Cabane Brunet Val de Bagnes

Absolutely a wonderful cabsne to stay in. It is nestled in the valley above Fionnay with superbe views of the Petit Combin. You can actually drive to it and then hike from there. There are lots of gorgeous alpine lakes to visit as well as the rocky top of the Rogneux. A magical place indeed.

And if you are up early enough you can get fresh cow milk from the farmer up there! Mooooooo!

Hot summer days

Giant green grasshoppers & sunflowers just seem to add a little extra 'je ne sais quoi' to the view across the valley towards Bruson. The weather is perfect right now for taking the time to stroll around the valleys & mountains to enjoy it all!

You just have to be careful not to step on a cricket or grasshopper! Luckily this one was well off the ground, about 2 meters up in a sunflower. Hah!

Receeding glaciers of the Alps!

Mont Fort glacier at 3000+ meters rapidly disapearing... Really exceptional to see.

Cabane Mont Fort Verbier

The cabane mont fort is really worth going to in any season!
The wild flowers are blooming and the views make everyone want to yodel! There are so many ways to walk there that everyone has a chance to get there no matter their fitness level. It is also the only cabane I have been to that lends you a towel to shower with. Pure alpine luxury!

Oh and dont forget to dip your feet in the bisses! Instant brain refreshment!!

Drying flowers!

Cannot wait to see what all this turns into. Summer flowers are going wild so I am drying some to use when the colder months arrive.

Super Snowshoeing in Verbier

This winter is just non-stop!!! Snowshoeing is fun for everyone & it is possible to do in all weather conditions! It is amazing to see how many people try it for the first time and come back again for new adventures & sensations!

Snowflakes Sparkling everywhere!

Wow, it has been a while since I have been here!! What can I say? The snowshoeing has been soooo fantastic that I haven't had time to sit down! Here are a few fotos to whet your appetite!

Tour de Suisse 2012

There goes Andy Schleck past my banner in Fontenelle-Dessus!

He wasn't the first to get to the top, but that doesn't make his ride any less impressive to me!

Alpine Flowers Waking up!

It is wacked out flower time again! What a wonderful surprise to get on the trail above Fully - Martigny to find a gazzzilllion wild orchids and Paradise Lilies & butterflies & lizards & more flowers to turn our heads!

There is even an entire area of cacti to discover. No wonder the area is called the 'crazy earth' = les Follatères!

Altoona Ridge Lodge Montana

Brrrr! Just a bit of a change of scenery & weather! It was duuuumping at the Altoona Lodge! Minus 15 degrees, what a perfect time to strap on snowshoes & see if the bears were hibernating - apparently they were having hot chocolates back at the lodge! Smart animals, only humans would go out in weather like this!

Denison & Andrea von Maur are the happy proud outdoor owners of this paradise! And they sure know how to run the place like pros! This place is a 'must visit' for everyone, no matter what level of activity you enjoy. It is amazing, comfortable, beautiful beyond words & just all around wow!

Hiking in Montana

Vive l'Amérique!

So amazing to be in the wilderness in Montana. It is very different from the Alps. First of all you hike around with something called 'bear spray'. Which you are supposed to spray the entire bottle at a bear that wants to get a little too friendly with you.... hope that never happens...

The alpine flowers were all bursting at the time and it was interesting to see how different the same variety of plant was. Their arnica is a bit different to ours, but still recognizable. And the trees are amazing! The areas that have had fires are fascinating too. I still think the sky is different to ours, somehow it is not the same color...any ideas??

Spring in the Swiss Alps

Still lots of snow to walk around on! It can be worthwhile to take snowshoes in some places.

But what is fun is walking in the snow and going down to the valleys below where the flowers are bursting! In between you may find a few marmots fattening up for the winter to come...and sunning themselves on the rare limestone of Verbier.

Orchis fields above Martigny

After a few days of rain we went out and got the perfect day to wander around in wild orchid fields! Simply amazing & beautiful!

 

We saw lots of lizards & even the shy green lizard was out. The walk through the grapevines was pretty & it is interesting to feel the changes in heat in this region.

Cinque Terre Italia

A hike in the Cinque Terre region of Italy - ahhhh, nothing better for a beautiful getaway! The scenery is ever changing, passing from cliffs to olive groves with organic honey bees to pine forests & perched villages with vineyards & gelatto!

I could spend hours telling you all about the amazing plantlife & geological formations...

Absolutely fabulous & worth seeing. Unfortunately it was raining so we did not go for a swim - just another reason to go back!

Première cocinelle!

Youpiiiie! Trop beau! Sans les arrêts picnics on peut beaucoup louper!

Lichen

I have never seen so much lichen in my life as this winter.

I do not know if it is due to the super cold spell we had for so long in February (minus 37!!) or if it is because of the massive storms we had in Dec & Jan that broke & uprooted so many trees.

If anyone wants to find out about the fascinating story behind lichen, this is the time!
Contact me for a walk any time!

Spring in the Alpes

Hepatica (sounds like a disease! poor flower!) popping up through the ground wherever it can. And the trees are starting to bud, the willows are already pollinating! Spring can be so much fun to watch happen.

Grand Saint Bernard Snowshoe

Fantastic outing to the Grand Saint Bernard.

As usual there was wind...but the sun came out to keep us warm! There is lots of winded snow in some places, making the walk up a bit sideways in your boots, and other spots where there is barely any snow. Very odd.

This is a fun outing for first time snowshoers because the walk can be easily adapted.

trails today

  

It is going to be an interesting spring walking around with tree trunks in the middle of the trails! Last night went for an evening nightshoe up to Chez Dany and we spent more time climbing over trees than on snow - or so it seemed!!

Evening snowshoe!

Fantastic idea from the girls! We took off at 7:30pm (which was the time they had reserved dinner at Chez Dany)

Little did they know it was going to take us an hour to get there because we had to stop in awe at all the squirrel trails, and leftover meals, as well as wild chevreuil tracks. By the time we got to the restaurant it was glowing in the setting sun and we were ready for the fondue!

Night time snowshoe

Nothing better to see than watch the sunset from the forest! Luckily we took the snowshoes! The way up was up & over trees in residual slippery snow, and the way down was in very hard packed piste! Essential to have them!

Grand Saint Bernard

Little ski tour to the Hospice of the Saint Bernard.

Do you actually know who he is & what he did? Well I re-read his story....and was less than impressed, so I think I will go back to the pagan name for this place which was Mount Jupiter!

I still can't believe Napoleon came up here with 40'000 troops in the 1800s in the middle of winter - what a lunatic idea!

En raquettes sur le bisse Verbier

So much snow that little Miss Valais is under all of it! We had to give her a little snowy friend to play with until she defrosts! I hope this hot spell ends soon so we can walk around

with less fear of huge wet avalanches coming down on us.
Enjoy the sun, but be careful!