Hiking in Vaud!

Yep, not so far from the autoroute above Montreux is a spot with more flowers than you can imagine! Oh and the views of the lake, France & the Valais from up there is just breathtaking! You also get to check out the mountains of the Massif du Mont Blanc!

Here we have an unusual view of the Chardonnet, Aiguille Verte & Les Drus squeezed between the Dents de Morcles & Dents du Midi. Definitely worth seeing.
If you take the time to poke your nose a little closer to the gazzzillion-millllion super cute & cuddley flowers you get to notice the special beauty of each one individually. It doesn't take long and the rewards for the observations is fun.

These cuties are called Stellaria holostea - Stellaire - Stitchwort. Yeah...not so romantic to know the name...

This wooden shingle architecture is called 'tavillons' in Suisse Romande. It is really interesting to learn how they traditionaly built their chalets d'alpage. Today this is a protected artisanal cultural art. Just imagine, for 2 square meters of roofing in this fashion you need about 250 wooden shingles to ensure it was water proof!

Avalanche course

 

It is about 25 degrees out, so of course I was expecting to give an avalanche course!
Luckily I managed to find a last run out with a snowshoer, skier and a wild alpine beast! What a ride. Hate to tell you, but the snowshoer got taken out by the avalanche. And the poor skiier couldn't find him at the bottom of the ravine. It is essential to know how to use your safety tools & yer noggin! But the kids all found the hidden tranceivers in the alpine heather. Pretty funny morning!
Moral of the story : you can learn how to use your avalanche tranceiver even if there is no snow on the mountain!
Be safe, go with friends, think & do what you can do! Enjoy!

Herbal Honeys

 

Trying a new recipe this year!
I have so much sage & lavender in the garden that I am going to see if they will become a tasty yummy sirup when left in the sun with 'sucre candi' like it does with the buds of Norweigian Spruces.
Will let you know in the fall!

Hungry for nature?

 

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.