Sun and storms

This is what we walked around - the mighty Monte Bianco

Really busy time here, barely a minute to write up the blog. Luckily though I have lots of photos as ever. For this post the photos will have to tell the tale of what we've been up to lately: great sunny trekking with the odd storm thrown in for good measure.

Crossing from France into Italy at the Col de la Seigne

Pink T shirts on the trail

On the Mont de la Saxe

Me and Skip, my favourite dog, guardian of the Rifugio Bonatti

Beautiful Queen of the Alps

First day after a storm, beautifully clear

Pending storm

Tours of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in near perfect conditions

High above Zermatt

July this year is a very busy month for Trekking in the Alps, with more or less non-stop treks. This is a Good Thing but makes posting on the blog a touch difficult as I often have limited phone reception let alone the chance to upload photos and post on here.

Just finished two wonderful treks, a Tour of Mont Blanc followed by the Tour of the Matterhorn, or at least the Italian part of that tour, preceded by a couple of days in Zermatt.

July is prime flower time in the Alps

We were lucky to miss the first very rainy days of July, after which the sun came out and conditions have been excellent ever since. Clearly there has been the odd rain shower but usually at night and day time it's been mainly dry with beautiful clear views. 

The Aiguille Noire de Peuterey en route to the French border

Both tours cross high cols and late lying snow has been a slight problem this summer but for us it just made things more interesting without any real terror. As ever the photos tell the story better than I can so here goes:

Martagon lily at its best

On the Grand Col Ferret, TMB

Nearing the top of the very steep ascent to Mont Fortin TMB variant

First day, getting to know the Matterhorn and each other

Steep equipped section on the TOM

Great ibex viewing on the TOM

Burnet moth

Hugo gave us a fine performance on the TOM

The glacier section on the TOM

Frost one early morning made it feel more like September than July

Marmot enjoying the first rays of sunshine on the TMB

So that's the story right now from Trekking in the Alps. back on the TMB next week, going in the other direction. Watch this space!

Heading up the Breithorn summit on the last day of the TOM

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!