Category Archives: Walking in the Alps

Where once there was a glacier

Zermatt sits at the SE end of a side valley off the major Rhone valley. A road and a railway provide access to it via a twenty-mile, narrow, dramatic gorge; but if you want to travel further you use your … Continue reading

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A shallow pool

As summer progresses and the snow melts, up high in the Alps, most melt water runs off down to the valley floors, but some remains trapped in shallow pools. This past summer, on days when there was no busting hurry, … Continue reading

Posted in Swiss Alps - Summer, Walking in the Alps | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

A Place to Pause

Mountain walking is not always about the objective; there are days when one just wants to walk and soak up the landscape, listen to the quietness, and be at peace. Takehide Kazami – Japanese author, climber, and photographer wrote way … Continue reading

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Swiss Choices

The choice today was: To hear the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (who are here for a series of concerts) rehearse Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3 in Saas Fee Church for tonight’s concert (which we will miss because we will be … Continue reading

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In Monochrome

This morning we awoke to thunder echoing round the mountains. It’s rained all day and mists have cocooned the village blotting out the world beyond. The rain has only finally stopped in the last hour. The camera has been forgotten … Continue reading

Posted in Black & White, Swiss Alps - Summer, Walking in the Alps | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Britannia Hut

A walk to the Britannia Hut is a pilgrimage for me whenever we come to Saas Fee because 51 years ago this summer, this was the first hut I ever visited (and stayed in) and from which I climbed my … Continue reading

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Montagne de la Côte – in the steps of Balmat and Paccard

Today’s Post follows the route taken by Jacques Balmat and Dr Michel Gabriel Paccard on the first day of their two-day first ascent of Mont Blanc on 7-8 August 1786. The route starts from the commune of Les Bossons about … Continue reading

Posted in Climb and Trek, MountainScape, Walking in the Alps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Follow the leader

Today’s two images were taken on the same day as the image in Wild Camping. Many of the images that I have taken in the Alps (which will be familiar to regular viewers of this blog) might be best ascribed … Continue reading

Posted in MountainScape, Swiss Alps - Summer, Walking in the Alps | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Crossing the Boulder Field

The path from the Britannia Hut back to Plattjen above Saas Fee in the Valais Alps is a delightful balcony walk. Narrow in places, it traverses a steep slope, and shortly before it reaches Plattjen the path winds its way … Continue reading

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The view from Stelisee

Our time in Zermatt is at an end. The last walk is completed and the last image taken. We visited the high Findeln valley today. One of my favourite destinations in this magical valley. The weather was part sunny with … Continue reading

Posted in MountainScape, Swiss Alps - Summer, Walking in the Alps | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments