| | Personalized Alpine Walks Await You! |
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| | 2010-09-01 | | 
Went out for an original tour from Mauvoisin up to the Pierre à Vire which brings you around to a plunging view down onto the entire lac de Mauvoisin. Up to then the view is astounding and one we do not see too often with the hanging Glacier de Giétro and the Grand Tavé's East face. Then back down to the écuries, where a big white dog was tending to the cows, just in case we were wolves come to get a free meal. The mountain tops are white and beautiful, but it is a bit chilly out. Hopefully it doesnt mean the end of shorts yet! Stopped in at the Hotel de Mauvoisin which has been recently renovated by the commune. They have done an excellent job, the rooms and dinning areas are spotless and the terrace is lovely. A nice day, close to home! | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier, Hiking Valais | |
| | 2010-08-25 | | Now the fun begins!
These t-shirts are in Verbier on top of the Pierre Avoir, but are going to go live in Australia!
All you lucky t-shirt owners need to send me a foto of you in fun, exotic, happy places wearing it! And if you don't have one yet, get one of the few I still have! | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier | |
| | 2010-08-21 | | The way up!
You know how when something is close to home you just have that feeling that you will always get around to doing it 'one of these days', but it just never seems to happen?!? The day finally came to walk up the Rogneux at 3084 meters after gazing at it every day for the last 11 years! Youpiiiie! The view was simply awesome and the walk was relatively easy and short (just 2 hours), as long as you drive up to the Ecuries de Mille. The amazing thing is the vegetation, little flowers all the way up to the tipppy-top of the summit!
 View off towards the Mont Blanc Massif! | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier, Hiking Valais | |
| | 2010-08-18 | | 
Ahhh, it was beautiful. Oh and sunny, phew! As it seemed to have rained non-stop the whole time we were away from the Valais! | Topic Tags: hiking Italy | |
| | 2010-08-17 | | 
There was the top of the world in this part of the world, Monte Beigua at 1287 meters...what a hellaciously long uphill to get to it!!! The downhill started off as an epic 'to be done again' ride, untill we ended up in the washed out single track, full of unstable rocks, branches and leaves! Yikes! Ended up pushing the bikes for about 40% of it! But it was beautiful and fun and probably not the last 8 hour expedition I go on!
 | Topic Tags: hiking Italy | |
| | 2010-08-16 | | 
What a magical forest of chestnut trees we discovered on one of those windy twisty tiny overgrown with weeds Italian roads in the middle of nowhere! Amazing discovery only 4 hours from home & just a half hour up from the coast of Genova. Fresh pools of crystal clear mountain water to jump into to cool off in as well, ahhhh! Of course a gellato was in order and a dip in the Med after the day in the forest. What fun it was to hang out with the Italians on their beach. | Topic Tags: hiking Italy | |
| | 2010-08-03 | | 
The blue & red butterfly is a zygène, a highly toxic bug which is why it has the bright 'keep away' colors that it does. The one on the right is a male demi-deuil, the females are more yellowish. The valais has many micro-climates that accomodate some spectacular butterflies. | Topic Tags: Alpine animals | |
| | 2010-08-01 | | 
What a way to start off the Swiss National Day! Sunrise at the Cabane Rambert at 6:30 a.m. We walked back down to Ovronnaz taking a route that took us through a rocky path where the ibex (bouquetin) were butting horns. It was absolutely spectacular. We then hooked up to the ancient Bisse de Pathier (a water way from the 15th century to bring water to the dry fields). The sun shone high and strong, but we managed to pic-nic in the shade of an old larch with a view onto the Combins and their glistening white glaciers. Really a wonderful day! | Topic Tags: Hiking Valais | |
| | 2010-07-27 | | 
Here is a mountain I have been wanting to climb for a long time. We set off from the Cabane Brunet and hiked clockwise up to the col des Avouillons and back. The hike up was amazing with the Grand Combin & Corbassière Glacier literally in our face. The hike back down to the flower fields and raging torrents was fabulous with the Petit Combin watching over us. Lots of wild flowers and butterflies accompanied us the whole way. The air was nice and fresh and the sun was not too hot. Thanks for a fun day!
 | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier | |
| | 2010-07-24 | | 
We took off from Verbier and drove up and over the Col de Croix de Coeur. As it has recently snowed it was chilly and I took my wool hat with me! After hiking the Ancien Bisse de Saxon we ended up with this fabulous view up the Vallon d'Arby! There are tons of orchids & arnica & fireweed and other super flowers to be admired. Well worth the excursion. We then drove back up to Croix de Coeur in fog thicker than pea soupe! It is beautiful to see the mountain with its many different looks. | Topic Tags: Hiking Valais | |
| | 2010-07-22 | | 
At 04:45 we left Verbier where it was already 17 degrees! As the doors of the Mt.Fort lift opened at 3330 meters jackets & hats & doudounes were quickly put on as the wind was blowing and the coolness in the air was striking! There are 4 morning trips this summer to the top of Mt. Fort to see the sunrise. I cannot stress how intense an experience this is. Just do it!
I took the time to walk back down to La Chaux, passing by the Cabane Mont Fort for a drink on the way. What a way to wake up!
 | Topic Tags: culture, hiking Verbier | |
| | 2010-07-19 | | 
The Combins seen from La Chaux, just an amazing view. A quick trip to the top of the Mont Fort to see the Matterhorn & Mont Blanc as well as most of the 4000 meter peaks of the Alps. It is really worth going up there to see this and check out the Tortin Glacier which is receding rapidly (snif!) | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier | |
| | 2010-07-18 | | 
Verbier's Eco Bio Market is too much for me! I have once again sold all my stock! Then again I don't have much as my products are all made by hand and are all wild produce. Maybe I should make it more expensive?!
A fresh calendula flower to be dried and added to a happy flower tisane!
 | Topic Tags: culture, Flowers | |
| | 2010-07-17 | | 
Had a beautiful day hiking up to the Marlenaz. On the way we passed by the cow herd at the alpage des planards. The night before had been super stormy and three of their cows got hit by lightening! An interesting question was posed to me: do I think the cow bells attracted the lightening? | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier | |
| | 2010-07-11 | | 
My stand at the Verbier Bio Market. These are all products that can be made if one takes the time to learn what is edible in nature. What a success! Sold my 100% Natural fun tisanes & herb mixes. Had pots of 'oh la la origano' for cooking, a 'lavender splash tisane' & a 'tisane méga tonique!' Came home with nothing! Will have to make more next time, and at least enough so that I can have some too! | Topic Tags: culture, Flowers | |
| | 2010-07-07 | | 
They say that a weed is just a name for a plant that one doesn't know what its uses are, perhaps. Here I took the day to cook a meal out of what we picked in the fields & forests of La Tzouma. Wild salad & jardin sur pain as starters; a potatoe, tomatoe, onion meshoui with wild spinach, fireweed, betony, & plantain leaves as a main dish, followed by the wild monk's rhubarb coulie desert! Yummmie!
 | Topic Tags: culture, Hiking Valais, Flowers | |
| | 2010-07-04 | | 
What a way to start a hike! There is nothing like starting the day helping the locals with their daily work making cheese. It is not as easy as it looks! Hard & hot work! The cows have the easy job, I mean not only do they have an awesome view to hang out in but look at what they eat - wild orchids!
 | Topic Tags: Hiking Gstaad, hiking Vaud | |
| | 2010-06-28 | | 
Anémone soufrée - Pasque flower | Topic Tags: hiking Verbier, Flowers | |
| | 2010-06-22 | | 
Super hike up to the Pierre Avoir from the Marlenaz. We climbed up in the sun and as we got to the top 'poof' the clouds came in and we were in a whiteout. They aren't kidding when they say that weather changes fast at altitude! Fantastic pic-nic with local sausages & cheese!
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| | 2010-06-21 | | 
Starting to dry wild ingredients that I pick on my mountain walks to make products for selling at the Verbier Market. The market will be running every Sunday of July & August. I hope you stop by my stand for a fresh wild sirop! | Topic Tags: culture, Flowers | |
| | 2010-05-06 | | 
Awesome! Today I got the 40 kids into the snow to recognise fresh wild animal tracks! After playing a predator & prey game where the foxes were at the bottom of the food chain - which needless to say upset the 10 year old foxes... They decided they wanted to be polar bears. So we all became polar bears and realised that even though we were the most recently evolved mamal on the planet we were in deep survival trouble! The foxes suddenly realised that they were the luckiest of all as they have managed to evolve to survive in all sorts of ecosystems. Once they understood that they can live with man as well as up at 2500 meters they were a bit happier. Although they still didn't like the fact that the girls who were eagles & cougars could kill and eat them....Ahhhh, there is nothing like guiding 40 ten year olds, I love my job! | Topic Tags: Alpine animals, hiking Verbier | |
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