Blogs from Sion, South-West, Switzerland, Europe

Partly because mummy is keen on swimming in high (& cold) lakes, and partly because Pierre-Jean has an emotional connection to the area, we were driven up a windy hillside clad in grape vines and then a treacherous mountain pass (4 cars were washed from the road 2 days after we visited) with hand blasted cliffside tunnels to Lac de Derborence. The walk on the other side of the valley had whet daddy's imagination. You can see the path in the photos. Conquering this path could help me to become a mountain adventurer! The lake was very low and a thunderstorm threatened, so we just scampered around the lake edge (with one eye open for rattlesnakes) and then took a late lunch at the 'refuge'. A piano accordianist in the corner had me dancing and bringing ... read more

Before we start today, a note for one of our younger readers: please be advised that the blog is a record of the trip and locations and not about individual people and what they did on a day to day basis! Rising early Bree, Pam and I prepared to catch the train up to Zermatt and then the cable car to the top of the mountain to view the Matterhorn. After a 15 minute walk to the train station and paying the 39e return fares for the three of us it was off to Zermatt. Zermatt is a ski village for the rich and famous I suspect as it is expensive to get there and accommodation appears to be pricey as well. Paying the 225e for the three of us to get up the mountain was ... read more

Hi Everyone We have had the most amazing 8 days of blue skies and sunshine to ski in. Only one morning when it snowed - but that was a bonus top up for the slopes. Today is bleak - windy and snowy, so we are having the day off - most of us need to rest our weary muscles, so we dont mind. No photos for this entry - this computer doesnt allow access to the main tower, so I will have to add photos later. We had our best day of skiing yesterday - over at Verbier - a really sheltered valley bowl in full sunshine. Send photos next time. Bye for now from the Claxons... read more

28 de febrero de 2004 English text below Hoy, mi tercer día en Suiza, lo voy a dedicar al cantón Valais, cantón también de habla francesa (al menos gran parte) a continuación del lago Lemán. En este cantón se encuentran alguna de las montañas más altas y con más personalidad de los Alpes, como el Monte Cervino o Matterhorn. Como no estoy preparado ni física ni materialmente para emprender alguna ascensión o trekkings y los trenecitos turísticos que te llevan por la montaña son muy caros, me conformo con visitar Sion, la capital del Valais. Sion se encuentra en el centro del cantón, vertebrado por el valle del alto Ródano, antes de desembocar en el lago Lemán (cantón Vaud). Es una ciudad pequeña con un centro pequeño medieval que está muy bien para dar un paseíto. ... read more

An e-mail arrived in my inbox this week suggesting a trip to visit a mountain landslide with another PhD student in the weekend… “sounds good” It went on to say the circumstances of the trip will require us to use a helicopter for access.. “yeah, sure, that’s fine” (“ha ha.. sweet!!! how can I sleep for the rest of the week?!”) So on Friday I took the train down to Wallis and grabbed dinner and a few beers with Freddy (the PhD student). Then on Saturday we got up early, took a quick train up to Randa, wandered to an old carpark to meet the five others who were working on the slide that day…and watched them jump in a chopper with a Swiss pilot with a gun grey helmet that had “Victorinox” printed across the ... read more