Trekking in the Alps News from the Alps and beyond

Massive snowfall in the Alps

2012-01-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a snowy week in Vallorcine, my adopted village. Saturday saw Vallorcine cut off from the world (well, from France anyway) with the road closed and the train rather embarrassingly stuck.

But things soon improved as conditions stabilised and we've been treated to some great snowshoeing and skiing conditions.

The general consensus is that we've not seen such heavy snowfall for a good few years - and that there's now enough to last for a while.

Once the sun comes out it really is very beautiful.

And for the moment there are very few people around so there's lots of untracked snow which makes for great walking and running down.

Although there is a little less snow further south, conditions are still reported to be good.

Next stop for me - another week in the Val Clarée (Dauphiné Alps) early February. They claim 300 sunny days a year there so let's hope we don't hit any of the other 65 days.

So it's goodbye from Vallorcine where all the women are strong, the men are good looking and everyone is enjoying the snow.

Great snowshoeing in the Dauphiné and in Vallorcine

2012-01-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Photo Sandy Parker

We were extremely lucky to have a full week of blue skies and sunshine for our Val Clarée Snowshoeing. Having siad that, Briançon (the nearest town) boasts 300 sunny days a year so I suppose that's how it's going to be but nevertheless we felt that such conditions in early January were a real treat.

The snow was good too and we just had a blast!

Photo Sandy Parker

Chamois in their dark winter coats

Sandy demonstrates the TITA Snowshoe Roll

Back in Vallorcine for a few days conditions are also very good and until today we had blue skies. But now it's snowing quite heavily which is no bad thing as will cover up all the old ski and snowshoe tracks and we can start all over again!!

The Oberland from the Mont Arpille

Full on winter conditions in Vallorcine

Snow in the Alps and a little bit in Provence (but only a VERY little!)

2012-01-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

Photo Patricia Loffi

After all that stress in November when we worried about "no snow in the Alps", once it started falling mid December it doesn't seem to have stopped.

Photo Patricia Loffi

The road from Chamonix to Vallorcine has been closed at the Col des Montets numerous times lately due to avalanche risk which certainly caused some fun with all the holiday makers over Christmas.

Of course this makes for great winter conditions, doubly so when we're getting reports from the US of very lean winter conditions in many resorts.

Angèle, the highest peak in the Provençal Baronnies sporting a snowy cap

In Provence we don't want snow really, except maybe on Mont Ventoux so they can open the ski area, but coldish temps & some precipitation recently have left a sprinkle on higher ground.

The beautiful Dentelles de Montmirail

However, in general conditions are dry & sunny - just how it should be.

Time next weekend to saddle up the old raquettes and head east to the Val Clarée near Briançon, home to some of the best snowshoeing known to woman or cat!

Waiting for action!

Fabulous conditions all over Europe

2011-12-28T02:20:00.000-08:00

It's great when everything turns out well isn't it? The snow came in abundance in December and now for the holiday period the sun is shining on a daily basis and the snow seems to be pretty well settled and not too dangerous. The temperatures are excellent too - cold at night and really quite balmy in the day.

Skiing or snowshoeing, it's all good right now, so let's hope it stays that way. More snow forecast from tomorrow but not sure in what quantity.

Meanwhile elsewhere in France it's also lovely and warm and sunny. In the Drôme Provençale the conditions are perfect for flying:

And in general the only other company at the crags looks like this:

Happy New Year!

Snow in the Alps sun in Provence

2011-12-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

The snow has fallen in abundance this last week in the alps and the ski areas are opening this weekend.This is wonderful news for snowshoeing and as it's forecast to snow again most of next week I think we can stop worrying about a lack of snow.

Meanwhile in Provence, where I have been checking out new walks for an April hiking week, the weather is excellent for walking, climbing and biking.

The photos say it all!!

An Endless Autumn

2011-11-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Photo: Jon de Montjoye

There is no end to this wonderful autumn weather. We seem to have enjoyed dry sunny weather since September. On the south side of the Mont Blanc massif, and all the way down to the Med, there was a spell of dreadful weather a couple of weeks back, which caused floods on the coast and in parts of northern Italy, and a high avalanche risk in the mountains. But here in the Chamonix Valley we were protected from the bad weather by the Foehn. So no snow here for the moment. However, when the sun isn't out it's very cold, so as soon as we do get precipitation it will fall as snow.
If you're coming out to snowshoe with me don't panic - it will snow before Xmas and anway we can easily travel into Italy or over to the Italian Swiss border where there will certainly be snow - already people are skiing at the Simplon Pass, which is one of my favourite snowshoe locations, and also further south in the Nevache Valley where my first trip takes place early January.
The larches are losing their needles now but there is still some lovely colour on the hillsides and the light is wonderful at the end of the day.
I don't often post about cats - in fact this is a first - but this story deserves telling. A few weeks ago I noticed a cat and her kitten in our garden and at first didn't pay much attention. but it became apparent they were living wild in an empty house very nearby. Being the softie that I am I started to feed them and this was very much appreciated. The kitten turned out to be a real stunner as you can see.

This went on for sometime, but winter is coming, it's very cold and I will not be here all the time to feed them. Also the empty house isn't always empty....
What to do? After agonising for sometime I sought advice from cat loving friends in the UK - thanks to all of you who took the time to listen and reply! I then went to the vet who told me there is a procedure for this situation. You catch the kitten and take it to the vet where it will be looked after, given all necessary kitten treatment, then a family will be found to take it in.
The mother was fairly wild so she had to be trapped in a special trap which worked remarkably well. The vet then sterilised her, (paid for by the local council), and also found her a place to live with other stray cats. Turns out the mother was very young and had not always been wild, she'd been abandoned.
The moral of this? Such situations can be sorted out and although I thoroughly enjoyed my contact with this little chap, it was unlikely he (or indeed she as it turned out) was going to make it through the winter, especially if the feeding services were unreliable. And if the mother wasn't sterlised we'd soon have a colony of cats.
Voilà that's it for now. Next post will come from the wilds of northern Provence, where I have a hiking trip scheduled for next spring - places are available and it's a NOT TO BE MISSED WEEK!!

A fabulous autumn

2011-10-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful autumn we've been having here in the Alps. I think it's also been pretty good weather elsewhere in Europe and further afield too looking at reports from Yosemite and the like.

But getting back to here, the temperatures are falling and the mornings are now very crisp, but once the sun's up it's a delight to be out hiking or climbing.

A little cold for biking - the downhills have become an ordeal, but if you're ascending into the sun it's pretty warm. The mountains are snowy but not unduly so and whilst it must be cold at alittude there are doubtless a certain number of suitors on the slopes of Mont Blanc.

Many folk have headed south so it's quiet now on the trails and the paths. However, the French Toussaint holidays begin this weekend so there'll be a last blast of business for a few days before we settle into the extreme quiet that precedes the winter season. A time to savour becore it all goes very chaotic and hectic!

From heatwave to arctic in one fell swoop

2011-10-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well this time last week it was hot, sunny, it looked like this:

Everyone was out hiking in shorts, the mountains were dry as a bone, too dry really, the glaciers were very grey and getting smaller by the day.
But it was great as you could sit out from early morning to evening, wear shorts every day, not think about which crag to climb on as they were all dry anyway. You could even climb at altitude without worrying about being cold. We never saw such conditions in July this year at all.

But of course all good things come to an end and this one had to. We saw those first wispy clouds on Thursday afternoon and by evening the massif was shrouded in thick ominous grey clouds. Friday and Saturday were truly appalling, shocking, the poor cat was stunned when she looked out the door and all her fur was instantly soaked and frozen stiff. The snow flakes came down lower and lower and last night it really settled.

And now it looks like this: still very beautiful but somehow we'd got very attached to the Indian Summer and are not quite ready for Winter yet.

Luckily it's forecast to warm up again so those snowshoes and skis can stay put for a few more weeks.

The end of my 20th Anniversary and a great year for Trekking in the Alps

2011-09-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

I've just finished my last week, and reached the end of a superb year of work. Both winter and summer seasons were full, with some great groups, wonderful hiking and lots of celebration of those 20 years.

The last two weeks were in Italy. The first one was my Italian Summits week when we achieved 6 summits in 6 days! Then I had a week in the Dolomites based in Cortina d'Ampezzo which proved to be a perfect base for discovering those stunning limestone mountains.

The photos tell it all really, we've had some really good hikes and enjoyed generally excellent weather. Whilst we didn't see masses of wildlife, on both trips we got really good sightings later in the week: ibex and chamois were abundant in the Gran Paradiso National Park, and in the Dolomites we were lucky to see a sizeable herd of chamois and lots of very fat marmots.

Now it's time for me to catch up on admin, take some holiday and to organise next year - the snowshoeing weeks are already filling up and the summer treks are taking shape. If it's anything like as good as this year I'll be happy.

Sun and Showers but the show goes on

2011-08-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

Memories have been flooding back to me during this rather damp summer season of summers spent in Chamonix years ago. Rain lashing against the tent, hours spent mooching around town wondering what to do, hopeful forays through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to see if the sun was shining on The Other Side.

Unsettled weather used to be the norm in the Alps in the '80s and routes and hikes were grabbed whenever a good weather window presented itself.

Then came the '90s when every day was sunny and it was like living in California. We all became rather blasé.

This year we're back to normal and the raingear has certainly been out many days. But there's also been plenty of sun and, once out on the hill, what looked like a bad forecast has generally proved to be great trekking weather - not too hot, reasonable views, with just the odd shower or threat of.

The Tour of Mont Blanc last week proved to be as spectacular as ever, although each time I do it I am struck by the diminishing size of certain glaicers. Having taken photos of the views for the past 20 years I have an interesting record of the regression of the glaciers in this region.

Nonetheless the scenery remains fabulous, the flowers this year are incredible, and the changeable weather gives the high peaks a regular fresh coat of paint keeping them sparkly white and gleaming.

Crazy Summer Weather

2011-07-28T12:31:00.001-07:00

It's supposed to be July but the last 2 weeks have seen rain and snow every day. Sounds awful? It depends who you go with. I was lucky enough to have a group of 5 incredibly enthusiastic people with me for my second Chamonix Zermatt trek of the season.and they appreciated everything the trek threw at them. After all, when it's cloudy you look at the flowers more; when it snows the glaciers get a fresh coat of paint; when it clears you are grateful for every view you get; and when it's cold it isn't hot for hiking uphill.

For these guys there was no bad weather they were just really happy to be in the mountains. So we had a great trek and made it to Zermatt against the odds and very proud of ourselves.

Thanks folks!

Non-stop trekking leaves no time to post!

2011-07-18T03:56:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy time here in the Alps with 3 trips back to back, in generally great conditions. The lack of snow last winter meant that the trails were snow-free earlier than normal which was good for summer walking.

Annecy Summits was a new spring trip last year but this year we went later and were lucky enough to have beautiful weather. The summits aound the lake provide challenging hiking and amazing views Add to that very luxurious acommodation and evening swims in the lake and you get a wondeful hiking holiday - definitely one to repeat in the future.

The came then first of my Creaky Knees Specials, this one the Swiss based gentle week, which featured lots of pleasant flowery walks with a minimum of descent.

Finally, I am just back from theChamonix Zermatt trek which I did with return clients whose enthusiasm and dress sense made this one of the best treks ever.

Great days in the Alps

2011-06-17T11:12:00.001-07:00

It doesn't get much better than this - sunshine, views, flowers, mountains, wildlife and great companions.

During a week of unstable weather we were lucky to get dry sunny conditions for our walks. This is a fabulous time to be in the Alps, with the flowers just coming into bloom (notably the Alpenrose), the trees in full greenery and the high mountains perfectly coated in snow.

Our first walk was a long day taking in the Aiguillettes de Posettes summit, followed by a slightly shorter day in the Aiguilles Rouges, where we saw mlore wildlife than you sometimes do in a week - marmots, ibex, vultures (big surprise that!), golden eagles.....I guess if you've come all the way from Massachussets for your 50th birthday then you deserve something special...

and it's always nice for me to start my summer season with a fun group - thanks guys!!

So now the bar has been set high for the rest of the summer - coming up, Annecy Summits, Creaky Knees Specials and then some hard treks across the peaks and passes.

It's summer time so let's talk snowshoeing!

2011-05-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's hot and sunny and the summer trekking season starts in a few weeks. But as ever we're thinking about the next season.
Winter 2012 will see some new trips, notably the Queyras region.
Having relocated to northern Provence we're going to be offering areas further south than the Alps, as well as the classic trips in the Mont Blanc region, Aosta, and Swiss Valais.
The calendar will be posted soon on the website but meanwhile take a look at these snowshoe shots from this last winter. For a "lean snow" season, it was pretty good!!

http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/snowshoeing_2011.htm

Springtime in the Drome

2011-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Trekking in the Alps is branching out and will be offering hiking in northern Provence next spring.

What a beautiful area: rocky valleys and rounded summits, beautiful old Provençal villages and clear fast flowing rivers. Already people are bronzing on the rocks and bathing in the water.

Spring burst upon us in April and each week sees new flowers blooming.

The vines are green and leafy and the cherries almost ripe.

And the very best thing about hiking in this region? The vultures!

In certain areas you only have to look up and there will be at least a couple of beautiful huge graceful Griffin vultures circling overhead.

Then of course there's also the biking - Mont Ventoux, the "Giant of Provence" is visible everytime you climb a hill so it's hard to ignore it. But here's more to biking here than that huge climb, good though it is. Small roads anbd passes abound and along the way you're sure to find a nice village café for a cold beer and a cake.

So watch this space for the dates for next spring, and of course for the 2012 Snowshoeing schedule.

Who says there's no snow in the Alps?

2011-04-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

Admittedly I was quite worried when temperatures hit 27°C in Chamonix a week before my last Snowshoe trip! But with a little imagination, a willingness to travel and a certain amount of luck we managed to have a fantastic Easter week, largely on snowshoes with some flowery spring walking thrown in for good measure.

We had sunshine every day except one and so we enjoyed fabulous alpine views. Early starts were necessary to take advantage of hard frozen snow, and this gave wonderful alpine sunrises.

As is often the case at the end of the winter, we needed to have finished our walks by early afternoon, so hot siestas were enjoyed, sipping cold beer and watching the world go by.

We climbed 5 summits and one high pass in our 6 days, had several golden eagle and lammageier vulture sightings and were always joined by playful alpine choughs for lunch.
For me this week confirmed my view that snowshoeing is an extremely versatile way to explore the mountains in winter, regardless of the snow conditions.
Now it's time to hang up the raquettes for this year and to prepare for the summer season.

It's hot, snowy, very beautiful but just a little bit dodgy

2011-03-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

We've just had more or less 2 weeks of sun, interpersed with the very odd snowflake here and there. The snowshoeing is still excellent, we've had some fabulous days as the photos show, but there's no doubt that the end of the season is shaping up to be one where you need to choose your slopes carefully and be ready to change plans if you have the slightest doubt.

There's plenty of safe snowshoe walks but you need to know what you're looking for. 3 days in Italy a week ago we saw slopes that were ready to slide all around us. We ourselves were perfectly safe but venturing off the track was certainly not an option.

The snowpack has been shallow all season and the long very cold period early in the year led to the formation of a deep layer of depth hoar. On top of this we have numerous wind slabs, and now that it's very hot the whole lot is ready to go in some places.

However, all that said, it's wonderful to be walking in bright sun with uninterrupted views, warm enough to picnic on summits and cols without wearing 2 coats and 3 hats.

Snowshoeing remains a joy but as with all mountain activities, the deal is - if in doubt turn back. The mountain will be there another day - we must make sure we are.

Fantastic snow, great conditions and brilliant company!

2011-03-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

I sometimes think I have the Best Job Ever, and that was certainly the case these last two weeks. Obviously good weather and safe snow conditions make for great snowshoeing, but in my job there is an extra requirement - more than anything else the people I am with make or break the day for me.

I have just spent two weeks in fantastic company and I feel very lucky!! Of course that means I have lots to say and want to show lots of photos so this is a big post.

The first week saw the Alps finally have lots of fresh snow and although this meant I had to revise my decisions on where to go every day, the scenery and the descents were that much better for having had a fresh coat of the white stuff. My group of regulars certainly knew how to make the most of it, leaping and bounding down every slope they could find.

We had a memorable night in an unwardened hut when the group were treated to my cooking (well, just the custard actually, but it was a big hit). We also spent two nights at Simplon Pass - whilst the rest of the Alps were bathed in hot sun, Simplon was subjected to fog and high winds accompanied at times by blizzard conditions! But when it cleared......it was amazing. This new (to me) area is one I will certainly be returning to, there is so much to do on snowshoes and the pass itself is steeped in history.

Then last week I headed south to the Dauphiné Alps and spent 6 days in perfect weather exploring the Val Clarée, home to some of the best snowshoe walks I know. We did everything we set out to do in glorious sunshine, with generally great powder under-raquette. Again I can't think of anything to complain about - everyone kept me laughing for the whole time.

All change now - it's already snowing on the south side of the Alps.......winter hasn't said its last word just yet. For this 20th year of Trekking in the Alps it's certainly a memorable season so far. Hope it continues like this.

Fresh snow - if you're in the right place!

2011-02-20T07:56:00.000-08:00

This last week I was with a group in the Valle d'Aoste in Italy - thank goodness as this is where the powder is!
Okay, so to get good snow you have to have some bad weather, but our week started and finished in sunshine and in between we had a few days in snowy forests with some fabulous wildlife spottings.

25cms of light cold snowfall on a hard base makes for perfect snowshoeing conditions and we certainly made the most of it.

Not everyone wants to take the descents at speed and this week you could enjoy the soft snow under raquette whether bounding or strolling.

There are advantages to this relatively lean snow winter - the avalanche risk right now is minimal and in good weather we can go almost anywhere - the only downside being icy slopes in places. Hence the snowshoes are kept on at all times as the traction has proved to be essential on slippery forest trails.
As the days get longer and the sun gets higher in the sky the valleys will heat up and we'll move into spring like conditions but for the moment the shots tell it all - it's still winter and if you're lucky enough to be in the right place, it's a very good one.

Winter sunshine makes for very happy snowshoers!

2011-02-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a few years since we've had what we regard as "normal" winter conditions - weeks and weeks of sunshine as a result of high pressure sitting over the Alps. Recent winters have been far more unstable with some sunny days but always broken by snowfall.
This winter we're back to the old days - snow hasn't been seen falling for at least 6 weeks and I've just had 2 weeks non-stop snowshoeing under clear blue skies.

So everybody's happy, even though the lean snow condiitons mean sometimes our snowshoes serve more as crampons than real "raquettes". Who cares, so long as we do fab walks, with great views and the odd slopes of deep snow which has remained protected from the sun and the skiers.

It's probably worse for the skiers who do set rather higher standards for their snow, but we snowshoers are easily pleased so long as there is minimum snow cover and the Alps and summits are quiet and beautiful, as they have been.

No sign of a change yet so let's hope it holds for the next week, over in the Aosta Valley where they have had more snow than France or Switzerland anyway.
Of course, we're going to pay for all this eventually......but for the moment it's just fantastic!

Sunshine and snow to start the New Year

2011-01-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my snowshoes have seen the light of day - not much call for them in Provence! But I was back out in the white stuff this week, over in the Val Clarée near Briançon in very cold but clear conditions.

What a fabulous place this is for snowshoeing - every time I go there I am overwhelmed by the beauty of this region. This time it was so quiet - the New Year holidays are over and there were very few people around so I had the whole mountain and slopes to myself!

A brisk romp up to the Col de Buffère finally warmed me up enough to take some photos - if only I could operate my camera in mittens! As I got back down to Névache the sun had just hit the village - wouldn't much want to live there in the winter but once the sun comes out the place comes to life - and of course the sundials come into their own too.

This is definitely one of my very favourite venues for snowshoeing and I intend to be over there a lot more in future. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to taking a group there in March - it's going to be good.

Until then, lots of other great weeks coming up, based in Vallorcine, my village, and also in Italy's Aosta valley home of great peaks, fantastic wine and food to die for.

And get this - all weeks are full except Easter!!

It's winter!!

2010-11-28T01:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a few weeks since I posted and in that time we've had several snowy interludes, but now winter has really arrived. The mountains have a good covering above 2000m as the frequent falls of snow have settled there and provided a good base.

The whole of northern Europe seems to be white this weekend and whilst that poses problems in some places, here it provides the perfect early start to winter.

So it's looking good for the snowshoeing. I'll be starting my snowshoeing a little later this winter but there's planty going on from the calssic Mont blanc region weeks to the always popular Italian Aosta Valley extravaganza to the beauty of the Val Vlarée near Briançon and finally the season will end with my annual Easter blast.

Meanwhile those snowshoes are trembling with anticipation!

Last summer trek, in Provence

2010-10-02T03:16:00.001-07:00

After weeks of great trekking in the Alps it was nevertheless nice to have a change of scene, with the final trek of the season in Provence - notably the Verdon Gorge area. It had been 4 years since I had hiked down there so it was good to renew my acquaintance with both the walks and the hotel owners that I have known for years.

The weather was perfect, even the day it was supposed to rain. We enjoyed several summits, not seeing a soul all day, then we had a rather more social day hiking through the gorge itself.
The vultures are amazing there - the Griffin Vulture has been reintroduced and is clearly thriving. Evening is the best time to see them and I was trated to a wonderful display at the end of one day.

A finaly day was spent hiking up and around the Baou de St Jeannet - classic coastal views from this impresive limestone summit.

So now it's time to prepare for the winter. I have several snowshoeing trips which have places available - notably in the Mont Blanc Region, the Aosta Valley and the Dauphiné Alps. Time to brush the cobwebs off those raquettes....

What a difference a day makes......

2010-09-05T07:39:00.001-07:00

Last weekend should have a once in a lifetime experience for many trail runners, who had spent months training for and dreaming about the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail. Sadly, atrocious weather led the organisers to call off the event after just a few hours. A shorter race was put on next day, but many runners were not aware of this and had already gone home. Whilst the decision to cancel was totally understandable, this must have come as a devastating blow to those who had stood on the startline, listened to the race music, and set off on this fabulous adventure, only to have their dreams dashed soon after. As someone who has had the great good fortune to finish this race twice, I understand and sympathise with their extreme disappointment.

My Tour du Mont Blanc trek started on the Sunday in reasonable weather, but Monday was rainy, cold, foggy and fairly unpleasant. We plodded our way around in deep mud and a smattering of snow. Luckily there were a couple of very welcome cafés en route.

However, from Tuesday onwards we enjoyed superb conditions - clear skies, non-stop sunshine, crystal clear views...really as good as it gets. If only the Ultra Trail would have been this weekend, instead of last.

Of course, people don't always realise how lucky they are......but anyone who wasn't blown away by the beauty of the mountains this week is certainly missing something. And we had 5 days to stand and stare as the TMB route rarely takes you away from these vistas. Occasionally I think people miss the point and concentrate on the insignificant messy details of routine life - a cold shower, a tired afternoon, not quite the meal you were hoping for - but really in these conditions all you had to do was lift up your eyes and marvel at those mountains. I'm sure those thwarted UTMB runners would have sold their souls for such conditions!

Here ends my lesson for this week!!

A superb weekend!

2010-08-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

It was rainy and cold pretty much all last weekend until Friday night when it started to clear up. I had a couple of clients and friends coming out for the weekend to test out two of my "Creaky Knee Special" walks and they always bring the good weather. And true to form they did so this time - Saturday and Sunday were hot and sunny, not a cloud in the sky, perfect hiking days.

We did the longest day first, with a full 8+ hours of hiking in total, up the Trè-les-eaux valley to emerge after several hours above the Vieux Emosson lake. We visited the dinosaur tracks, which are wonderful, but expected to disappear in another 50 years or so with erosion, then headed up again into the Veudale Valley for a descent that was a bit longer than that defined by the Creaky Knees Specials. I shall adjust that itinerary for next year!

The second day we took the Brévent lifts which got us up to 2500m somewhat faster than the first day and then we had time to fully enjoy the Aiguillettes du Brévent and des Houches before returning to the lift. This day was much easier on the knees, despite starting with a descent - it was quite gentle and I think most Creaky Knees candidates will allow a short descent like that to give such amazing views.

Monday saw the rain return as Jane and Charles went home!
Next up, the classic Tour of Mont Blanc. Forecast pretty good, once the rain stops.

Summits, remote scenery and wildlife - Great New Trek!

2010-08-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Just back from the Tour of the Grand Muveran, a new trek for me which proved to be just as exciting and remote as I had hoped. We enjoyed good weather for the first four days and on the fifth day the rain just made it easier for us to leave this spectacular area. A very convivial group obviously really added to the enjoyment too.

We all summitted the Dent de Morcles, despite brooding weather conditions, which was a highlight, as were ibex on several sections of the trail.

The accommodation was "traditional" - none of these luxury huts with showers and nice rooms on this trek - but it was worth a bit of "basic" to be in such stunning places and we appreciated our creature comforts all the more afterwards!

So all in all definitely a trek to repeat in the future for those who want a challenge and some memorable hiking.

August is shaping up to be a mixed month for weather, with snow frequently falling below 2500m, but this is good for the high mountains and I am counting on an Indian Summer in the Alps!

Next up, a weekend to try out my Creaky Knees Specials walks planned for next summer - watch this space!!

Normal summer alpine weather!

2010-08-05T01:33:00.000-07:00

Photo Steve Berry

So after all that sunshine mid June to mid July we knew we'd pay! The weather has been mixed since then, but with plenty of really nice days. The rain has been good for the gardens as it was somewhat odd to have brown desert like grass. We're lucky here, as further south there is a serious drought forming and the cattle are already eating their winter supplies. The rain has fallen as snow above 3000m which has improved the state of snow and ice routes which had turned to grey ice earlier in the season.

So although I prefer not to have to hike in the rain, it's all for the best really.

We had a great Chamonix Zermatt trek and saw everything we were meant to, except the grand Combin which did not grace us with its presence this time around. But the Matterhorn from the Col Riedmatten more than made up.

Next on the agenda is the Tour des Muverans, a new one for Trekking in the Alps, which should provide quite an adventure.

Summertime and Big News for 2011!

2010-07-05T00:37:00.001-07:00

Summer is definitely here at last. We've had two weeks of hot sun and it's set to continue. This is making for excellent trekking conditions.

There is still a lot of snow on the cols above 2300m, especially on the shady sides, but it's melting fast.

I just spent a week hiking the Italian part of the TMB and then moving onto lesser known trails in Switzerland. I was fortunate to be accompanied by some of the nicest people ever - what a great way to start the season - Thanks Michael, Denise, Eric and Gabrielle.

Although the winter seems a long way away right now (thank goodness!) it's time for me to start thinking about the Snowshoeing Season. Flights for the winter are cheap right now so this is also a good time to book. My Snowshoe Calendar for 2011 can be found on this link:

http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/Snowshoe_Calendar_2011.pdf

And last but certainly not least, 2011 will be a very special year as we'll be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Trekking in the Alps. How exciting is that? I intend that every trek / trip will be extra special fun and I'll be inaugurating a new idea:

Creaky Knees Specials. Do you want to be in the mountains but find the downhills an ordeal? Do stiff knees at the end of the day ruin your mountain hikes? Look no further there is a life after cartilage! Creaky Knees Specials: 4 and 6 day trips featuring challenging mountain hikes but with minimal downhill. After 20 years guiding here I can plan walks that take us high into the hills, with great views and spectacular terrain, and we'll use lifts / transfers to descend. There will inevitably be some downhill, but as little as possible - and you're allowed to limp a little! If you're fit but have knees / hips / ankles that are wearing out - these are the trips for you. Full programme will be available in Sept 2010 but do email me for more details, or indeed to tell me what you think of this idea.

Summer trekking: 50 Reasons to come!

2010-05-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well it's finally hot and sunny here, as I believe it is in much of Europe this weekend. Elsewhere I don't know, but I hope you're all enjoying a wonderful spring.
The daily news is hardly inspiring though, is it? It seems to be there are many reasons why you might decide to stay home this summer and not come trekking in the Alps with me. Let's take a look:
The Economy: what a mess! Each day seems to bring more bad news, with the odd glimmer of hope when one world leader or another suggests a short-term solution to what are clearly long-term problems. But will this change in the next few years???
The Ash Cloud: quite where we are with this I don't know, they say that the planes can fly and that hopefully better legislation will be introduced so the flights are only cancelled if really necessary. And actually there are other very straight-forward ways of getting the Alps, at least from other European countries, notably the train, which is very efficient and not expensive if reserved in advance. Driving is also a good option, not difficult and actully pleasant if you make a journey out of it.
The Exchange Rate: Well after the last few months I'd like to say this can only get better - the Euro has certainly weakened these last weeks and the Dollar has gained strength. Sterling seems to be sitting on the fence with that one. Could get worse, could get better, but in the end it's just a holiday and the extra cost doesn't amount to that much, honest!!
Fitness - you're not fit enough for these hilly Alps! Nonsense, this is the perfect time to start an Alps trekking Fitness Programme.
It might be a sunny summer wherever you live - well there's a chance of course!!
I have 3 treks that still have places available:
Chamonix Zermatt Walker's Haute Route meet 21 July trek 9 days - amazing alpine journey with big mountain scenery.
Tour of the Grand Muveran meet 7 August trek 6 days - big adventure trek.
Tour of Mont Blanc meet 28 August trek 7 days. The classic Alps trek.
Take 5 minutes to click this link, sit back and dream: here are 50 reasons to come trekking with me this summer http://picasaweb.google.fr/Hilaryalp/SummerTrekking50ReasonsToCome?feat=directlink

Springtime?

2010-05-13T02:20:00.001-07:00

So it's springtime - flowers, sunshine, grassy meadows, frollicking lambs and all that.....

Well not exactly! The mountains are plastered in snow and rain has certainly won over sun these last days.

That didn't stop us having a great time last week exploring the hills around the glorious Annecy Lake. This is the first time I have offered a trip there and although the weather did not play game it is clearly a great place to hike. Limestone summits abound and the views would be superb out over the lake and also towards the surrounding massifs.

We did enjoy some beautiful spring flowers and the beech forests were delightful, all the leaves being pale green at this time. Birds were plentiful and we even spotted an ibex.

Back here in the Land of Snow it really is snowy - not in the valleys thank goodness, although snow is forecast at 1300m in the next days, but the mountains sadly look like this:

Hoping that the ash cloud will clear off and the sun will shine for the next 6 months!

Change of Season, new activities!

2010-04-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

So, winter is finally giving way to spring, it's official, the crocuses are pushing up, the garden is at least brown if not green and we're wearing shorts!

It's been a fantastic winter season in many ways, although the last weeks were particularly dangerous and there were almost daily avalanche ski fatalities which put a damper on things.

We enjoyed a great week exploring the Val d'Anniviers region - a wonderful area for snowshoeing that I will certainly be going back to.

Unfortunately the unsettled weather prevented us getting to grips with the Val d'Hérens but that will be for next year.

As usual the Easter week was beautiful - fresh snow fell the first weekend giving the summits and slopes a fresh coat of white. Conditions were excellent and we had some great walks, always with Mont Blanc as a backdrop, seen from all angles - Switzerland, the French Aravis and the Italian Val Ferret.

My favourite dog, Skip, joined us for our final day when we went up above the Italian Val Ferret for what has to be the best views ever!!

So now it's time to relax, regroup and enjoy some spring downtime.

But summer is just around the corner and there are some great treks to sign up for - notably the Chamonix Zermatt Walker's Route, the new Tour of the Grand Muveran, and the classic Tour of Mont Blanc.

Fun in the sun!

2010-03-27T08:35:00.001-07:00

We've had sun - a lot of it! By last week the temperatures had risen so much that the snow in the valleys was melting fast, giving way to grassy slopes and primroses!

The snow higher up was good on the pistes, but off piste was generally a risky affair on snowshoes, usually involving much falling into holes, some rather bigger than others. On the other hand, for the skiers it was even worse, being almost impossible to ski.

But walking in T shirts, picnicking in hot sun, enjoying fabulous views.....not really something to complain about!!

Of course just as we thought spring had come it's now all changed - blizzards, snowy roads, deep snow warnings......back to the thermals - and hopefully some more mega snowshoeing days!!

What a difference a week makes!

2010-03-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I was complaining the snow was too deep! Not this week - the snow in this area of the French Alps is fairly hard and compact. Now this makes it really easy to go uphill, but coming down is not so good - you don't sink but you surely do slide around. It requires a fast leg turnover to keep yourself on a good descent trajectory and to not end up legs akimbo.

One of my group said to me, you really need different snowshoes for different conditions. And he's right. In the deep stuff you want enormous shoes, especially to make the trail uphill. But in this harder snow it's very difficult to descend on big shoes, especially if they are long at the back, because you need to be able to dig the heel of the shoe into the snow to descend without sliding. Personally today I took out shoes which are made for children and they were perfect!

The forest tracks are packed down hard and icy and it's tempting to think you don't need snowshoes at all. But at your peril! Our snowshoes have great traction, being liberally supplied with crampons and other spiky bits, and these are proving to be awfully useful for descending these footpaths. We took our shoes off today a tad too early but five minutes later, seeing my group sprawled ignominously across the track I quickly issued a "put the shoes back on" advisory before injuries occured.

Pretty damn useful these raquettes!

But the upside of these conditions is that the views are to die for, it's warm enough to linger on the summits at lunchtime and the avalanche risk is diminishing by the day!

Staying safe.

2010-03-08T03:14:00.001-08:00

It's been a week of very varying conditions. Over in the Aosta Valley in Italy, where I was with my group, there was extremely heavy snowfall last weekend and consequently lots of deep snow and a high risk of avalanche. Making the track on snowshoes proved to be quite a challenge some days - where are all the other people when you need them? Most days we didn't get to say "Buongiorno" to anyone!

However, despite not always getting to our objective, this gave us some great days in wonderful snowy alpine scenery, untouched by anything other than animals tracks.

It was generally agreed that the mountains are to be savoured not conquered and what we lost in "summit experience" we gained in snow fun and wildlife sightings.

On one outing we saw chamois, ibex and foxes, all close enough for us to sit and watch, but undisturbed by our presence. What a privilege!

Sadly, it was also a week that saw several avalanche deaths in the Alps. It's proving to be quite a bad year as the snowpack has been so variable - the temperature has fluctuated enormounsly these last few days, from rain last weekend to freezing cold and windy conditions by Friday. Today, whilst it is beautiful and sunny here, the south of France is under snow.

The beauty of the mountains gives us all energy and strength, but we need to remember that summits are not a given, turning back is sometimes the hardest decision to make, but it's important to realise that just being outside in these conditions is fantastic - and we certainly had a lot of fun just getting as far as we could!

Great rolling conditions

2010-02-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Surely by now any informed hiker knows about snowshoeing and how it really is The Very Best Way to Enjoy the Alps in Winter? Those crisp cold mornings spent hiking up through the silent snow-muffled forest, then emerging in sunshine to 360° views from the Alps. Usually we continue on up to reach a summit or two before bounding down the fresh powder slopes back to a well-earned beer or hot chocolate in the nearest bar.

All that's been well-documented. But there's far more to enjoying snowshoeing than that!

We're in the midst of the Winter Olympics and so acrobatics have been the order of the day

and the Snowshoe Roll is something everyone should try - at least just once.

indeed, probably several times.

Conditions are superb, it's warmed up a bit, we have fresh powder most days, what could be better! Let's hope it lasts. And if in the distant future Snowshoeing becomes an Olympic Sport - Trekking in the Alps will be putting forward a team.

Great conditions for snowshoeing!

2010-01-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well I've had a great week with a great group! The snow conditions have been really good for snowshoeing, and probably for skiing too although you had to be lucky to avoid the wind blown areas. Some days were pretty foggy but this doesn't really bother us on snowshoes as we can go in the forest and still have a good hike.

When people come to the Alps for their first time on snowshoes it's a huge voyage of discovery, from the techniques of actually walking in the snow, to learning about avalanche risk and safe travel, to the glorious reality that as well as a way to get into the mountains in winter, snowshoeing is just FUN!!

As my group this week became more confident in the snow and with each other the fun levels rose each day, encouraged by a couple of confirmed snowshoers who already knew the deal.

By the end of Thursday there were requests for lots of downhill for the last day which would not have been the case a few days earlier.

And the last day obliged with slopes of fabulous untracked powder, just waiting for us and our raquettes.

One person told me "Hilary, I haven't had as much fun as I've had this week for a very long time".

How good is that???

A magical winter wonderland - at last!

2010-01-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a week of very odd weather here. We've gone from freezing cold with high winds, to heavy snow last Monday creating havoc on the roads in the space of a couple of hours to pouring rain as high as 2000m the next day! The main road in Vallorcine became a river and avalanches roared down the valley slopes, closing the road to Vallorcine for several days this week.
But we could still snowshoe, albeit a bit damply. Once again we found that snowshoeing was one activity that could be done regardless of the weather and whilst it was a bit depressing to set off in the rain, this soon because snow at altitude and the snow under-raquette remained surprisingly good. Some views would have been nice....but the snowy forest was pretty.

Nevertheless the numer of times I have snowshoed in the rain during the last 19 years here could be counted on one hand - and two of those times was this week!

Then yesterday it all came good - big snowflakes were falling all day and soon we had a good half metre of fresh. Everything was white and beautiful, a magical winter wonderland. What a great way to start 2010!

This is it - winter is finally here

2009-12-08T06:00:00.001-08:00

After several false starts it seems like winter really is here this time. Even though yesterday it rained as high up as 2000m, this turned to snow overnight and today everything is white again. There must be a huge amount at higher elevations and this morning we were awakened by the booms of the avalanche detonators at the nearby ski stations - this is a sure sign that the season has commenced.

So it's time to get out the snowshoes and the skis.

The animals have come down from the higher slopes and there are animal tracks each morning in the garden. This week we've been treated to the sight of two huge stags (red deer) who have discovered an abundance of apples lying in the snow under a wild apple tree nearby - their very own "all you can eat buffet"!

My snowshoeing starts just before Christmas with various private bookings, and the open weeks and 4 day trips begin 23 January. Most trips still have places available, although the Aosta week is now full. And my free days for private guiding are filling up fast.

Go to http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/ for more info. The dates and prices are on the calendar page as a downloadable PDF.

It's time to start making tracks!

Is this it? Has winter really arrived now?

2009-11-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well after a cold snap in October we had a fantastic week of hot (yes hot!) sunny weather. It was really like summer again - what a treat. We were climbing high up on the Perrons cliffs and were down to T shirts. Luckily we made the most of it - because this week all that changed and the lovely green world we knew has changed to white.

Okay so there are some good points - sunset views of the mountains, always super at this time of year, and even better when the mountains are plastered as now; and of course those glaciers need filling in before the winter season really gets going.

But it's always a shock when the first proper snow comes - time to put the snow tyres on the car, sharpen the skis and brush off the snowshoes, stock up with red wine for those long winter days when Vallorcine is cut off from the rest of the world (allegedly).....

Anyway we are now more or less in winter mode and we know there will be less of this:

and a lot more of this:

And this:

But hopefully not too much of this:

Hope to see you in the snow - come do a trip: www.trekkinginthealps.com

Back from holidays and autumn is here

2009-10-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

Well, after a great month away in the USA, it's nevertheless good to get back to the Alps. There is a solid layer of snow above 2500m as we found out to our cost last week on a ridge climb. Fabulous views though. The trees are golden and the days getting shorter.

Amazingly, high up at 2600m there was a trumpet gentian, embedded in frozen snow, giving us a last taste of summer before the winter sets in. So now we can enjoy these last relatively snow-free weeks before winter really arrives in earnest. But it's definitely time to plan for the winter - looking at flights there are still lots of good deals for the winter months, but prices will increase nearer the time.

I have lots of snowshoe trips planned and still also have some free days for private hire, but some weeks are already booked up. Take a look on my website for further details www.trekkinginthealps.com or drop me an email on info@trekkinginthealps.com

The end of the summer....?

2009-09-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a great summer season here - warm all the time, even in July when there were a fair number of evening storms. We have hardly walked in the rain at all and August has seen wall to wall blue skies almost every day. How good is that? For hiking on non-glaciated terrain the conditions have been perfect; the same is true for cragging - everything has been really dry and the warm temps made climbing at altitude really pleasant.

Sadly there is a downside - the high mountains are suffering - heavy rockfall on many faces, grey, icy and melting glaciers, and lots of open crevasses.

Care must be taken when choosing high summits and climbs - anything remotely prone to rockfall should be avoided and beware hard grey ice on many slopes.

My treks have been great fun, especially the ones far from the crowds. Last week I did something I called Not the Tour of Mont Blanc with a brilliant team and we enjoyed near solitude on many days, even though we were really very near the famous TMB trek.

On this subject, last weekend saw the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail around the whole Mont Blanc massif. Having promised family and friends that I would not do this again, having succeeded on it twice, I was satisfied to watch from a distance and to enjoy the fantastic ambience that this race now generates in Chamonix. For the 3rd year running conditions for the race were perfect.

Now the season is drawing to a close and we'll all be glad to take a break for a while.

I have provisional programmes for my snowshoeing and summer treks and holidays and these can be found on my website http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/

Ill be back with alpine news in a month or so!

A very busy month!

2009-08-08T03:12:00.001-07:00

It's been a month of non-stop trekking, so lots to report. After a great Tour of Mont Blanc at the end of June and my first Mont Blanc Summits week early July, reported in my last post, we have since had the Tour of the Matterhorn and Tour of Monte Rosa treks, both of which took us into remote areas of the Italian Alps where we found unusually snowy slopes for this time of year. Late snow in this region has not melted on many shady slopes.

This actually made some ascents easier, as normally tortuous scree slopes were covered with a smooth layer of snow. Other slopes, however, required caution and I was glad to have my usual small groups of people - this means I can easily look after everyone and ensure security. Bigger groups that we met were having problems and some even had to abandon the treks.

Whilst weather conditions were far from stable during these two weeks, and I frequently put my waterproof sac cover over my backpack as a dry weather insurance method, we did not once walk in rain. The Tour of Monte Rosa group were lucky to have good condtions for their ascent of the Breithorn summit above Zermatt.

These treks were followed by a wonderful trek from Zinal to Zermatt with a family group of parents, two young girls, a sheep and a cat (not all actually living creatures you understand!). All performed brilliantly and "kicked ass" on several occasions!

We finished with a hike up to the base of the Matterhorn for some and an ascent of the Allalinhorn for others.

The flowers have been fantastic this summer, and we've also had some great wildlife spotting, althought the marmots seem to be a bit scarce - maybe the long winter proved too hard in some places.

Finally this last week saw my second Mont Blanc Summits week for this summer. These weeks feature 3 two day expeditions, one in France, one Switzerland and one in Italy. After a cloudy first two days, we had perfect condtions and did 3 non-glaciated trekking summits in the last 3 days, all with full 360° views of the neighbouring glaciated summits - Monte Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte rosa, the Gran Paradiso.... These weeks are really fun beacuse we are not on a specific trek and so we tend to go to places where there are no other people. We did meet a large number of Italians on Monte Zerbion as it has a huge Madonna on top, but they had all come up by an easier route so most of our day we were alone. We also enjoy very varied accommodation - refuge nights are interpersed with nights in luxurious accommodation - notably a vineyard in Italy.

So now some days off will allow me to plan the programme for 2010 - firstly the winter snowshoeing and then the summer treks.

The link for the 2010 snowshoeing programme will be on my blog in just a few days.

Mixed weather but great hiking

2009-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last week saw me hiking with a very mixed nationality group of women - Swiss, American, Belgian and Australian. We did the Tour of Mont Blanc, heading off backwards (clockwise) so as to avoid being on the same trail as the Chamonix Marathon which was taking place that day.

Really hot conditions lasted the whole week and whilst storms threatened every day we were lucky until the afternoon of the very last day and that only after we'd successfully descended the dreaded ladders at Les Cheserys - with some acrobatics along the way!

This week the weather has been very variable and we've had some wet and cold conditions. A week of local walking, taking in lots of non-glaciated summits, has taken us from the Mont Blanc region, to the Aravis, the Emosson dam and today over to the Italian Val Ferret where clear and cold condiitons this morning gave us perfect views of the whole of the Mont Blanc massif - and a great ascent of the Tête entre Deux Sauts.

The Tour of the Matterhorn followed by the Tour of Monte Rosa are next on the programme - hoping for lots of sunshine.

Wonderful warm hiking in Mallorca!

2009-06-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well they told us it would be too hot to hike in Mallorca in June - in fact I did wonder myself, but mid-June was the only date the group could all manage. And it turned out so much better than expected.

Not that it wasn't hot - we're talking low 30°s most of the time - but up in the hills it was really pleasant. How great to be able to have a week's walking and not to have to even think about the weather, never to need to put on long sleeves, let alone rain gear, or to search out a picnic spot out of the wind!

Of course, there was a bit of sweating going on, but that's generally a good thing and most normal people sweat hiking uphill anyway.

A further unexpected advantage of going to Mallorca at this time of year is that the majority of holiday-makers are not walkers and so we rarely met a soul on the trail. Just great. We were treated to lovely views and the daily mid-day fly-over of a huge group of about 20 black vultures when we were in the main mountains of the Sierra Tramuntana.

So now back to the Alps where it feels a touch chilly but allegedly things are going to warm up during the week. I hope so - my TMB trek starts next Sunday.

Dream Team in Mallorca!

2009-05-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last week's hiking holiday in Mallorca could not have gone better, partly due to the wonderful walks, scenery and weather, but far more due to the group -"Grupo Sharp" as we were endearingly referred to in the hotels!

I felt like the 19 years of Trekking in the Alps was summed up in this group of people who had all already trekked with me over the years, but some of whom I had not seen for a long time. We were a great mix of nationalities too - British, Italian and American - and I am certain new friendships were forged.

Everyone got on well, and we were most fortunate to have 2 singers with us who regaled us with great trail songs whilst we were hiking.

Thanks folks for being such fun.

Now it's time to look forward to the summer treks. I have places free on the Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of Monte Rosa, and two Mont Blanc Summits weeks, which will be great fun weeks doing non-glaciated peaks in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps.

And then we'll start to think about next winter - but for the moment let's enjoy the spring flowers!

The end of the winter - next step, Mallorca

2009-04-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

Over the last week the snow has melted astonishingly fast - but only in the valleys. The is a still a huge amount of snow above 1500m and the skiing and snowshoeing will be good for weeks yet. In fact just yesterday we had heavy snow during the afternoon and the forests are snow-covered again today.

The last few days saw us out on snowshoes in Italy at the Rifugio Bonatti where Skip the lab joined us for a hike opposite the Grandes Jorasses.

But it's time to change the snowshoes and skis for walking shoes and climbing boots. The crags in the valley are generally dry and the climbing season is getting going. The trails are emerging from the snow - but be warned, there will be névé on trails above 2000m well into the early summer I think.

So to get good hiking we need to head south - Mallorca in this case - for a week of summit-bagging amongst the splendid limestone scenery of the Sierra Tramuntana. If it's anything like last year we are in for a blast!

Spring has come at last!

2009-04-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

Finally the spring has really arrived - after 6 months of deep, dark winter - well actually not all deep and dark but very, very snowy.

In the space of a week we have gone from this:

To this:

There is still loads of snow around but we've reached that wonderful time of the year when you can do a ski tour or snowshoe hike in the morning then hang out on the balcony in shorts in the afternoon - or even get a few hours at the crag if you have the energy.

Long may it last - it's amazing seeing flowers and bright green grass after 6 months of whiteness. Not that this winter hasn't been good - it's been incredible and will remain on record as exceptional for the snow cover, throughout the Alps and beyond.

There has been considerable fresh snowfall this last week in many areas and this added to the high temps mean that the avalanche risk is quite important, especially later in the day.

We'll be snowshoeing and skiing well into the May this year but for now most of us are just enjoying rediscovering ground and the joys that that offers!

Start of spring brings return of winter!

2009-03-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's been hot and sunny for almost two weeks and we were getting very used to it. The snow has gone in the main valleys and the flowers are pushing up, and the new leaves beginning to appear.

But winter is not over yet it seems. High winds the last few days were definitely signs that change is a-coming and tonight it's started to rain - luckily it's forecast to get colder and snow - rain is not great for snowshoeing and skiing!

Even though it hasn't snowed for the last 12 days there is still fresh and untracked powder to be found.

Conditions have been excellent and there seem to be fewer people around - certainly we have found ourselves alone for much of the time on our snowshoe hikes. So now we're supposed to have another top-up of fresh - but the meteo people don't seem sure how much, so we'll see. Heavy snowfall on top of the hard snow on some slopes would provide potentially very dangerous avalanche conditions.....

But hopefully the sun will soon come out again and we can get back to tracking that powder and enjoying those blue sky days.

Snow sun, snow sun....and so it goes on!

2009-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting week in the Alps. Heavy snow-fall early last week took many of us by surprise but gave some amazing, if very cold, conditions.

Once the snow stopped though it warmed up very fast - that's the difference between March and January. Now the days are long, the sun is high in the sky and settled weather usually means those wonderful sunbathing lunches at the top of the mountain after an early morning ascent.

Of course, winter is far from over and the last few years have seen lots of fresh snow in April - we'll see this year, it feels like we've already had more than our share of the white stuff.

The high winds and sudden change in temperature mid-week left a snow-pack that was far from stable as several serious avalanches proved. It is worrying to watch the super-quick tracking by skiers and snowboarders of the slopes opposite our house, which are renowned for being prone to avalanches. Wednesday afternoon saw several wind slab slides caused by skiers and the rescue helicopter was out until dusk searching for victims.
So about 4 weeks left until Easter. I will be out snowshoeing with groups, for much of the time.

****************************************************

Then summer is coming. So here's a list of treks and holidays that I will be guiding, which still have places left on them.
Mont Blanc Summits 4 July
Tour of the matterhorn 12 July
Mont Blanc Summits 1 August
Aosta Valley Italy Summits 8 August
Tour of the Grand Muveran 8 August
Austria Otztal Alps 15 August
Tour of the Matterhorn 29 August
Email me for more details!

Snowshoeing for everyone!

2009-02-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a month of mixed weather so far - very cold, lots of snowfall and pretty windy. But in between times we've also had some great sunny days and even during the bad weather we have been able to find good conditions by switching between countries - being based on the alpine frontier we have the choice of slipping into Switzerland or across into Italy if the weather is dodgy here in France.

The fresh snow allowed us to perfect the Snowshoe Roll and other similarly upside down techniques, most of which seemed to involve digging.

We've had some great walks far from the crowded ski pistes. This last week there were holidaymakers from Britain, Swizerland, and two thirds of France, but the lift-free mountains were also crowd-free - most days we don't even get to say one "Bonjour".

There is amazing snow-cover throughout the Alps region - unusually so, since most years it seems if one side of the Alps has lots of snow, conditions are leaner on the other. But not this year. And more is forecast, as soon as Sunday.

Over in Italy I have been accompanied several times up my favourite peak by a local village dog who not only loyally stays with us despite the temptation of faster skiing groups, but also entertains us with his antics in the snow - we could not ask for a more energetic and joyful companion.

And so the winter continues. These last few sunny days could lead us to believe that spring is coming but don't be fooled - it's only mid February - there another two months of snowfall yet. But the days are getting longer, the sun stays out later and there are SO MANY SLOPES TO RUN DOWN!!!

An amazing week!

2009-02-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

A week ago the forecast was "iffy", the weather turned cloudy Sunday evening and the next few days, whilst not looking bad, did not look really great.

How wrong that forecast was! It went from good to better to amazing! The snow was generally great for snowshoeing (although pretty blown for skiing above tree-line) and the weather cleared to perfect by Tuesday - the clarity of the views was exceptional.

This was a week where we were able to do everything we set off to do and by the end of the week we'd run out of superlatives to describe the conditions. We did classic snowshoe summits in France Switzerland and Italy and also had a wonderful two days at the Grand St Bernard Hospice where there were only 6 other people staying. It must be said that the snow there was blown to bits and I was grateful not to be skiing. This meant that there were very few skiers around, but snowshoes will plough through anything and plough they did.

The weather has now changed and tonight they are forecasting 70cms of snow over in Courmayeur and 40cms in Turin! We are just hoping all this will stabilise for next week in the Aosta Valley. Meanwhile for this week we have a mixed forecast but already today was okay in the woods with fresh snow. And over here on the north side of the massif we are somewhat protected by the Föhn so let's hope for a week half as good as last week, which would be just fine.

Fresh snowfall after weeks of sunshine!

2009-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

It's been an amazing few weeks - day after day of sunshine - very cold around Christmas and New Year but the days are getting slightly longer and it has definitely been warmer lately.

We still have plenty of snow for snowshoeing and off piste skiing and conditions have generally been very stable.

But a top-up won't do any harm and that's what's happening today - light snow at the moment, but forecast for more or less the whole week with hopefully some sunny interludes from time to time.

So the up-coming Trekking in the Alps Snowshoeing trips should be good. There are still a few places left for trips in early February and March - notably a 4 day trip meeting 17 March and a 6 day trip 28 March.

The skiing has been really good too. I imagine the pistes are getting a touch icy but off-piste there are still places to go with lots of untracked slopes. And now is also the start of the heli-ski season.

The ski de fond pistes in the valleys are generally excellent, due to the cold January temps and the hefty snowfalls of December.

So we'll let this latest snowfall settle then get out there and lay down some tracks!

Fantastic conditions!

2008-12-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

Day after day of fresh snowfall has given us the best December conditions in many years. There is snow right down in the low valleys at 400m and so you can imagine how good the conditioons are here up at 1300m.

Not without risk though - we have an avalanche risk of 3 or 4 on a scale of 5 and the latest layer of fresh snow has fallen on either wind-blown snow or wet heavy snow from a warm wind which blew last Sunday. But the forecast is good for the fore-seeable future it seems, so the snowpack will stabilise quickly.

Then it's just a question of getting those tracks in before all the holiday-makers who will arrive towards the end of next week.

Christmas Special Discount for my Snowshoeing trips!

2008-11-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

The snow conditions are fabulous, what a great start to the winter! There are ski and snowshoe tracks appearing on the hillsides as I write this!

However, I know this is a difficult for time financially for most people and it seems like these hard times will continue for some months or more.

It's great to know that if you come out for a winter break the snow will be there and looking at Easyjet today I see that flights for this winter are still a good price, outside of the half term holidays anyway.

But to make things very slightly easier for people to come snowshoeing, I am offering a Christmas Special Discount on advertsied prices for my 4 and 6 day trips.

For any bookings between now and January 1st there will be a price reduction of £10 on 4 day trips and £20 on 6 day trips. For those people who have already booked, as soon as I get an extra booking that reduction applies to all bookings.

How good is that?

The list of holidays with available places is below. Just email me with the discount code CSD before 1st of January to make a booking and get this price reduction. Places are limited!!!

Private guiding is also possible but I am running out of free days fast.

SNOWSHOE TRIPS 2009

4 days: Meet 27 January; 17 March

6 days: Meet 31 January; 7 February; 28 March.

For more info go to www.trekkinginthealps.com

Right, time for me to get my snowshoes out and go and make some tracks!

Snow, snow and more snow!

2008-11-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

Already by the end of September this year we had had our first fall of snow in the garden. Since then we enjoyed a beautiful warm October, but those early signs were correct and winter has arrived in full force, before November is through. This is what happened last year and we went on to have one of the best winters ever. Winter 08/9 looks set to be the same

After some very wind-blown snowfall at the weekend, last night saw half a metre of windless powder. We could hardly find our cars to dig them out this morning. And now it's snowing again.

Once this snowfall stabilises there will be some fabulous conditions for snowshoeing and skiing. The good thing is that there is already a firm base, which is what is sometimes lacking at this time of year.

I have lots of snowshoeing weeks and 4 day trips lined up, some of which still have places free. Now is the time to book whilst the flights are still reasonable.

Meanwhile if heli-skiing is your thing then it's good to know the heliski organisers' prices are more or less held from last year. Every year there are rumours that this wonderful activity will be banned, and once again the whispers are circulating. Best get those dream descents in before the kill-joys get their way!

Even in these difficult times, when the euro is too strong, and none of us know quite what the future holds, at least if you want a winter holiday you can be sure of good conditions.

Winter is coming so let's think about the summer!

2008-10-27T04:25:00.000-07:00

October has been fantastic in the Alps - much better than September which was cold. But apparently it's all about to come to an end, with snow forecast at 600m or even lower. Everyone is out in their gardens digging up the last of the veggies and restocking the wood piles ready for the cold evenings. Putting the hour back only adds to the impression that winter will soon be here.

Obviously this is good for snowshoeing and there are lots of places left for this winter's trips.

But it's also not too early to think about the summer. The programme for Trekking in the Alps summer trips is available on http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/Summer_Calendar_2009.pdf so why not take a lot and start thinking about those long balmy days in the mountains.

Meanwhile, I had better get out and prepare for the white stuff. There is already a good covering in the high mountains and now it looks like the middle mountains will get their first fall. At this time of year any snowfall above 2500m is unlikely to melt even if warm weather returns. So a good start to the winter seems likely. Prepare the snowshoes and skis!

September is more like a really good October!

2008-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

It was sunny for most of the last month, but it felt more like late October than September. With 0°C flirting with the 2000m mark, conditions have been cold and crisp and extremely beautiful.
The high sumits have a considerable layer of snow, with 80cms reported above 4000m. There are even photos of people ski touirng in fresh powder over in Austria!
The non-glaciated summits are just perfect right now, despite a powdering of snow in places.
The Arpelistock provided me with a good ascent last week and the views were superb.
Over on the other side of the Col de Sanetsch, the Cabane de Prarochet was also worth a visit, if only for the fantastic limestone pavement littered with deep blue pools - they looked great for a dip but I not that brave.
From tomorrow there is light snow forecast as low as 1200m but hopefully this will not signal the end if the high hiking and climbing - surely it will warm up again for some more good activites in October......

Corsica provides great end of season trekking

2008-10-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

When you mention Corsica to walkers they always think of the famous GR20 long distance trek that takes the rocky spine of the island. However, there is a whole lot more to Corsican hiking than that, and in fact my latest visit in mid September confirmed my own feelings that the GR20 is not really the place to be right now.
With a small and very fit group I had 6 excellent days of hiking. It was unseasonally hot - more like August temperatures than September, and unusually for Corsica it was also quite humid. But the upside of this was that we could hike at any altitude without being cold, and the swimming opportunities were a delight.
It hadn't rained for the whole summer though, and the rivers were amazingly low. The water supplies at the huts were also worryingly low and this led to problems on the GR20 - reports of illness were becoming more and more common, especially towards the middle of the trek.
It seems to me that anyone going on the GR should aim to filter or treat water supplies, especially later in the season.
I no longer offer the GR for several reasons, one of which is the number of people on this route. From what I saw it was pretty crowded this September, although the hut guardians told me it had been quiet all summer until then.
Friends doing the route whilst I was over there told me many people gave up at the midway point, having become ill and also having found it very tough going. I am told the huts were low on food supplies - probably because there were too many people there in September.
So I am very happy that we were not doing the GR. we touched on it a couple of times, and my group told me they were relieved not to be spending the week following the red and white waymarks with everyone else.
There is so much more to Corsica than that. We did several summits, none of them big names, but all giving great views and none crowded - in fact most days we saw no-one else on the trails!
We also spent a night at a gite on the beach, and took in a very remote hut far from any crowds at all.
Corsica is a brilliant place - if you go there take the time to discover all aspects of the island, and to get to know the people and the culture.

Mont Blanc Ultra Trail 2008 - to finish is to win!

2008-09-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of people told me not to do it again, but I ignored them and ran the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail last weekend. It proved to be a success, but what a tough event!!

This race goes around the Mont Blanc massif, taking the trail of the famous Tour du Mont Blanc long distance hike. Generally walked in about 10 days, runners in the event have 46 hours to complete it. 166kms and 9400m of up and the same down - not to be underestimated!!

We left Chamonix at 6.30pm Friday evening and ran through two nights and one day. The weather was very hot which was good for the nights but hard for the days.

Many people abandoned (largely due to the heat I imagine).

I battled on and arrived back in Chamonix at 9.09am.

I suffered badly from blisters in the last 8 hours but was thrilled to succceed in this my second and last time on this race.

The winner was a young Spaniard who blitzed the course in just over 20 hours!! Lizzy Hawker from the UK was the first woman in something over 25 hours.

Many famous names dropped out - who knows why - but to all the folks who reached the finish line, Well Done!!

What a good summer!!

2008-09-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a great summer for Trekking in the Alps. I had wonderful groups and we were rewarded with almost perfect weather.

The treks have gone really well ranging from the Tour of the Jungfrau Region, which is always so spectacular and certainly did not disappoint this time, to the Gran Paradiso where we successfully climbed Italy's highest mountain to the Tour of the Matterhorn with a fabulous ascent of the Breithorn.

Then there was the remote Tour of Mont Ruan where we battled rain for a couple of days but had sunshine for the rest and a fast climb up the Dents du Midi.

Not to mention our annual trekking and wine tasting week which came up with the goods on both counts. We based in Italy's Aosta valley and after some days hiking there we made our way over the glaciated Theodule Glacier to reach Zermatt for a couple of fine days at the end of the trip.

So now I am off to Corsica with a group of regulars which should be excellent.

It's time to think about next winter so check out the Snowshoeing calendar on my website: http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/calendar.htm

Snowshoeing Programme 2009

2008-07-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's full-on summer here at the moment - hot and sunny, flowers at their glorious best, and everyone's revving up to their hiking holidays.

But it's time to think about the winter and snowshoeing!

Remember what fun it is?

Remember those blue sky early morning starts, the only sound your breathing and the crunch of the snow under your snowshoes?

And those summit moments when all the hard work is forgotten?

And then this!

So here's what's happening winter 2009:

SNOWSHOE PROGRAMME TREKKING IN THE ALPS 2009

NB on the version of this calendar sent to people on my mailing list I marked the wrong week as Easter week. It is now correct below - Easter is 11 April and our Easter week will meet 4 April and finish the following weekend.

NO hidden costs.
Small groups guaranteed.
Expert guiding
All levels catered for including experienced snowshoers.
High summits and hikes
New destinations every year.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Prices include:
guided snowshoeing,
accommodation (bed, breakfast and dinner)
transport during the holiday,
rental of ALL gear: snowshoes, poles, avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels.
Not included:
Travel to meeting place
Hill food
Drinks
Insurance - eg Snowcard £22

Prices are in € and £. The £ price has been reached on an exchange rate of £1 = 1.25€. In the event that this declines to less that 1.20€ I reserve the right to ask for payment on the € price.
Otherwise you can decide whether to pay in £ or € when you book - if the rate improves it will be advantageous to some people to choose the € price.

Holidays are graded 1 to 3, 1 being the easiest grade up to 3 which means a strenuous grade. However, it must be understood that these grades are only guidelines as the snow conditions dictate more than anything what we do.

6 day holidays £796 995€
Mont Blanc Region
Meet Vallorcine near Chamonix
17 January grade 1
31 January grade 2

6 day holidays £840 1050€
Aosta Valley Italy
Meet Aosta
7 February grade 2

EASTER WEEK: 4 April grade 3

Valais Switzerland
Meet Martigny
21 February grade 2/3

Aravis massif France
Meet St Gervais
28 February grade 2

Dauphiné Alps France
Meet Briançon
14 March grade 2/3

Gran Paradiso Italy
Meet Aosta
28 March grade 3

4 day long weekends
Mont Blanc Region £556 695€
Meet Vallorcine near Chamonix
8 January grade 1
14 January grade 2
27 January grade 3
18 February grade 1

Aravis massif France £599 750€
Meet St Gervais
3 March grade 2

It's summer in the Alps

2008-07-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Alps have now enjoyed more than two weeks of hot sunny weather and conditions perfect for walking.

Until recently there was a lot of late snow cover but that is melting fast and the hillsides are getting back to normal for this time of year.

I have lots of alpine treks going this summer but just two still have spaces, the Gran Paradiso(meet 26 July) in Italy and the Tour of Mont Ruan (meet 9 August) near to Mont Blanc. Details of both these treks can be found on my website http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/ or by sending me an email on info@trekkinginthealps.com

For those of you interested in trail running, the Chamonix Marathon last Sunday had a record number or entrants and for the first time was held the day after the half marathon Chamonix Cross. This was much better as the two races otherwise coincide and this leads to crowds on the trail. Upcoming races include the Italian Gran Valdigne Trail near Courmayeur mid July, the Davos 78kms race end of July and of course the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail end of August which somewhat occupies my thoughts at the moment!

Here's what it looks like trekking here at the moment:

If you can't make it to the Alps all is not lost because we have the Corsica Northern Summits week meeting 7 September and there are still places available. So why not some late summer trekking on this beautiful island?

Watch this space for the 2009 Snowshoe schedule which will be posted by the end of this week.

SUMMER PROGRAMME - DATES AND AVAILABILTY

2008-05-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

The summer programme is filling up but below are the current treks that are confirmed but which still have places available. All costs are on my website on this link http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/calendar.htm and I am asking for payment in Euros because of the slide of the £ against this currency. However, I can be paid in cash so you do not need to make an expensive bank transfer.

If you want to come on one of these treks then please go ahead and book your flights and your time off work. If you need to ask any questions then please use the following email address:

trekkinginthealps@swissmail.org and your questions will be answered as quickly as possible. You can also ask for detailed factfiles on all the trips below. If you decide to book please let us know on the above email address.

So here are the treks:

Gran Paradiso trek and summit meet 26 July in Aosta. Fly to Turin, or Milan or Geneva, Turin being the best option. We meet at 7pm in Aosta and from Turin or Milan I can organise a transfer to Aosta which takes 1hr15 and 3 hrs respectively. If you fly to Geneva you need to take a train to Martigny and be there for 4.30pm. You do not need prior experience in glacier walking to do the summit. There are 3 places free on this trek.

Tour of the Matterhorn meet 2 August in Zermatt. Fly to Geneva or Zurich and train onwards (about 3hrs). We meet 7pm in Zermatt. This trek includes 2 glacier crossing and the ascent of a glaciated 4000m peak, but no prior experience in glacier walking is required. There is 1 place free on this trek.

Tour of Mont Ruan meet 9 August in Finhaut Switzerland. Fly to Geneva and train onwards via Lausanne and Martigny (about 3hrs) to Finhaut. We meet 7pm in Finhaut. This is a great trek, very remote, including sevceral trekking summits. There are 4 places free for this trek.

Corsica Northen Summits meet 7 Sept in Calvi. Fly to Calvi or if necessary Bastia. For direct flights from Britain contact claire@directcorsica.com mentioning Hilary Sharp Trekking in the Alps. A fab week exploring Corsica's trekking peaks, away from the crowded main trails. There are 5 places free for this trek.

NB: there is NO single supplement payable on any of these treks so do not hesitate to come alone.

Spring Sunshine in Mallorca

2008-05-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Having enjoyed an excellent winter season in the Alps it was time to rediscover walking on trails. What better place to do this in the spring than Mallorca with its rugged mountain range, the Sierra Tramuntana.

We had 6 days of hiking and every day was hot and sunny. The final night saw the passage of a storm but the sun was back next morning.

Mallorca offers fantastic walking of all levels from strolls through olive and almond groves to summit scrambles to multi-day mountain treks, not to mention beautiful coastal walks discovering remote sandy coves and rocky headlands.

Staying in 3 different bases enabled us to really get to know the northern part of the island, which is where the most spectacular hiking is to be done. We had a memorable night at the Lluc Monastery, situated in the midst of the highest peaks, and therefore a great starting point for the trails.

Some of the braver members took a dip in the sea although for most of us the water was far too cold even though its azure blue depths looked really inviting from the surrounding mountains.

Mallorca is definitely Mediterrannean walking at its best and will have a place in my programme for spring 2009.

Amazing end to the snowshoeing season!

2008-04-09T03:55:00.000-07:00

There is snow in abundance and the winter conditions are as good as they get, but all good things come to an end. I have just finished my final snowshoeing trip for winter 08 and it's not without a twinge of regret that I am hanging up my snowshoes for now - although the great snow cover could well tempt me to get them out again in the next week or so.

It's been an amazing winter season that started way back in November with wonderful cold snow that formed a perfect base for the following months. We have had some fabulous days out, from forest walks in heavy snowfall to summit ascents on those dreamed of sparkling blue sky days.

Lots of regulars have returned to snowshoe with me, but there have also been a fair number of walkers who were new to snowshoeing who came to see what it's all about. Everyone seems to have had a blast and hopefully we'll do it all again next year!

Now maybe a few days of rest (and catching up with admin!) are in order.

Mixed weather gives amazing conditions for Easter

2008-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so the weather forecast was hardly very promising over Easter but in fact the periods of bad weather were interspersed with sunshine and we were able to have a great week of snowshoeing, culminating with an ascent of Mont Rogneux 3084m in perfect fresh snow conditions.

On Friday we left the Caband Brunet as the sun came up in a cloudless sky, the air was crisp and cold and the snow was deep and light.

From the summit we had a full 360° panorama, which stretched from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn and everything in between. The run back down was a dream, with vast swathes of untouched powder leaving us spoilt for choice - plenty of room for snowshoers and ski tourers alike, leaving loads left for the weekenders.

This is what it's all about in the mountains - those perfect blue sky days - made all the more perfect because they cannot be ordered up and sometimes we have to put up with cloud and precipitation to get these fantastic winter wonderland conditions. But it sure is worth it!!

Let's hope the next week is equally good.

From spring to winter in the Alps!

2008-03-21T10:37:00.001-07:00

Until yesterday we thought spring had arrived early in the Alps. The sun was shining, the crocus were poking out in the lower meadows, whilst the mountains remained well snow-covered - life was good!!

Today, the first day of spring, life remains good but considerably snowier - winter has returned with a vengeance. Heavy snowfall all day today today is forecast to continue overnight and intermittently all weekend. Easter 2008 is to be a snowy one.
The road from Vallorcine to Chamonix is closed for avalanche risk and there is a muffled silence as everyone huddles indoors waiting for the storm to pass through.

Nevertheless we had a great day out today in the forest where the snow-laden trees and wind drifts reminded us more of deep dark December days than late March.

Once this latest snow has settled we can be sure to have excellent late season conditions. So all those people who since January have been wondering if the snow will last out - have faith, this is one of the best winter seasons we've known. We just need to take care now for a few days as the avalanche risk is going to be very high.

Gret wildlife viewings whilst snowshoeing

2008-03-01T05:41:00.000-08:00

The Gran Paradiso area is renowned for its wildlife, largely because it is a designated National Park and hence no hunting is allowed at any time.

Known especially for its large population of ibex, the Gran Paradiso is also a paradise for chamois, hares, foxes, deer and, as we saw last week, the rare lammergeier vulture. Recognisable by its huge wing span (2.8m) and its orange underbelly (the result of contact with iron oxide in water and mud), the lammergeier, or bearded vulture is still relatively rare in the Alps, despite an on-going programme of reintroduction. So we were very excited to get this sighting during a snowshoe walk near the Cogne Valley. (Photo: Alistair Wylie).

The usual suspects were also present - lots of chamois in the forests and ibex on the sunnier denuded south-facing slopes. Seeing the wildlife in the winter is a real privilege and whilst last week the snow conditions meant they were having a fairly easy time of it, that's probably about to change now with forecasts of heavy snow for the next few days, so we will be careful to watch any animals with binoculars from a distance so we don't scare them into running away in deep snow and hence using up all their precious energy.

AMAZING CONDITIONS FOR FEBRUARY!

2008-03-01T04:37:00.000-08:00

February has been a superb month of sunshine, but cold temperatures at night kept the snow conditions excellent. We have been snowshoeing in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps and have been continually surprised by the amount of untracked powder snow, even several weeks after the last snowfall.

These conditions have made the snowpack very stable and so we have been able to snowshoe summits up to 3000m with little worry at all.

The Aosta Snowshoe week went particularly well, with a full group and wide age range, but everyone being very fit and keen to get high up into the mountains. By the end of the week everyone was running down the slopes of powder. This group was quickly followed by a private booking, again in the Aosta Valley. This region offers excellent possibilities for snowshoeing, but any visit there should also include the opportunity to sample the region's specialities - notably the superb red wine, cheese and ham. We made sure we gave our full attention to this aspect of the trip too.

March seems set not to herald spring but the return of winter: two days of rain have not been kind to the snowpack at lower altitudes, but the forecast is for lower temperatures from next week and we expect considerable snowfall at all altitudes. So it's out with the woollies again and we can look forward to several more weeks of fun in the snow.

Snowshoeing off to a great start in 2008!

2008-01-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

The snowshoeing and skiing season are off to a superb start this month with good snow cover everywhere and lots of sunny weather. We had a good open week from 5th January: although this week started with rain at 1500m (almost unknown here in January) this soon turned to snow and after a day of cloud we were treated to better weather for the rest of the week, with fresh snow to run down every day. Everyone in the group was new to snowshoeing but even on the first day with hardly any views the general consensus was that snowshoeing was a great activity - in fact the actual quote from our Irish member was that "Snowshoeing is the dog's b***ocks!!". So that more or less settled it for the week and conditions just got better and better.

Last week I had a private group snowshoeing in Switzerland around the Val d'Anniviers Val d'Hérens region and we found some excellent new (to me anyway) walks on snowshoes. Conditions could not have been better - fresh snow, sunshine and virtually no-one around, so no human tracks - however there was an abundance of wildlife activity.

We managed to reach a 3000m summit on the last day but the red morning sky correctly forecast the following day's snowfall, adding another top-up to what at the moment is perfect snow cover for this time of the winter. Let's hope it lasts!

Loads of snow and clean air to go with it!

2007-12-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Great news!! There is loads of snow in the Alps, the conditions are as good as they get - and much better than usual at this time of year. Think cold light powder, natural Christmas trees decorated with snow and icicles, really cold frosty temperatures and snow crystals covering the valley slopes and growing bigger every night.

The skiing and snowshoeing have already been superb and hopefully this is just the start of an exceptional winter season.

The other really good news is that from 2008 France joins many other European countries in making all public places no-smoking zones. So our local hotel in Vallorcine has already taken this on board and smoking is only allowed outside. This is great news for those lunchtime visits for an expresso or the après snowshoeing beer or vin chaud.

See you in 2008 to make some tracks!!

More snowfall in the Alps

2007-12-03T02:49:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks of calm and sunny weather the snow has returned again with a vengeance today. The snowfall we had two weeks ago had melted at lower altitudes but above 1500m there was already a reasonable base. Snowshoeing has been good, even if skiing was a bit dodgy due to the rocks lurking just below the surface of the snow.

But now it looks like we're in for 30 - 50 cms of fresh snow at 1500m altitude. Right now it is full-on winter conditions.

All this bodes well for the coming season. Snowshoeing should be excellent. Places remain available for many Trekking in the Alps holidays this winter. I also have some free days to guide privately.

Heli-skiing also promises to be spectacular from January until May.

To find out more about what's available this winter give us a call or send a mail to info@trekkinginthealps.com

Winter has arrived in the Alps!

2007-11-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a superb autumn in the Alps with many days of sunshine, interspersed with the odd cold spell. The high glaciated mountains are in good shape after all the summer snow, but it barely precipitated during October. We were lucky to have fantastic sunny days with crisp mornings giving way to balmy afternoons. The alpine valleys were not always so fortunate - as often happens during high pressure weather here the cold air sinks down into the valleys and stays there, often for much of the day. This gives a sea of cloud that is really attractive when viewed from above.... not so great when you're in it.
Now everything has changed and it has been snowing lightly for two days, with more forecast. Temperatures are really low and there are strong winds - winter has arrived!
Time to think about those holidays in the snow.
There are still places available on many of my snowshoeing holidays and at the moment you can still get cheap flights for many dates. An alternative would be to take the train, and it seems there are some really good deals to be had from Britain to the Alps - Geneva, Turin, Chamonix. With the base it's putting down now we could well have good snowshoeing and skiing conditions before Christmas!

Latest availability for Snowshoeing plus summer programme

2007-09-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

The winter is already starting to book and a couple of weeks are full. Here is the full list of availabilty for snowshoeing right now. Cheap flights to the Alps are now available so book early to get the best deals.Next winter I'll be doing the usual 6 and 4 day trips. 6 days is a week, whilst the 4 days trips go over a weekend so you can get a trip over here but only have to take two days off work. New this winter are the different bases for holidays: ranging from Vallorcine near Chamonix, to Aosta in Italy, Martigny in Switzerland to St Gervais in the Aravis range and finally a week in Briançon, down in the French Dauphiné Alps.The basic calendar with prices is shown below. For more info on these trips visit http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/ where PDF downloads are available along with gradings for trips.Prices include all guiding, accommodation, travel once here and rental of all gear - snowshoes, poles, and avalanche gear - transceivers, shovels and probes. If you want to know more just email me on info@trekkinginthealps.com .
Below is also my Summer Programme 2008
Mont Blanc Region France - meet in Vallorcine near Chamonix. 6 day holidays, price: £675 995€.
Meet 5 January, 8 March.

Mont Blanc Region Half Term Week based in Finhaut Switzerland. 6 day holiday, price £675 995€.
Meet 10 February.

Aosta Valley Italy - meet in Aosta. 6 day holidays, price: £705 1050€
Meet 16 February

Valais Switzerland - meet Martigny. 6 day holidays, price £705 1050€
Easter Week 22 March.

Aravis massif France - meet St Gervais. 6 day holiday, price £705 1050€
Meet 8 March.

Dauphiné Alps France - meet Briançon. 6 day holiday, price £705 1050€
Meet 1 March.

4 day long weekends in the Mont Blanc Region France
Meet Vallorcine near Chamonix. Price: £525 780€
Meet 23 January, 6 February and 12 April

Summer programme

Tour of Mont Blanc

meet 14/06/08 7 days €985 £660

Aosta Italian Summits

meet 14/06/08, & 9/08/08 6 days €1010 £685

Corsica Northern Summits

meet 22/06/08 6 days €1050 £705

Chamonix Summits

meet 29/06/08 6 days €1010 £685

Tour of Mont Ruan

meet 12/07/08 6 days €995 £670

Tour of the Jungfrau Region

meet 19/07/08 6 days €995 £670

Gran Paradiso Alta Via plus summit

meet 26/07/08 €1100 £735

Tour of the Matterhorn

6 days meet 9/08/08 €1100 £735

Glacier trekking week

(itinerary to be decided): meet 12/07/07 €1250 £905

NB: the Summits trips are non-glaciated trekking summits accessible to all hill-walkers with no technical expertise, and do not involve ropes, crampons or ice-axe.

Summer trekking

2007-09-06T03:49:00.001-07:00

It's been a great summer for Trekking in the Alps even if the sun has not been shining every day. Although hiking in the rain and snow is not quite what we have planned, it can be quite an adventure, notably on the Tour of Mont Blanc when we had two days of snow. A big plus about bad weather is that when the sun returns the views are generally quite stunning: fresh snow coats the mountains and everything is very clear and glistening. This was certainly the case in the latter part of the TMB when we had unbeatable scenery.

The Austrian Otztal week was as much a quest for fine wine as a trekking holiday. And we certainly had fun doing both. The hiking was good, although again the sun was a little shy. A highlight of the trip was managing to make our way up to the Austro-Italian border to the exact spot where the 5000 year old ice-man "Otzi" was found some years ago. As for the wine, I can now vouch for the fact that Austrian does have some great wines. There are also lots of lederhosen around and dancing and yodelling.

The autumn has begun here with morning frosts and beautiful clear days. The trees are already beginning to turn orange and days are that little bit shorter. This is a great time for trekking and my Highlights of the Tour of Mont Blanc starts tomorrow. Perhaps we are due for an Indian Summer - certainly we must make the most of these mellow days before the winter arrives as it surely will. Bookings for the snowshoeing season are coming in and some weeks are already full. Check www.trekkinginthealps.com for availabilty and be sure to keep an eye on the latest blog postings.

Davos 78.5kms Swiss Alpine Marathon

2007-08-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

The 28 July I took part in the Davos Swiss Alpine Marathon. This is 78.5kms but there are also several other races including two marathons and a half marathon.
The race was extremely well organised from start to finish, with spectators and volunteers doing a great job. We were lucky to have sunny weather, at least for the main part of our race. A storm came in during the early afternoon and got me at the high point of the race, but the organisers were out in force with dustbin bags for those who had no rain gear.
This is one of the best races I have done because the terrain is rolling for much of the way so you can expect to run a large part of the race, and also because the trails are wide and so there are very few traffic jams. When you finally hit single track on the steep climb to the Kesch Hut you are 50kms into the race so the crowds have spread out.
Definitely a highlight of my summer and a welcome treat even though it had to be slotted in between treks - this is after all high season. Highly recommended to those of you looking for a good long run in the mountains.

Successful new treks and plans for 2008!

2007-08-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

Trekking in the Alps has organised several new treks these last weeks which have been a great success. The Tour of the Jungfrau Region was a 6 day trek which enjoyed superb hot and sunny weather mid July. This trek takes an intriguing route around the Oberland region, with superb views of the Giants of this massif - the Eiger, Mönsch and Jungfrau among others. The trek is not easy - lots of steep ascents and descents - but the scenery is more than rewarding. After a couple of days in the well-known Kleine Scheidegg area the route heads off to the wider Lauterbrunnen valley and explores the far side of this, including a fine day traversing the Schilthorn summit and also taking us into some fabulous remote and unspoilt valleys. A real classic that we will be repeating next year.

Another big success was the Gran Paradiso Alta Via plus summit week. The Gran Paradiso 4061m is Italy's highest summit and we managed to climb this (just) as a storm enveloped us last week. The rest of the week was fine and sunny and so we were able to do the whole trek as planned including 5 passes of 3000+m. An international group proved to be great fun socially and this was definitely a highlight of the summer for us. Again this will feature on the 2008 calendar.

Finally due to popular demand the Tour of Mont Ruan is already confirmed for 2008. This is a little-known trek in the remote limestone massif on the edge of Mont Blanc. We did this trek in 2003 and the group are still talking about it. I have just had an article published about it in the August issue of TGO magazine. If you're interested in hiking away from the crowds on a demanding trek including several trekking summits - this one is for you.

We are in the midst of several wet and cold days - hopefully the sun will soon be back for the final treks of this season.

Snow, snow and more snow July in the Alps!

2007-07-12T11:58:00.001-07:00

The Chamonix Zermatt Walker's route looked more like a winter trip in Scotland than a summer hike in the Alps! We had very unseasonal weather from the start although there was a fantastic respite mid-way through for our day over to Arolla when we had wall to wall blue skies and superb freshly coated white peaks.

The high passes were generally snowy and became more so as the week went on. We all agreed snow was much better than rain but a few more views would have been welcome and it would have been nice to shed the waterproofs more often.

Nevertheless it was a real adventure and a great sense of achievement to stroll into Zermatt yesterday (in sunshine finally) with the Matterhorn soaring above, flanked by clouds on its East face.

The final day was beautifully sunny and we were able to see all the Zermatt peaks.

There is now a considerable amount of snow in the high mountains giving a high risk of avalanche and some cornice build-up. Conditions below 3000m should improve quickly but for the moment there is some snow and ice and the existing nevés have not melted at all for some time.

Corsican sun versus rain everywhere else!

2007-07-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

As the rain poured down in northern Europe and the Alps, Corsica lived up to its reputation as the "Ile de beauté". Temperatures were hot, but tempered by a strong wind which we felt on the ridges but which elsewhere was very comfortable. The sea was 23°C I was told, and felt wonderful. Even the rivers were not too cold for a dip.

We spent a day or two on the GR20, staying in one of the huts on this route. As usual there were a fair number of people intent on doing this long distance trail as fast as they could. As soon as we left the main trail we were alone and we climbed several summits with no-one else in sight.

A two day trip on a horse-shoe ridge walk with a night in a gite at the beach was a highlight, as was the final night spent deep in the mountains after a long walk, some of it off trail, and with a visit to the famous "mountain with the hole", Capu Tafanatu.

Now back to the alpine treks. The mountains look green and beautiful and the flowers are at their best. The sun is forecast to come out later this week. Chamonix Zermatt, followed by the Tour of the Jungfrau Region should provide some of the most scenic trekking in the Alps.

SNOWSHOEING NEXT WINTER

2007-06-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

It's only early June but already I have to start thinking about the next winter season. Last winter we had such superb snowshoeing that it's really an exciting prospect. We'll go back to many of the classic areas but also investigate lots of new ones.

There will be weeks based in Valais, Switzerland, Aosta Italy and Briançon France, as well as trips from my village of Vallorcine.

There will also be all levels from beginner to advanced. Those who want to take it gently can do so, but even so we'll generally get above the tree-line and, conditions permitting, will do some nice rounded summits. Others who wish to push themselves to have some exciting climbs will find their thing too.
The programme will soon be published on the website. More snowshoeing shots and info can be found on http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/snowshoeing.htm

SUMMER TREKKING PROGRAMME

2007-06-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

The summer is almost here now and in a couple of weeks my treks will start. We have some exciting trips going, first of which is the Corsica Summits 24 June. Whilst the GR20 is the well-known trek over there, and is certainly very spectacular, there are many lesser-known hikes to do on this mountainous island. Trekking peaks abound and these are what we're going to explore, along with some great spots off the trail. The aim is to discover as much as we can about Corsica, the mountains, the culture, the food and wine and the sea.

Next up I'll be en route from Chamonix to Zermatt via the Walker's Haute Route. This exciting journey takes us through beautiful mountain terrain with spectacular glacial scenery. From Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn, we get to see all the high mountains along the way.

Not much of a break for me before I head off on the Tour of the Jungfrau Region. This is a new trek for me this year and will take us on a magical trek through the mountains of the Bernese Oberland, getting very close to the giants of the region - the Eiger, Jungfrau and the Mönch. There are a couple of trekking summits to do along the way and I expect the scenery to be very varied, ranging from pastoral meadows to high alpine slopes.

The rest of July is taken up with private groups, firstly in the Aosta region of Italy then on the Tour of Monte Rosa.

After that we have a new version of my Gran Paradiso Alta Via 4 trip. This year we are including an ascent of the Gran Paradiso summit, 4061m, Italy's highest peak. There's no doubt this will be busy mid summer but it is a fantastic viewpoint. It is probably the only place on the trek where we'll encounter crowds, the rest of the trail generally being very quiet. Known for it's wildlife, the Gran Paradiso usually gives us lots of sightings of ibex and chamois which is a crucial part of this trip.

Later in August we'll be on the classic, and justifiably well-known Tour of Mont Blanc. This is without doubt the most famous alpine trek, and for this reason people often think it must be very crowded. But this is wrong. There are lots of variants and so many different places to stay, so I find it easy to find reasonably quiet trails, even mid season. This year we will be on the trek just before the start of Europe's biggest trail race, the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail. having done this race last year I will relive many memories of my adventure.

Austria is my next to last trek of the season. This is a slightly different trek to my usual Otztal Alps trip as we are going in search of fine wines as well as fine views. Having had a similar research trip last year in Northern Italy, with very satisfactory results, the quest continues. We'll also do some great hiking in this wonderful mountain region, right next to the Austro Italian border.

September features private groups, in and around the Mont Blanc region.

http://www.trekkinginthealps.com/thetreks.htm

Corsica GR20: 3 people die in cold weather

2007-06-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

The recent bad weather in Europe has led to the death from hypothermia of three hikers on the GR20 trek in Corsica. The three people died in independent incidents, two in the north of the island one in the southern part of the trek.

Although the GR20 route is way-marked, these pain marks quickly become difficult to see in bad weather and once off the trail you are on very rough ground. In normal conditions it's difficult to imagine dying of cold on this trek - usually people fear the heat. But the weather can change very quickly and these are very serious mountains where it can be really hard to get down to safer terrain if the weather turns bad. I have experienced snow in Corsica in the middle of July - people had to be rescued by helicopter from the Cirque de la Solitude. And since the trail is so rocky, conditions underfoot quickly become slippery and progress can be very slow.

Just a reminder really to all of us that these mountain treks demand respect, even though they seem to be increasingly popular and more and more feasible with guidebooks describing every step of the route.

Snow at 1300m end of May!!

2007-05-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

We had snow in Vallorcine at 1310m this week and the snowploughs were out!
Conditions in the mountains have been poor for most of this week although a lot of the lower snow quickly melted when the sun came out. But more snow if forecast above 2000m so trekking and climbing above this altitude is not recommended right now.
If it's lower walks you're after then the flowers re well ahead of normal and valley walks are superb.