So, our big adventure for today was, well, pretty mellow (and just right).

After yesterday's truly nasty weather, today dawned sunny and cold. There was a skiff of new snow on the ground and the temperature outside was a bracing -4° C (25° F). Not fully prepared for winter, I had to hunt high and low to find the window scraper for the car.

We just had to get out into the sun. A short drive down to Servoz, then up to Passy and we found a nice starting point for a walk in the woods.

I took a photo of the sign-posting at the start mostly so I could figure out where we were in the event that it much mattered. I'll admit that, at the time, I was too lazy to dig out the map to answer that basic question, hence the photo.

Easy walking up snow-covered dirt roads.

We are almost up to the Charbonnière, where once upon a time, they made charcoal for cooking.

The berries of the mountain ash.

Looking across the valley towards Megeve. Mont Blanc is in the cloud to the left.

We hiked up to about 1600 meters in the deepening snow. Pretty as it was, we began to feel slightly nervous about the possibility of an avalanche from above. All was fine in the cool of the cloud, but if the sun started to warm all those nice 35° slopes above us, well, hmm.....

So, about face and down to Sallanches to shop for dinner.

Walking down past the Charbonnière. And the sun did indeed come out. Behind, from left to right are the 7 summits of the Grépon, the Blaitière, the Plan, the Midi, Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc.