Norm on the Chèré Couloir June 28, 2014

Salima on Diretta al Banano July 10, 2014

Speaking of you...
We like to mention folks by name and feature them personally as much as possible. However we also wish to respect everyone's privacy, so if you have done a trip with us and would prefer we not share the particulars in our e-newsletter, we perfectly understand. Please let us know!

Zach on the Mer de Glace. August 22, 2014

Happy November!

It's that time of year, here in Chamonix, where everything shuts down and people burrow in, repairing, renovating, planning and preparing for the coming Winter season. We've had an amazing couple of months of fine, warm weather, making up for the wet, cool summer. Conditions for rock and alpine climbing have been superb, and we've been getting out on the rock quite a lot. But now the snows are falling at last, and it's time for us too to get ready for ski season.

Santo Group on the Valleé Blanche, August 27, 2014

Our summer was a busy one, and quite productive despite weather challenges. Though the garden suffered from lack of warmth and sunshine on top of the usual and inevitable neglect, the glaciers stayed in beautiful condition all the way through to September, and we enjoyed the pristine beauty of their "eternal snows" throughout the summer.

Grant on the Grand Combin. August 6, 2014

Mark did a lot of challenging alpine climbs with many of his "usual suspects", plus a couple of new folks. Kathy also shared the rope with lots of old friends, and did a new (to her) glacier trek in the Berner Oberland as well, which she plans to offer again next summer. Check out our Recent Trips pages to catch up with what we've been up to, and vicariously share in the fun and games.

Susan on the Traversée de la Voile, Calanques. October 14, 2014

As we head into the coming winter, we already have a nearly full docket of climbing assignments for next summer. Mark has only a few days still available here and there on his calendar, likewise Kathy, though her two treks are scheduled and as yet wide open for participants. Let her know soon if you would like to join in on one of these challenging and beautiful treks. The world's glaciers are indeed receding, but at least they are still quite huge here in the Alps. Walk 'em while they last!

Kathy has space available on her Chamonix to Zermatt Glacier Trek July 28—August 3, 2015, and also her Berner Oberland "Back of Beyond" Glacier Trek, July 12—18, 2015.

See our availability page for details.

Berner Oberland "Back of Beyond" Trek

2015 Winter in the Alps

Coming up this winter and spring, we of course have lots of skiing plans as well. Our yearly family visit to the U.S. will take us up to the New Year, but once back in Chamonix we will be available for off-piste or waterfall ice guiding early-January onward. Let us know if you would like to come over and discover what our part of the Alps has to offer.

Our first scheduled ski trips are in February; we hope to return to Val Maira in Italy, and the Queyras in France. These valleys are both fairly near each other, on the Italian and French sides respectively of the Maritime Alps. Both are perfect venues for mid-winter touring, with light powder snow among sparse trees and glades, rugged peaks above timberline, and a remote ambience, far from the busy-ness of more developed ski resorts. Village accommodations are comfortable-to-lavish, in charming hotels and gîtes, modernized or renovated but proudly faithful to the local building traditions. All elements of a truly unique “muscle powered” ski holiday in an unspoiled landscape.

Later in the season we plan to return to the Silvretta (February 23–28, 7 spaces available); the Ortler (trip full, sorry!); the Haute Route de la Vanoise (also full, yikes!); the Albula tour from St. Moritz to Davos March 21-27 (two spaces still available); the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route via Verbier, April 1-8 (four spaces still available); and finally back to the Berner Oberland, April 27 – May 2 (seven spaces still available).

Endless skiing in the Albula.

Finally, we’d love to see you in the Calanques in October of next year, if you want a Fall get-away that includes Mediterranean sea-cliff climbing in the sun and great French cuisine!

MG in Sormiou, Les Calanques, France

A pre-ski tip for you and plug for our physio friends...

We also wanted to make a plug for a great program developed by our Physical Therapist and friend Neil MacLean-Martin who runs the Clinique du Sport here in Chamonix.

Some of you may have heard Kathy go on and on about his "Ski Fit" exercise program, which she participated in last Fall in preparation for ski season. Well now he and his team have developed an online "app", to allow people to access the program on a computer or device. We have begun it and are just finishing up "Phase 1". It's challenging, fun (in a sick sort of way), nice to be able to do it on our own schedule and pace, and judging by results from last year, a very effective way to prepare for the ski season, to start strong and prevent injury. It costs £9.99 for the "Full Programme", or £4.99 for "Phase One" only. Even doing just Phase One should set you up for a good start to your season. The "Full Programme" is designed to extend over an 8 week period, but again you can go as far as you want, and you can spread it out over a longer period if that's best for you—that's the beauty of it being an app! Check it out here: befitapps.com

Keep in touch!

Please let us know soon if you would like to join us on any of these ski tours, we feel like we have a really great season planned and would love to have you join us.

Have a great Autumn and Holiday season, and please be in touch!


Kathy and Mark