Winter is here!

Splendid afternoon spent snowshoeing in Fionnay, the very end (or is it the begining?) of the snow covered val de Bagnes.

I cannot believe I am still using the Atlas snowshoes I was first sponsored 7 or 8 seasons ago! They are proof of quality. Numerous clients have worn them over the years & in all sorts of conditions. Today they got to taste cold pure untouched powder...aaahhh! There is really nothing like it!

We saw lots of chamois tracks & snowshoe hare bounces & fox passages. I also enjoy seeing the flowers, like the thistle photographed here.

Fabulous first snow!

Soft sunny snow with a crisp spark to it at each step. Perfect for a walk without snowshoes!

If we would have gone any higher than Les Ruinettes (Verbier) we would have needed them though!

After Sunday's forecast it will be snowshoes or skis for sure. But it is fun to go where the avalanche danger will not let us go anymore in a few weeks. I just love the changing textures and having the landscape change because of the elements. Bring it on mama nature!

Fall in the Verbier Clambin forest

Well the rain stayed at bay & the clouds were beautiful. But what really caught my attention was the mosses,  the flowers gone to seed, the rippening of the juniper berries, the mushrooms in all styles, and changing colors of the blueberry bushes. What a day!

Am sure there are lots of happy trolls & fairies!

Still so much to do!

Drying flowers for teas & spice mixes!

Traverse of the Rogneux

The Rogneux summit is just above 3000 meters. And look!! There are flowers blooming all over the rocks!

We chose a beautiful day and had panoramic views of the Matterhorn & Mont Blanc as well as up close glacial views of the Combins & Mont Blanc de Cheillon.

Just stunning! Not to mention the fall colors of the blueberry, heather, juniper bushes intertwined with the yellowing grasses, with the blue blue sky above. Almost too many colors!

This is such a beautiful time to be at altitude!

Natural remedies

Filtering my mullein to make ear and cough remedies for winter!
Youpiie!

Bonatschiesse boucle

The snowline has gone back up a bit, but the clouds were hovering lower... Still it was sunny in between it all!

The wild myrtilles (alpine blueberries) were amazingly deliscious!

We saw a faaaat marmotte and heard a bunch more. The whistling echoed loudly on the cliff walls, but they were too well camouflaged in the boulders. After being on the lookout we finally saw four chamois gracefully running through the fields. No bouquetins though, and no one else on the trails!

360 degree panorama

Beautiful day to check out the view from the Pierre Avoir. That is the huuuge dolomitic peice of limestone sticking out above the Rhône valley above Riddes.

Not a cloud in the sky and no wind either! Met some nice people too up there.

Apparently bumble bees can live up to 3000 meters! Ahhh the wonders of nature!

The Massif des Combins was stunning.

High flowers!

Amazing feats of nature!

Lots of  flowers blooming up at 3000 meters in rock and boulder fields!

Enjoy eating flowers?

If anyone is looking for a way to learn to eat flowers or enjoy herbal tea, then this is the flower for you!

This teeny-tiny flower is packed with a punch you cant forget and can only desire more of! Last year I tried the leaves but thought they were too strong on their own, so I mix them with lemon balm leaves to tone it down a bit.

This year though, the plant has flowered and wow! What an awesome discovery!

Let me know if you want to discover this and any other plants!

A bisse almost like a via ferrata!

What an exceptional place!
Up above Sion is a bisse - which is an ancient water duct - that will take your breath away!

I still havent walked all the way to the end of it and up to the Sanetsch pass... So I will keep coming back until I do.

There is nothing technical about it. But it is definitely vertiginous! (is that even a word?!)

Fresh flowers

Ready to be dried for winter teas, soaps, lotions, cakes and salad decorations. A handfull a day is already quite a bit of work.

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!