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NEWS For up-to-date news, features and lots more just click on my blog name - http://trekkinginthealps.blogspot.com to open it up in a new window. You can check out some photos on the Snowshoe gallery and the Trek Gallery 1 & 2. Also Summer 2007 is now online. If you would like to see some photos of previous years, you can from these links:- ****************************************************************************************
November
20, 2007 It's
been a great autumn in the Alps with lots of those perfect autumnal days -
frosty starts watching the sun come up then balmy sunshine all day until dusk.
As the sun gets lower in the sky, so the light becomes more beautiful and
excellent for photos. It was so
warm early November that I saw gentians out in the meadows at 2000m! However,
all that changed in the middle of November when we got our first significant
snowfalls and since then there has been very cold powder at all levels. This is
a good and very early start to the winter and people are already out skiing and
snowshoeing. It's great to have such a positive launch of the season. There
is plenty going on this winter and I have snowshoeing weeks scheduled from
January until April as shown on my calendar.
We are using a variety of bases this year - Mont Blanc weeks meet in
Vallorcine, near Chamonix, Aosta Valley meets in the Roman city of Aosta in
northern Italy, Valais trips meet near Martigny in Switzerland and Dauphiné
Alps meet in the fascinating town of Briançon very near Montgenevre on the
Franco Swiss border. Trips
are graded according to how strenuous they are likely to be, but bear in mind
that the snow dictates what we do on snowshoes. However, I do try to respect the
grading as it is shown and certainly the trips that are graded as
3"smileys" will be suitably strenuous and challenging, notably the Easter week which has
become something of a traditional summit fest. All
trips feature at least one night in the mountains, often more. Check out the
Snowshoeing photo galleries to see what it's like! If you want a trip that is totally tailored to your level then ask about private hire on a daily or weekly basis. I still have some free dates for the winter. **************************************************************************************** Jon
will be offering off
piste skiing, ski touring and heli-skiing in France, Switzerland and Italy.
Every year we are told heli-skiing will soon be banned in Italy, the
cheapest place to do it. So all we can say is come and have a go whilst it's
still going on! Jon is available for private guiding. ****************************************************************************************
Next Summer sees some exciting treks. We will be repeating the very
successful Gran Paradiso trek which includes an ascent of the glaciated summit
of the Gran Paradiso itself, the highest peak in Italy. Several other treks also
include glaciated summits, notably the Tour of the Matterhorn and the Tour of
Monte Rosa. This gives a chance to combine non-glaciated trekking and high
mountain climbing in one trip, without having to hire a UIAGM Guide separately.
I will also be doing the Tour of Mont Ruan, a little known trek which goes
through very remote terrain, and includes at least 3 trekking summits along the
way. The classics are there too - the Tour of Mont Blanc of course should not be
missed as it's one of the most beautiful treks in Europe. And we are also doing
an interesting trip in northern Italy - the Aosta Valley Summits which will take
us into various mountains around this fascinating valley.
Jon will be offering a glacier trek, location as yet undecided. **************************************************************************************** Jon
will be offering off
piste skiing, ski touring and heli-skiing in France, Switzerland and Italy.
Every year we are told heli-skiing will soon be banned in Italy, the
cheapest place to do it. So all we can say is come and have a go whilst it's
still going on! Jon is available for private guiding. **************************************************************************************** Don't
miss out on the cheap flights - there are still plenty for this winter, and
certainly for the summer. Also do not discount the idea of travelling out by
train - not only is it better for the environment but there are some fantastic
deals to be had - contact me for
details. Email me with your plans, your ideas, your questions. There are still some days free for private guiding or custom made treks this winter. See you in the white stuff! Hilary
If
you need an urgent reply and don’t get one to an email,
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Trekking in the Alps, Chemin des Biolles, Vallorcine 74660, France
[ Tel: +33 450 54 62 09 ] [ Fax: +33 450 54 63 29 ] [ E-Mail Me ] |