trolls got our offering!!

We didn't need the snowshoes to walk out, but they give more options if you do have them. On the hike out, we saw a herd of chamois. They just watched us, as we watched them. The Jura is really a beautiful area to discover.

A gorgeous hike up the Marlenaz region of Verbier.

With the avalanche danger at 1 (on a scale up to 5, with 5 being the most dangerous conditions) I have been able to take snowshoers to places where I normally do not go. Another exciting feature has been the crunchy snow, it alows you to go farther than when it is soft and powdery. Lately it has been a bit crazy when I do get into light snow, I am not used to it anymore!!!

Even the flowers have come out to smile at us! It was fun to see the slope with the tiny yellow heads of the tussilage (Colt's Foot) in the morning. When we passed by around noon, the heat of the sun had opened them up into these happy heads! Apparently the Tussilago Farfara (Latin name) is not only good for us as a remedy to colds, but helps the first adventurous bees that come out by giving them the 1st pollen of the season. Interestingly this flower does not make nectar though.

2011 snowshoe outings with CherriesWalks

Ok, so the other day I didn't manage to finish gloating about all the awesome, fabulous, fun, delightful, powder, wild, backcountry, epic, fantastic, géniale, new, favorite, etc.. places I have been this year. I'm going to try and do it all justice by posting a photo from every outing so far, regardless of dates for once. I hope you enjoy the quick tour and I hope you are having a super duper winter too!
Here goes:

I had the pleasure of taking out some friends who were stranded here from Boston where it was 'DUMPIIIIIIING DUDE' and learned that it is the law there to clear the snow from the sidewalk infront of your house! We went to a wild forest above Martigny.

This is the view from the top of the Dents de Morcles! It was a ski tour, and I am just posting the photo because I have tried to hike up there three times in the summer and have never made it. It just proves that some things are best attained by different means. And in no way would I ever consider snowshoeing up there or perhaps trying to hike up there for a 4th time!!
Vichères is a magical spot and needs to be taken slowly and happily. We got to a perfect summit and had a yummy picnic before descending in the forest! Awesome!

A beautiful sunset from the Cabanes des Vignettes. This is a cabane on the famous Haute Route Tour that goes from Chamonix through Verbier and ends in Zermatt. Everyone should see a sunset from a cabane in their lives.

A super happy day guiding the TSR/RSR (swiss radio-tv) group in Les Diablerets. There is snow, to their amazement. Yes, we have had 60% less precipitation in the Swiss Alps this month of February!

A ski tour in the wonderful valley of La Fouly. Sun, sun, sun! Will it snow again???

I am sure that the Norwegian Spruces having soooo many pine cones means something....

The female seed of the alder - a tree that can lie horizontally under the snow all winter and pop up vertically once the snow has melted! Nature is cool!

Ok...I am going to stop now, and give you a day to go out and play before continuing! Happy snowshoeing!

Where have I been?!

So here it is March 3rd already! And I have not been posting my outings, no I have not fallen over on my snowshoes and hurt myself, but I better get started before winter ends & I put away my snowshoes!
As such I will give you a quick recap of what has been happening at CherriesWalks.

January was busy in Verbier with sunny skies and gorgeous snow. There were lots of snowshoe hare prints to see. And I am sure lots are still laughing about my imitation hops of their movements...!

I also took the time to snowshoe in the icebox of the freezer in a hidden valley on the way to Chamonix.

I was really lucky and got to be on Swiss National TV, prime time news. The TSR 19:30 came and snowshoed with me at the 1st Salon de la raquette. It was awesome to snowshoe with views of the Muverans & Dents du Midi. We even saw the Chateau d'Oex ballons the sky was so clear!

Salon de la Raquette - Champoussin

A quick moment to let you know what is happening this week-end. Free outings in Champoussin with me or another fabulous local Mountain Leader! You get to try snowshoeing for free while learning something in one of the many nature walks available.

It is gonna be a blast. There are prizes to win...such as free ski days in the Portes du Soleil! Families, beginers, avid outdoors people! All are welcome!
Come and enjoy a vin chaud at least and check out the awesome photos and conferences going on!
See you there!!

New Year's Snowshoe

HAPPY 2011 FROM CHERRIES!
May you have lots of sparkles and happiness and laughs and sillyness this year!

Snowshoeing Secret Spot of Verbier!

The sun was just comming up over the ridge when we put on our snowshoes! What a magnificient morning shuffling around in the wild hare tracks with the trees fully laden with frozen snow. It is always worth getting up to snowshoe, no matter how cold, tired or whatever one may be! Happy end of 2010.

Commeire Mountain Alternative

The season is starting off with a bang! This guy definitely nailed his wife with the fresh snow on the branch he shook over her head! Not sooooo cold out today, but the snow is light and fluffy with tons of animal tracks. We even were lucky enough to see a chamois run accross a field below us. Ahhh, makes it all worth it!

If you were to drill a hole in Bruson you would land in Commeire, a little 'hammeau' above Orsiere which offers authentic overnights in the original wooden houses of the area. They have all been renovated by Mountain Alternative in tasteful ways to be as welcoming and cosy as possible. As you can see plenty of fire wood around here.

A chardon baromètre taking a rest in the snow after a hot summer!

Snowshoe with Bjorn Borg!

Minus 22 degrees at 2000 meters is the forecast for today. Well it was right! Bundle up! I was called up to go guiding with the tennis champion Borg! Of course I got an indelible pen out and was all ready to ask him to sign my snowshoes (get it? Raquettes à neige, pas raquettes de tenis). Thought it would be a first for him. As it turned out, he was not here at all, but the company who makes his clothes, which you can admire on here on the couches at the Nevaï in Verbier, were having their end of year trip. Hahaha! But it was definitely cold!

Homemade sparkle lotion!

Cherries Walks 100% natural fun produces a festive facial cream!

It is minus a lot of degrees out, and my skin is feeling the effects of it. Snowshoeing every day for a few hours in Verbier's cold snap has given my runny nose a bit of a dry & redish tone, so this morning I got out the oils I prepared over the summer. I mixed together some lavender and calendula oils to organic beeswax and voilà: homemade face cream! Not very complicated, but you have to take the time to do it. As the festive season is right around the corner I added in a new dimension with some sparkles! Yahooo! So if you see me looking like a firework you'll know why!

Organic gifts

CherriesWalks 100% natural fun mixes herbs for cooking, teas, oils, vinegars & baths. Take advantage of this original and organic happy idea. Otherwise I get to use up all the goodies I have taken the summer to pick and dry! Pictured here is a mixture for cooking of origano (leaves & flowers), thym (leaves & flowers), calendula petals, rosemary & sage. YUM! Every mix is different as the ingredients vary in supply thanks to mother nature's quirks.