It's winter!!

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

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......

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.