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Posts from Base Camp

Travel Flashback: Skiing in Wengen (Switzerland) 2005

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

While tentatively musing about post-pandemic travel, I came across some photos from a highly enjoyable 2005 ski trip to Wengen, Switzerland. I’ve posted photos from other trips to the Wengen area (here’s a post featuring 1999-2002 photos; and here’s the start of a series of posts from a 2018 trip), but the 2005 trip was a special one.

The “James Bond 007” restaurant and cable car station at the top of the Schilthorn, high above the village of Mürren.

The linked resorts of Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren form a large and spectacular ski area in the shadow of three famous peaks: the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau: these appear in the “cover” photo at the top of this post. As a base, I find Grindelwald a little busy: in addition to being the end of the railway line, you can actually drive to the resort…so there is a lot of car traffic. But both Wengen and Mürren are car-free: you can only get there by mountain train (for Wengen) or by a combination of lifts and trains (for Mürren). Both sit on impossibly remote alpine ledges, and there is no tourism sprawl.

Part of our group at the top of the Schilthorn (not sure why I opted for a headband)

As with all of my Swiss winter trips between 1992 and 2012, I was in Wengen for a ski camp organized by the Youth Division of the Auslandschweizer–Organisation (ASO – or “Organization of the Swiss Abroad”). 40 of us from around the world took over a youth hostel and spent a huge amount of time skiing and (in the evenings) participating in other Swiss activities.

The Birg cable car station, as seen from the Schilthorn

This trip was notable for two main reasons. Firstly, it marked my recovery from a complex concussion suffered the previous summer during a soccer game. I had to skip that hockey season and was only cleared for strenuous sports shortly before the trip. Being able to do “normal things” again (shades of the current pandemic situation!) was a long-awaited and very much appreciated development.

Wengen, seen from the cablecar on the way to Männlichen. Skating rink (and adjacent curling hall) at top left.

Secondly, our group leader Simon W. introduced us to the joys of off-piste skiing. Simon expertly assessed our capabilities, found us some amazing skiing, and taught us how to enjoy the “steep and deep” without unduly endangering ourselves. Not only did it make for an unforgettable 2005 experience, it prepared us for similar adventures in the future. One of my 2018 posts describes how some of us met Simon W. again in Wengen.

Our off-piste group “somewhere above Wengen”. Our guide at front right, in yellow jacket.

Many of the pictures in today’s post are from those off-piste adventures. I remember the first time I truly found the proper rhythm of skiing in very deep snow. It was both exhausting and exhilarating. Bouncing in and out of the powder was so much fun that a photo from that very run remains my Facebook avatar to this day.

I’m so glad there’s a picture of me enjoying one of my favourite ski runs ever! This is off-piste on the lower slopes of the mighty Eiger, which rises up to 3,967 metres (13,015 feet) right behind me.

However, one of my fondest memories was off the slopes. My very first time on skates for at least 6 months (since before the soccer injury) was on a snowy evening on an outdoor rink in Wengen. Even though I had to borrow skates and a hockey stick, I felt like a little kid again…giddy about being able to skate and stickhandle once again with no real rules or restrictions.

More off-piste adventures above Wengen

That evening on the ice, with dramatic mountains towering above me in every direction, made a profound impression on me. It was so memorable that it became the subject of an essay I submitted to the organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay. You can imagine my joy at being selected to run a portion of that Olympic Torch Relay in December 2009 (here’s a link to my post about that special day).

Stretching before a long day of skiing: Männlichen (above Wengen)

Alas, one of the conditions of the Olympic Torch Relay was that I had to more or less relinquish the rights to my essay. So I can’t share the actual essay with you, but I think you get the basic idea.

More “sick” off-piste terrain above Wengen

I’ve also included some group photos. I’m still in touch with many of the other participants, with several of us still organizing an annual ski trip together even though we are technically no longer “young Swiss Abroad”. We won’t be able to do that this winter, but I’m sure we will in early 2022. I’m already thinking about where I would like to go!

Posts from the road

Geneva, Switzerland

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(Geneva, Switzerland)

I had less than 24 hours in Geneva before returning to Canada: just enough to re-familiarize myself with this famous but not-actually-very-big city at the southwestern tip of Switzerland.

Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, in Geneva

Geneva is primarily a “government” town, as the European base of the United Nations and many other international agencies. Just like Ottawa and other capitals, it can be prohibitively expensive…but also relatively uncrowded on weekends. I was able to take advantage of a half-price offer and stay in a very nice hotel that would otherwise be way out of my price range. It overlooked the Rhone River – the photo at the very top of this post was taken from my window! And they even threw in a free transit pass!

Fruit vendor in Geneva’s old town

As other aspects of downtown Geneva remained quite expensive, I headed to Carouge, a “village” southwest of downtown that allegedly had an Italian feel. It did indeed feel like a small but prosperous Italian town, so I treated myself to a delicious gelato outdoors on the Place du Marché…even though it was still early March.

Place du Temple, in the village of Carouge (now part of Geneva, Switzerland)

Nearby, I spotted Geneva’s largest hockey arena, which is home to the strong Geneva Servette hockey club. They would have been in the Swiss National League playoffs that evening, so I checked if there might be any tickets available. Alas, as a precautionary measure, the playoffs had been postponed due to the COVID-19 situation that was beginning to take a serious foothold in Italy (but had not yet had any real impact on Switzerland).

Place de Longemalle, Geneva, Switzerland

This was the second cancellation I encountered. I had hoped to take a guided tour of the United Nations complex, but it too had just been closed as a precautionary measure. These were the only indications that very difficult times might lie ahead.

Rue de la Fontaine, Geneva

I spent much of my time exploring the city on foot. It is clearly a very prosperous place, and it sometimes felt like a French-speaking Zurich…just a bit smaller and scaled-down. If I found myself too far from my hotel, I would just hop on a tram.

Place du Bourg-de-Four, Geneva, Switzerland

Having just spent two weeks in the mountains, I decided that I didn’t want to eat “local” for my last meal in Europe. Noticing a significant number of Ethiopian restaurants, and not having this kind of cuisine back home in Kingston, I decided to visit the Nyala Barka restaurant. It took me a while to get there, as my “tourist map” unfortunately took quite a few liberties with things like distance and direction (which are somewhat important for a map).

Reformation Wall in Bastions Park, Geneva, Switzerland

Anyway, I eventually arrived and enjoyed a very tasty “vegetarian platter” at Nyala Barka. As always, I enjoyed eating with my hands and using the underlying injera bread to scoop up the food. I was the first customer of the evening, as locals seem to follow the France model and have their dinners considerably later than in German-speaking Switzerland. I didn’t mind: I needed to properly pack and get a good night’s sleep before my long journey back to Canada.

My dinner at the Restaurant Nyala Barka (Geneva, Switzerland)

[Shortly after I returned home, the COVID-19 pandemic exploded globally and the world became a much different place. I ultimately decided to post this entry more or less “as written” two weeks ago.]

Posts from the road

France 2020 – the final chapter

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(Morzine, France)

Usually, the sixth day of skiing in a resort involves revisiting the highlights of the previous five days of skiing. However, due to the massive size of the Portes du Soleil region, we found ourselves in a completely new area on our last day.

A brilliant day above Les Crosets, Switzerland

Before this trip, I had never heard of Châtel, France. But it hosts a fairly extensive set of slopes radiating out in all directions from the town itself. The snow was excellent and we even made it into Switzerland again briefly: one of the lifts starts in France and ends in Switzerland. When you ski down, however, you soon find yourself back in France.

Turn left for everything, above Champoussin (Switzerland)

Of course, drama is the theme of this year’s trip…so it was only fitting that we had some more of it during our last day of skiing. This time, a power outage knocked out 4 lifts which we had just taken…and these were 4 lifts that we needed to get back to Morzine! We had to take 2 “navettes” in order to get around the blockage: on the second one, there must have been 100 people on the bus. We were wedged in like rush-hour commuters, with people falling onto each other whenever the bus went around a bend (which was a lot…these are the Alps!). Everybody was in a panic because they were afraid that they wouldn’t make it back before the rest of the lifts closed too.

Goulash in a bread bowl, at Champoussin (Switzerland)

Anyway, it worked out in the end and we had a very nice lunch at Le Blattin. This is a mountain hut high above Châtel that epitomized “cozy”. I would love to share some pictures of it, but my camera got soaked in the previous day’s rain and wasn’t working. Click here to see a picture that somebody else took.

Near Champoussin, Switzerland

In fact, I couldn’t take any pictures until the very end of the day. As the terrain and “vibe” was similar, I’m including some more pictures from Portes du Soleil Day 4 instead.

Near the Swiss border at Avoriaz (France), some skiers contemplate their next move

I continued skiing until 5:15 p.m. on the last day, and then caught a bus back to Morzine from the hamlet of Ardent. As the day slipped away, I passed the usual milestones: the last mountain lunch, the last lift, the last piste, the last turn…until I finally had to pop out of my bindings and admit that the skiing portion of my holiday was over.

Just inside the Swiss border, near Pointe des Mossettes

The Portes du Soleil region is massive. I didn’t get to the areas that were not lift-connected, and I didn’t really get to Mont-Chery, the slopes north and east of Châtel, the slopes north of Morgins, the slopes south of Avoriaz, or some of the slopes above Champery. That might look like a lot, but it pales in comparison to what we did actually see.

Les Lindarets, France, the “Village des Chèvres”

Overall, Portes du Soleil gets a passing grade, with bonus marks for the extended lift hours and the unique international aspect of the slopes. If I return here some day, I think I will base myself in one of the Swiss villages and focus on the Châtel and Swiss slopes. They were less busy and also felt more “authentic”, especially on the Swiss side. There was little or no purpose-built mass development, as we saw in Avoriaz (France). It was mayhem passing through the Avoriaz slopes during the late afternoon “rush hour”!

While the skiing part of my trip is now complete, I still have a brief stay in Geneva coming up. Stay tuned!

Posts from the road

Alpine highs and lows

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(Morzine, France)

Our fourth and fifth days of skiing in Morzine could not have been more different. Day 4 was our second attempt to ski from France to Switzerland. Unlike our first attempt, we did not lose any gear along the way…and the weather was brilliant. At the border on Pointe des Mossettes, we could actually see a sign welcoming us to Switzerland.  What a difference two days can make!

Admiring the scenery between Pointe des Mossettes and Morgins, Switzerland

We then took a long meandering piste, traversing both exposed Alpine slopes and cozy cliffside forests, all the way down to the Swiss village of Morgins. With a vertical drop of nearly 1000 m, but a very gentle slope, the piste seemed to go on forever. We didn’t mind: the mountains seemed much more rugged and awe-inspiring on the Swiss side of the border. 

I took this photo at the end of the piste in Morgins, Switzerland

The slopes at Morgins, Champoussin, and Les Crosets were also virtually deserted. It was almost perfect: fresh snow, temperatures right around 0’C, blazing sun…we were happy to stay for lunch in Champoussin and plan our next move.

The “Dents du Midi” rise above Champoussin, Switzerland

We decided to take a closer look at the “Swiss Wall” (see photo at the very top of this post). This is a notorious piste, probably the steepest and most difficult marked piste in Europe (if not the world). Heavily mogulled, it also has a slope of 90% in places. It didn’t look too bad when I faced it, but when I looked down on it from the chair lift…that old survival gene kicked in. This would be a test of nerves, not elegance. Ultimately, I didn’t think 3:30 p.m., after a heavy goulash lunch, was the best time to attempt the most difficult piste I’ve ever seen. After taking a few pictures, we retreated from the Swiss Wall and re-entered France. We returned to Morzine quite tired but very happy with our international ski safari.

The Swiss Wall, seen from below

The 5th day was another story. It rained for 24 hours straight. And not just a light drizzle: most of that 24-hour period could be fairly described as “pouring”. I took no pictures, because it would have been pointless. We did go skiing, trying to escape the incessant rain in Morzine. While the rain did indeed turn to snow at about 1700 m elevation, it was accompanied by howling winds and whiteout conditions. And then the lifts started closing. We took a rare mid-morning break, and an extended lunch, in an attempt to dry out a bit.

Just above Morgins, Switzerland

The day ended with my mitts literally disintegrating in my bathroom sink. Everything was drenched, and I have no idea what will dry out enough to be usable tomorrow. My mitts were so structurally compromised that I went out and bought new ones just before the shops closed. Not my proudest consumer moment, but I really had no choice if I wanted to participate in the final day of skiing.

Approaching Les Crosets, Switzerland

For obvious reasons, all of today’s pictures are from the much more photogenic 4th day of skiing in France and Switzerland.

Posts from the road

Strange events on the slopes in Les Portes Du Soleil

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(Morzine, France)

I just completed two of the strangest days of skiing I’ve ever had. They are forever linked by a massive blizzard…the 4th one I’ve experienced in a six-day period.

Ludicrous snowfall in Les Lindarets, France

On Monday, our goal was to ski to (and in) Switzerland. This involved several lifts and pistes, passing through the high alpine resort of Avoriaz, before finally disembarking from the Mossette chairlift above the Swiss village of Les Crosets. It seemed simple enough, and it didn’t take too much more than an hour.

Several hours later, the blizzard continues on the pistes near Les Lindarets, France

Alas, we had some challenges. One skier’s backpack somehow became unzipped while on the Mossette lift, and he lost both his spare jacket and his spare gloves in the desolate border region far below. After getting off the lift, we immediately returned to France from Switzerland. A simple plan to meet again (after a search for the missing items) went laughably wrong, as the Mossette lift was then closed due to sudden high winds and blizzard-like conditions. We had to take 3 lifts to get back to where we once were, and the visibility was rapidly deteriorating.

Top of the slopes on “La Rosta”

Never mind the appealing novelty of skiing in Switzerland for a few hours…we couldn’t see anything above the treeline, and we ran the risk that the rest of the cross-border lifts would also close and leave us stranded. We were forced to retreat to lower altitudes, away from the Swiss border, and close to the French village of Ardent. The pistes were drowning in wet snow. I actually love those kinds of conditions, but it is very hard work to slice through such voluminous and soggy snow. We had lunch in a very picturesque hamlet above Ardent called Les Lindarets, also known as the “Village des Chèvres” (“village of goats”). We had to ski down the main “street” to select an appropriate restaurant.

Me and my friend, the skiing “Milka” cow

After lunch (see photo of Les Lindarets above), there must have been an additional foot of snow. It was impossible to figure out where our skis where, as so much snow had fallen on them. It was pouring snow, forming outrageous patterns on our helmets and jackets. With temperatures hovering around 0’C, the snow soon turned to water on our ski outfits. I’ve never been so wet after skiing in such an intense blizzard.

Another view of the “Milka” cow, at the “La Rosta” peak near Les Gets, France

The next day, we awoke to an obscene amount of new snow. While some pistes were groomed, many weren’t. So we encountered dramatic off-piste conditions, except that we were still mostly skiing on-piste. Skiing through such deep snow can be exhausting. You can’t just slide or coast: you need to constantly keep your ski tips up to avoid face-planting, and you essentially need to “jump” from turn to turn to avoid getting stuck (or, again, doing a face-plant). It’s great fun, but you cannot let your guard down for even a second. And many of the pistes above Les Gets are very long.

We had lunch at this mountain restaurant, just above Les Gets

As noon approached, we had our most challenging runs of the day. The Myrtilles piste on Pointe de la Turche was ungroomed and had about 3-4 feet of new, loose snow on top of it. It also was rated as a black piste…in a country where very, very few pistes attract the black (meaning “very difficult”) rating. It was steep and unpredictable, even without 3-4 feet of new, loose snow on top of the existing base. See the “cover” photo at the top of this post for a photo taken near the top. Looking at it now, I can’t believe we went down twice. Once again: we were completely exhausted, but with a sense of real accomplishment.

And this is what I had for lunch: Tartiflette (cheese, potatoes, cream, bacon)

After such a draining experience, it came as no surprise that a skiing purple cow was waiting for us at the top of the neighbouring La Rosta peak. I posed for a photo (during which cow repeatedly and loudly mooed), and was rewarded with a handful of “Milka” chocolates. Apparently, Milka’s mascot is a purple cow. And this cow skis, albeit not that well. It has a very big head, which may impact “her” skiing ability. Still, I am impressed that a cow can ski at all. I then got my daily alpine cheese fix with a delicious “tartiflette” for lunch.

Our hotel in Morzine, France

The last skiing shock of the day came at the absurdly late hour of 5:29 p.m., when we were able to board the local gondola and ski one final time down to Morzine. I’ve never been on such a late daytime lift…and we had started the day before 9:00 a.m. We had the piste to ourselves: we could watch the sun begin to set while we were still on the slopes.

I don’t think anything can surprise me now. But we still have three more days of skiing…who knows what still lies ahead?

Posts from the road

Moving on to the slopes in Morzine, France

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(Morzine, France)

While I enjoyed the tranquility of Les Diablerets, it was time to move on to Morzine, France. It’s not far: maybe only 60 km if you could walk. But you can’t. And, in the winter, most of the mountain passes are closed to traffic. As a result, our train and shuttle bus journey took nearly 6 hours (with an hour stopover in Geneva).

Rösti with goat cheese, at the Auberge de la Poste in Les Diablerets, Switzerland 

There are worse ways to spend half a day. We began with a very scenic ride on the quaint mountain railroad between Les Diablerets and Aigle. We then followed the entire north shore of Lake Geneva, with its great views of the French Alps, to get to Geneva itself. Finally, we circled back on the south side of Lake Geneva and turned onto the claustrophobic narrow valley that leads to Morzine.

The castle at Aigle, Switzerland (a.k.a. le château d’Aigle)

Our first impression of Morzine was not very good. The rain was pouring down and there were quite a few brown patches visible on the slopes immediately above the town. It looked like a lot of skiers were ending their day early. It sure didn’t look like a whole lot of fun. Especially when I had to do some laundry in a dimly lit and odd-smelling laundromat.

Morzine, France, as seen from the top of the Pointe de Nyon piste

Of course, rain at the lower elevations often means snow at the higher ones. And the relentless rain evolved into brilliant sunshine by the morning. There was even some fresh snow! The photo at the top of this post was taken at the start of our very first run (from the top of the Pleney lift).

Lake Geneva in the distance, as seen from the top of Chamossiere

Morzine is just one of the 13 villages that make up the “Portes du Soleil” ski region shared by Switzerland and France. You can ski across the border at a number of locations. It is one of the two largest ski regions in the world: there are about 200 lifts, and more than 650 km of pistes!

Essentially the same view, but photobombed by a Dutch skier

Our first day was devoted to the pistes near Morzine. My favourites were those on Chamossiere and Pointe de Nyon, where there was still a significant amount of loose snow. By the end of the day, the weather had changed to a blizzard…but, once again, that’s not a bad thing if it clears up by the morning.

Everybody has their cameras out at Chamossiere

With no lift lines to speak of (on a weekend!) and a huge range of skiing options, Morzine and the Portes du Soleil are steadily improving on that iffy first impression. Stay tuned to see the final verdict, as we venture further afield!

Posts from the road

Skiing in Les Diablerets – an emotional rollercoaster

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(Les Diablerets, Switzerland)

Skiing here is in 4 distinct areas. There is “Glacier 3000”, which is sits on a glacier at about 3000 m above sea level. One of the pistes is 8 km long. The other three areas are connected by lifts: Les Diablerets, VIllars, and Gryon. It’s fun to ski from one resort to the next…you just have to make sure you get back before the lifts close. It’s very expensive to return to your base, as these towns are very far apart by road or rail. The mountains are in the way!

A summer village nearly covered in snow, between Les Diablerets and Villars

On our first day, the good news was that there was an ongoing blizzard depositing huge amounts of snow on the pistes. The bad news was that there was an ongoing blizzard; the sun was absent, and visibility was hit and miss. The more exposed areas above the treeline had some icy patches, as the wind was blowing the snow away. As a result, we spent most of our time below the treeline, and enjoyed the skiing very much despite the occasionally challenging conditions.

Skiing at Villars (from Petit Chamossaire)

After lunch high above Gryon, we began following the route that would take us back to Villars and then Les Diablerets. Alas, the lift connection that brought us to the Gryon slopes had just closed due to high winds. We had to take a gondola down to Gryon itself, where hopefully we could catch a bus to Villars, and then ski back to Les Diablerets (via several lifts). However, so many people were stranded by the closed lift that we couldn’t take the bus.

Les Diablerets, seen from the slopes

We then walked to a train station, and took an alpine train to Villars. But it took so long that we would not make it back to Les Diablerets before the lifts closed. We were despondent and were facing the prospect of a 3 hour journey by bus and train (at our expense) back to Les Diablerets. And then we saw the “snow angel” (seriously…he wore a sign that said this).

Skiers on Grand Chamossaire

The Swiss are known for quality products and services. The “snow angel” told us that a bus had been arranged to take us (and 21 other stranded skiers) at no cost to us. And because it might take 45 minutes for the bus to arrive for us, the ski area bought us all drinks at a nearby pub! Given the prices in Switzerland, this was quite a generous offer! As we finished our drinks, the bus arrived, and we all enjoyed a stunningly dramatic drive from Villars to Les Diablerets…in just under an hour. We were even on time for dinner.

We can see Lake Geneva from Grand Chamossaire!

This was enough of a rollercoaster for one day, but the second day had nearly as much drama.

Another photo from the slopes above Villars

The sun was shining and it looked like a beautiful day for skiing. We caught the first bus from Les Diablerets to Col du Pillon – where the lifts to take us up to Glacier 3000 begin. Alas, there was more bad news. As they had received 150 cm (!!) of snow, the lifts were late and they could not prepare the pistes. You could only ski if you had an avalanche transceiver and other highly specialized alpine gear. So we had to return back to Les Diablerets,

We had lunch at this restaurant above Les Diablerets

We finally started our ski day about an hour later than we had hoped, and we were feeling kind of sorry for ourselves. But it turned out to be a spectacular day on the slopes. There was little wind, the sun was out, there was plenty of powder on the slopes…it really wasn’t necessary to ski off-piste.

It is green down below in Aigle, but very white above Villars

While it was very crowded in places, as the conditions had been poor for quite some time before we arrived here, we managed to avoid the queues by taking the “less glamorous” drag lifts (pomas, t-bars) rather than chairlifts, gondolas, and cable cars. This strategy worked in Lake Louise, and it seemed to work here as well.

Downtown Les Diablerets, after our day on the slopes ended

The photos in this post are all from our second day of skiing…there was too much blowing snow to take pictures on the first day! Coming up next: Skiing in France!

Posts from the road

Les Diablerets, Switzerland

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(Les Diablerets, Switzerland)

After a very long journey, I have finally arrived in this winter’s first ski destination: Les Diablerets, Switzerland. It is by no means the largest Swiss resort, but it is relatively close to Morzine (France) and Les Portes du Soleil, where I will be skiing all of next week. As I only have time for a couple of days of Swiss skiing, it wasn’t necessary to ski in a huge resort.

Canadian treats in Les Diablerets!

Les Diablerets is located on the eastern fringe of French-speaking Switzerland, just a little bit west of my German-speaking “Heimatort” of Lenk. I went skiing at the nearby glacier in August (!) of 1987, so I wanted to get a better idea of the area (most of it) that is not actually open in the summer. In fact, with climate change and increased awareness of environmental impacts, I am not even sure that skiing is still offered here in the summer.

Figuring out where to go next: the main junction at Vers l’Eglise, Switzerland

It has been a mild winter here: on the rail trip from Geneva to Aigle, there was no snow at all. From the rustic mountain train that travels between Aigle and Les Diablerets, snow only began to appear as I arrived in Les Diablerets. Not every piste is open right now.

Main street in Vers l’Eglise, Switzerland

As I write this, on the day before we first hit the slopes, the snow is finally starting to arrive. We received about 25 cm of snow today, with more expected in the days to come. In fact, I suspect we won’t see too much of the sun for the first part of this international ski odyssey. But that’s OK – it’s hard to enjoy the sunny slopes if there is no snow on the slopes!

L’eglise, in Vers l’Eglise, Switzerland

The village reminds me of Lenk too, or perhaps Andermatt, before Andermatt underwent a massive expansion. There isn’t much of a corporate presence, and somehow (in a good way) it feels like the town is still in the past century. Somehow, it is a little strange to use my laptop.

The very lonely and very small train station at Sur Le Buis, Switzerland

I’ve been scanning menus and have come to the conclusion that you had better be a cheese lover here. Cheese is everywhere…and bread, potatoes and ham are ubiquitous too. Again, not too different from my observations in Lenk a couple of years ago. And from what I understand, I may see more of the same in Morzine next week. It may be in a different country, but the history here goes back much further than the relatively “new” borders between France and Switzerland.

Here comes the train! The train from Aigle to Les Diablerets, just past Sur Le Buis

I am staying in the Auberge de la Poste (see photo at the top of this post) – one of those rustic old chalets that passers-by like to photograph. It’s right in the middle of town, and I think it will suit our purposes perfectly.

This is what my hike was like – between Vers l’Eglise and Les Diablerets, Switzerland

Today’s photographs were all taken while walking from Les Diablerets to the nearby hamlet of Sur Le Buis. While there is no sun to speak of, and a few of the photos were taken in blizzard-like conditions, I think you can get an idea of this area is all about. By the time you read this, I will hopefully be on the slopes!

Posts from Base Camp

Trip Debrief…and revealing the next destination

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

From the natural landscapes to the 24-hour loss of heat and power, there certainly was no shortage of drama on my recent trip to Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

Antelope Canyon

Ultimately, however, the loss of power was just an inconvenience. We met people the day before who cannot connect to the electrical system at all, so that put our temporary loss into perspective.  It also reminded us how utterly dependent we have become on electricity.

Antelope Canyon

From a travel strategy perspective, I was thankful that I had journeyed to these relatively remote areas as part of a group. Having that additional level of support was quite helpful, even on the days when the power remained in force.  I will continue to use small group travel in situations where I don’t think I’m properly equipped to manage on my own if things go wrong.  Off-season travel to remote locations certainly falls into that category, even if there is no language barrier.

Antelope Canyon

Having said that, I am very much looking forward to my next independent adventure.  Later this winter, I will be skiing in countries that are very familiar, but in locations that are new to me. I’ll start by spending several days in and around Les Diablerets, Switzerland. This is in the French-speaking Canton of Vaud, just a few kilometres west of my 2018 ski adventure in Lenk.

Me, hiking determinedly in Zion National Park

From there, I will travel further west for a full week of skiing in Morzine, France. While I have been in France a few times recently (including a wonderful summer 2018 trip to Normandy and Brittany), I have never been skiing there. In fact, I have never been skiing in any French-speaking part of Europe…so far, my only French-speaking skiing has been in the province of Quebec.

Antelope Canyon

Morzine should be a great base. It is part of the vast (201 ski lifts!) Les Portes du Soleil ski region, linking thirteen resorts in both France and Switzerland. We’ll be able to ski back and forth between countries, not just villages!  Stay tuned for lots more on this exciting destination in the Haute-Savoie.

Antelope Canyon

I will end this post by mentioning one more benefit of travelling in a group: being able to get great photos! All of the photos in today’s post were taken by other travellers who graciously allowed me to use them in this blog. If you want to read more, you can check out these recent posts on Antelope Canyon (Arizona) and Zion National Park (Utah).

Posts from Base Camp

Looking ahead to 2019’s trips

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The beginning of the year is always a time to reflect on past trips and think about the ones to come. Looking back to the beginning of 2018, I had some summer destinations in mind but nothing concrete (click here for the surprising resolution in early February of 2018).

View of Regenboldshorn, from Metschstand (Lenk/Adelboden, Switzerland)

In the end, my main 2018 trips were for skiing in Switzerland’s Berner Oberland, an extended summer trip to northern France, and a spontaneous road trip to New Jersey in November.  I’ve taken my favourite photos from those trips and reposted them in today’s blog entry.

The ski posse is getting a little tired by this point…we ended up skiing a total of 71 km that day! (Lenk, Switzerland)

But you probably already know all about those trips.  What’s in store for 2019?

Bayeux’s Cathedral at 11:00 p.m. (France)

For me, it looks like 2019 is going to be a year of sports travel.  In less than a month, I will be skiing for a week in a completely new (for me) ski region.  It definitely falls into that “how come I never went here before?” category:  like London (U.K.), I somehow managed to avoid this part of the world for a very long time.  The big reveal is coming up in a few weeks!

Lots of choices, high above Lenk and Adelboden (Switzerland)

As for my traditional summer trip…it’s all up to the sporting gods.  I’ll be entering a number of competitions this year and I’ll just have to see how they all work out.  I don’t even know where most of these events will take place:  I just know roughly when they will occur.  They could be local, somewhere in the province of Ontario, somewhere in Canada, or even international!

Precariously leaning house in Rouen (France)

So far, my experience with sports travel has been excellent.  Of course, skiing is always a great experience. However, that is purely recreational and it is not all that difficult to stumble upon alpine highlights.  In contrast, participating in competitions brings you into contact with people and places that you would never see as a “regular” tourist.

Vitré (France)

My 2014 hockey tour of Eastern Europe was predictably unforgettable.  But I also participated in a provincial championship in another sport in Sarnia, Ontario, last summer…and had a great time, even though I had never thought of visiting there as a “regular” tourist.  You just never know!

The Arc de Triomphe, overlooking l’avenue des Champs-Élysées (right before France’s victory parade for winning the 2018 World Cup!)

And if things don’t go too well on the competitive front this summer, I will probably have some vacation time left over in the fall.  That’s a great time of year to have some leftover vacation days!  As readers of this blog know, last-minute trips are often the very best kind.

Competing in the Novice Singles playoffs at the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association provincial championships in Ottawa, Ontario (September 2018)

Whatever happens, 2019 promises to be a very interesting travel year.