Chamonix Mountain Adventures - the rest of the story

Last post we'd just started a week of hiking and adventures in the Chamonix region, based on my new book Chamonix Mountain Adventures.

The group consisted of some regular Trekking in the Alps devotees, good friends amongst themselves and also with me.

We were lucky to have pretty good weather except Wednesday morning when we got caught out in rather a fierce storm and ended up Very Wet. But true to form with Trekking in the Alps, the sun came out, and by the end of the day all that lashing rain, crashing thunder and very steep hills was just a blurry memory.

After that excitement we headed back into the mountains for a 2 day trip with an overnight in a mountain hut. We did a foray onto the snow from the hut, taking in some local wildlife at the same time.

It's good sometimes to remind yourself how lucky you are to normally sleeep in your own bedroom, alone or with just one other person of choice, rather than 20 unknowns, to have electricity and hot water and showers....and slippers that fit! But we had a great evening as a storm raged outside and awoke next day to clearing weather and some fab views.

We had our last picnic watching then paragliders take off above Chamonix then a trip up the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car gave a spectacular and beautiful finale to a wonderful week of adventures.

Thanks to all for being such good company, such fervent advocates of my new book and for starting my summer season in such fine style.  

This is surely why we do it, isn't it?

Transhumance: the return of Trekking in the Alps to the Alps

Well it proved to be very difficult to make the move back from Provence to the Alps last weekend. We have fallen in love with our winter home and we left idyllic sunny early summer conditions to arrive in the Alps in extremely cold pouring rain, with the snow level heading steadily down towards our house! The cat couldn't understand why we'd returned. Nor could we really.

Bee orchid

Goodbye to the vultures for now but we'll be back

And the olive trees

But then the rain stopped, the sun came out and it all became clear. Provence has given us 6 months of wonderful weather and scenery and we'll be back in the autumn, but it will soon be too hot there and the vegetation will lose its splendour. Time to rediscover the joys of the Alps and they are certainly plentiful.

The alpenrose is just flowering at valley level

Hiking near Le Tour with the very snowy Argentière peaks as background

I am lucky to have a fabulous small group of regulars this week, here to launch my new book Chamonix Mountain Adventures. So we're enjoying some beautiful and exciting walks in the Chamonix Valley region. The conditions are excellent, with really hot temps and clear skies. The spring flowers are in bloom and above 2500m the mountains are still glistening from the latest top up of fresh snow. 

Near the Tête de Balme with the Aiguilles Rouges behind

Our first peak on the first day - 2 more were to follow.

More on this trip at the end of the week. Get Chamonix Mountain Adventures from Cicerone Press or (better) directly from me, signed.

Chamonix Mountain Adventures hits the book stores!

Here it is, finally, the result of years of exploring, months of writing, weeks of correcting and swearing, and again months of waiting for publication: my latest book is out.

This guidebook features hikes for all levels:

• Family hikes
• Hut Walks
• Classic hikes
• Adventure hikes
• Plus mountaineering, including glaciated summits, one of which is Mont Blanc.

Also included are

• Mountain bike trails
• Road bike routes
• Rock climbing
• Bouldering
• Via ferratas

Photo Marc Volorio

So, something for everyone.

Buy it from me (signed if you want)
£14.95

18.50€
24$
plus postage.
Payment by sterling cheque, Paypal, € bank transfer or cash.

Inaugural Provence Hiking Week is a Blast!

This was the first week I've offered in the Drôme region of Provence, our winter home. As one of my group said, it's not a "brand name" part of France, little known, quiet, and wild. Hence the attraction!
It's going to take a while for me to draw the crowds, but the hiking here is truly stunning. Limestone gorges and plateaux abound, scattered with ancient perched villages, fast flowing rivers splitting one range from another.

We did 5 days walking and 1 day of visiting Roman remains and a Provençal market before an afternoon cycle ride.
Hikes took us to broad summits scattered with early wildflowers, where we enjoyed vast views of the surrounding landscape. We also spent a day walking and scrambling around the Dentelles massif, a climber's paradise.
On the last day we couldn't resist an ascent of Mont Ventoux (iconic peak, Giant of Provence, Tour de France and all that) which was still snowy, not that that seemed to stop the stream of cyclists we watched grinding up the last few switchbacks.

Approachingn the summit of the famous Mont Ventoux

 The group was most convivial mix of Italian , American and British which made for some really interesting conversations.
And we made an effort to sample all that the region has to offer in terms of food and wine!

Certainly a trip to be repeated - I'm hoping it will become an annual event for Trekking in the Alps.

Roman remains in Vaison

Spotting Mont Blanc from Mont Ventoux

Wildflowers added much interest, especially as there are so many different levels of vegetation, raning from alpine to mediterranean

 Come and join us next spring!

Revving up for the Provence Hiking Week!

Provence is at its best at this time of year as all the plants spring into life. Right now the weather is quite showery but every day there are hot sunny spelalls that sometimes last the full day, sometimes interspersed with rain showers. This is really great for the trees and flowers and also probably for the animals and birds too.
The vultures have been very active and yesterday I saw my first Eyptian vulture - rather a blurry shot but easy to recognise by its colouring.

I've been out and about checking walks for this coming week when I have a group here for the Inaugural Northern Provence Hiking Week. I have previously led lots of hikes further south near to the Côte d'Azur and in the hinterland of Nice, but this is the first time Trekking in the Alps has a week here in the Drôme. The scenery is wild and spectacular, the wine is wonderful and the food good and traditional. Let's hope the weather holds up and the vultures perform.

Watch this space for news in a week!

A FAB season draws to a close

WOW!!! There is no other word for it (well, maybe AWESOME, but I'm British and we usually don't say that). This winter season in the Alps has been amazing. We've had so many sunny days, it's incredible there was any snow under raquette. But there certainly was and this is because firstly it snowed an AWFUL LOT in December and then it was VERY COLD for most of January and February. Result? Brilliant conditions and relatively little danger.

I've just finished two fantastic weeks, one in the Giffre Valley in th French Haute Savoie where we found excellent conditions somewhat against the odds given the relatively low altitude and very hot temps, the other in the Swiss Val d'Anniviers where we spent two nights in a hut at 3000m so were pretty sure of snowy slopes, but nevertheless the warm and windless conditions gave us 6 superb days of snowshoeing. I also continue to have the Very Best Clients (who quickly become my friends) in the world - thanks guys for being so much fun.

After hard climbs up we were lucky enough to find good snow for some wild descents, for those that like that sort of thing:



 

Incredibly, given the good snow, the mountains were deserted. Where is everyone? It is always the case that on snowshoes you can find solitude in the hills but lately it's been really difficult to find anyone to say "Bonjour" to!

Over the last 21 years I have fallen in love with snowshoeing. But this last season has increased that passion and convinced me that snowshoeing is The Business, The Future. Come and see if you don't believe me. In fact come and see whether you do or not!

Meanwhile let these shots tell the story. And I just hope winter 2013 will be as good as this one.



The great conditions continue - how long can it last?

I have been working back to back snowshoeing groups this month which is hard work but with these amazing conditions my "Office" is providing a wonderful playground.
The temps dropped a little which firmed up the snowpack and left the snow harder but easeir to walk on. Then we had some fresh snow about a week ago which gave everything a fresh coat of white which was very pretty.
Now it's gone very warm again but so far the conditions are better than I had expected and more snow is forecast for next week.
Here are some shots of the last few days: