Exploring the Alps RSS

On the promise of dinosaur foot prints, we packed our rucksacks for a 12.5km picnic walk starting off from the Emosson dam above the Trient valley. After lots and lots of hairpin roads the kids were thrilled to find a zip wire (and ice cream shop) at the top. Stretching all the way across the front of the dam. Only two of our group were brave enough. The younger two of course. Once we'd got that (and two ice creams) out of the way we set off to find the footprints. Walking around the track alongside the vast expanse of turquoise...

Enjoying their time together, (before the rest of the family arrived), Basil and Guy went for a 20km jaunt up from the small commune of La Palud where the old Funivie Monte Bianco station used to be just outside Courmeyeur. They worked their way up steep winding paths to join the TMB and joined the trail in peak season. Not so busy they couldn’t keep a nice distance from other travellers they followed the path to the Refugio Bonatti, stopping for a picnic lunch on a small grassy knoll with spectacular views views of Mont Blanc and the Grande Jorrasses.    As they came...

Arriving a week before the rest of the family arrived to have some quiet time in the mountains whilst working from home. Guy and Basil (our dog) thought they'd make the most of the weekend.Guy packed a bag. Supplies for one night for him and Basil, his Alpkit Ordos 3 tent, sleeping bag and a PACMAT Solo for basil, only 200g and barely taking any space in the bag, it proved invaluable.Parking at Notre Dame de la Gorge, they walked up the valley. After a brief thunderstorm, while they sheltered in the boulders below the Col du Bonhomme, they pitched tent...

It was a stunning day. The kids had been invited to go canyoning with some friends, so we thought we'd make the most of it and take the dog for a picnic walk. Dogs aren't allowed to walk in the French National Park area so we drove to Col de la forclaz. A road very popular with road cyclists, just over the boarder in Switzerland. Before setting off for the walk we stopped at the hotel and sat outside to have a cup of coffee, watching the bikes go by, reminiscing about our motorcycling days. Fuelled up on caffine, we set...

The weather was a bit cooler, so we thought we'd head to Le Tour for some mountain biking. The bikes are allowed on the gondola to the mid station and then up on the chair lift, to Col de Balme. Unfortunately Basil, our dog, isn't much good at mountain biking and he's not allowed on the chair lift. We all travelled on the first lift up together, but separated for the second. I walked up with Basil while the others rode the chair with their bikes. Basil was so pleased to be reunited with everyone again at the top.      ...