Mixed weather gives amazing conditions for Easter

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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