There is a special feeling in the Alps this time of year. The winter is coming to an end
and people are starting to dream about shorts, bikes and barbecues.
But sometimes the weather changes your plans and you get some of the best powder
of the season in April. It happens almost every year and so it did again. April fools…
But a sure sign of the inevitable ending are the End of Season Parties.

If you want to know more just click on the words in the text.

Some parties take place at the end of March like the legendary Free Heel Festival in Livigno,
a must for every fan of Telemark. If this is your kind of fun just block next years
19th version, 6-12 April 2013.

The answer for most resorts seem to be rock concerts on the mountain or in the village.

Here are some samples:

Portes du Soleil had a number of concerts on the mountain during a couple of days in March,
they called it Rock the Pistes Festival

Zermatt has its own unplugged version of party going on this very week

Sölden has its reputation of being a party town to defend and they present themselves
as the Alpine Hotspot of Sports and Lifestyle. They have a Electric Mountain Festival
9-21 of April. The top name is (or was) the French Super Star DJ David Guetta.

Val d’Isère has a couple of days of Party, they simply call it Fetes de fin du Saison
Mostly French locals and British tourist but supposed to be quiet fun, 27/4-1/5.

The wildest Party of all is said to be the Mega Concert Mega Party at Idalp in Ischg on the
30th of April. This year Mariah Carey will be on stage at 13.00 in front of an audience of 20.000.

Previous years have seen superstars like Elton John, Tina Turner and Roxette.

The craziest end of season happening by far is the Defi Foly in La Clusaz where the
little cute and quiet mountain lake Lac des Confins becomes the scene of a fun and
crazy attempt to traverse the lake on skis, boards and all kind of imaginable vessels.
Watch this 5 min movie (in French) defi foly

And if you don’t like the idea of ending the winter there is a place that usually
have another 2 month of skiing and the season actually starts with a Party on the
24 of May. 790 cm of snow at the bottom station. Hello Stryn

Cin Cin, Santé, Saluti, Prost, Skål

Last week Neil and I decided to go up to stay the night at the New Monte Rosa Hut.
The weather was fantastic and we skied the Schwarztour down to the Gornerglacier.
It was 10 days since it snowed so the decent was more like pist skiing, but of course
with less people and a beautiful scenery.

At the bottom we met some other mountineers with heavy back packs heading
towards the hut.

Almost there we passed the Zwillings Glacier where it meets the Grenz Glacier.

We got to the Hut and had a nice afternoon in the sun.

The hut is almost like a hotel nowadays with toilets and shower in the hut, heating and
single bunkbeds intead of the dorms that was the only option in the old hut.

The food was nice and we had a good view of the sun going down behind Matterhorn.

The alarm went of at 4 am and we set off at 5.15 am with our head torches.

I love the mornings in the mountains. It was a clear night, so calm and walking
is almost meditative. Then the sun rises and you are surrounded by beautiful peaks.

We made it to the 4200 m then I was to tired to continue. From there we had a good
view of many of the surrounding 4000 m peaks. Breithorn 4164 m, Lyskamm 4527 m,
Matterhorn 4478 m and Nordend 4609 m.

Then we skied down. Starting off a bit hard and icy…, but in the end we found some
surprisingly nice snow : )

MVI_2256

Keep Touring!

/Anna

It´s my birthday today, but since I am in a ski resort and everyone is working on
Saturdays I celebrated it yesterday with a nice day on the mountain.  The tour
we were doing is the most famous off-pist run in Zermatt, called the Schwarztour.

Here is Sheila, Neil, Uffe and me all excited to go on the Glacier. We took the lift
up to Klein Matterhorn.

To get to the Schwarzee Glacier you have to do a long traverse behind Breithorn.
For the last part it is easier to put your skins on and then you skin for about 30 min.

Neil took the lead. There are several nice ways to get down and we got some nice turns in.i

In the middle you cross a beautiful part of the glacier. Almost like a post card!

Some people headed towards Tommie’s bowl, while we found a nice line on the right
side of the big bowl. At the bottom we stopped on the moraine for a picnic.

From there we could see the persons that headed for Tommie’s bowl coming back over
the ridge and releasing a small avalanche. We also had a great view over our run.
It is one of the longest off-pist runs in the Alps since you start at the top of Klein
at 3 982 m and you end in Zermatt 2 300 vertical meter down.

We continued down the Death Valley as we call it. It is like a valley in the glacier.

In the end you pass through the glacier tongue.

We stopped for a quick beer at Arolied in the sun and then a short after ski at
Sparky´s bar. A good ending of a perfect day!

When we got back to Zermatt we had a reunion of “old” season workers.

We took the last train up to Sunnegga and sledged down to Othmars Hütte.

We were a mix of Swedish, English, Australian, German, Canadian, Swiss people and
the dog Maggie, who loves to go sledging or more precise to run along the sledge.

First a bit of walking and they off we went.

We had a nice cheese fondue at Othmars Hütte and to avoid getting a lump of cheese
in our stomage we ended the dinner with a Willamine Birne, a local schnapps with pear.

It was a happy crowd sledging down in the dark after dinner.

Keep sledging and eating cheese!!!

/Anna

Ever wondered why there are so much cheese around in the alpine ski resorts?
Well, it’s very simple, because of all the cows! The mountainsides that are so
perfect for skiing are full of happy cows, sheep or goats during the summer months.
And cheese is conserved milk.

All alpine mountain resorts with some very few exceptions are actually farming
communities. Most farmers prefer to have their living quarters below 1500 m but
from mid June to mid September they migrate to higher grounds. To their
Alm (ger) Alpage (fr) Baita (it). And they all long to go to their little paradises
and listen to the Sounds of….

The swiss cheeses include Emmentaler, Gruyère, Appenzeller but also the less
known Sbrinz and last but not least Raclette which is suitable for melting…

The french mountain cheeses include, Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie, Reblochon,
Abondance and Chevrotin

As the entire Italy apart from the Po plaine is mountainous I have chosen to
limit the choice to cheese made close to the Alps. Fontina is made in Aosta,
Gorgonzola in Piemonte and Grana Padano which often is mistaken for the real
Parmegiano. That the Dolomiti cheese is produced locally goes without saying

The austrian cheeses are less know and often just called Bergkäse which could
be anything of the above mentioned hard cheese and they are often just delicious.

If want to know the locals, to know where to ski or not
- ask them about cheese
Say cheese and you’ll get a smile…

The fifth highest cliff in Europe is just around the corner from Cassis on
the Mediterranean coast. 394 m.a.s.

How do we know it’s true? Well we don’t but at least it sounds
impressive doesn’t it. On top of it there is a spectacular road called
Route des Cretes and it closes on windy days…

Just opposite the bay of Cassis are the famous Calanques. A favorite
springtime spot for frozen climbers as it is all nice and warm. The same goes for the late autumn. The word
calanque is patoi, local dialect, for a windprotected inlet in the mountains.
A fjord in miniature.

I was in La Ciotat for the weekend and the local mountains were calling
my name. I rented a bike and decided to take the trail up.

The special shaped cliff protecting La Ciotat is called Bec d’Aigle which means the eagle’s beak and it’s
82 meter high.

The view from the top of the trail was stunning

The edge is a windy place though. 200 days a year the wind is 7 or more
on the Beaufort scale. La Ciotat is known throughout history as a shipyard.
Nowaday the ships are gone and replaced by rather luxury yachts in need of repair.
The area is soon to be a national parc to be saved for future generations.

left a white one…
Winter has finally arrived, or?
St. Moritz has a lot to offer, but only about 42 days of snowfall a year.
I experienced two out of 42. Hallelujah!

We arrived in a green valley and left a white one.

Magic morning memory. Looking out through my window at 7 am.

One good start of the day was morning exercise in the Hotel SPA area.

Going up to the Corvatsch top station for lunch, at 3303 meter above sea level.

The view is normally very nice. Well, as you now know St. Moritz has 323 days of
very nice views. The weather changes quickly in the mountains. You never know
what you will get…

Our favorite  Alexander Hunger from the Swiss Convention and Incentive Bureau.
He knows all it is to know about Switzerland. Here we also have the host of Corvatsch,
Andrea Rominger from the Corvatsch ski area in Engadin St. Moritz.

If you never been to St. Moritz you got to go there. One more good place to visit is
the little hut up at Mouttas Muragl. Try one or two of their 800 different kinds of wine,
a ”Kalte Platte” or do some toboggan runs from up there and down to the Valley.
You go back up by a small mountain train on steep mountain trails.

Pontresina is one of the neighbor Villages of St. Moritz and it is totally rocking here.
Especially if you go there over the big event ”Voices on Top”. Cassandra Steen and
Philipp Frankhauser made the whole Valley swing this weekend.

Bubbles und the evening and bubbles in the morning.

Why not end the trip the same way as it started; with some more morning exercise.
Well exercise or not, this is treatment for the soul.

The rhaetian private rentable railway wagons are very airy and comfortable.
How do you travel?

When leaving the Engadin Valley the sun came out to say good bye.

Big thanks to the local stars in Engadin and to:
Alexander Hunger Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau,
Daniela Hofstetter Convention Services/Engadin St. Moritz,
Pascal Rechsteiner Rhaetian Railway
Beat Spörndli Pontresina Congress
Andrea Rominger Corvatsch ski area

See you soon Engadin, keep up the bubbles and the snow.

As you all know we make tailor made trips to steep terrain. Our yearly Kick-out
just took place. Our own conference trip to steep terrain. We love exotic places
that we usually do not hear of. This time we went to south of France. We landed
in Nice and from there and on we got drawn to the hills and mountains.
If it was steep? Well… see for yourself.

After an about 40 min hike we came to the first tricky part. Leaving ground
entering space. Via Ferrata is a hit!

Our own mountain guide Tompa was our strong leader. He put safety first and
showed us how to do things right.
Awesome action ruled Alpine Legends. VD Erik Borggren was not afraid of heights.

300 meters of altitude drops. And here we are balancing on a wire. Pontus was
the first one out on the Tyrolean. Adrena-liiina!

After a climb, it was conference time. Up in a small hut, surrounded by
forrest and mountains, focus and development was the main point. What could
be a better place than having a conference right here. The ideas flowed.

And the excitement continued. The second day was crazy canyoning the big
exercise. Who is ready to get wet?

Tatiana taking off.

Dream team gathering, surrounded by water and mountain walls. Hallelujah!
Where is the snow?…

Everything finally comes to an end. Enjoying the moment and our last evening at
Pontus and Evelyn´s place in Biot.

Their roof terrace gave us the view we needed, ocean, mountains, sun and
rainbows was brightening the day.

Good wine, lots of food, colleagues and friends. What a peak of the trip, what a
perfect ending of the ”kick out” and what a great memory.

Now, back home in the Office, filled with energy after adventures and conferences.
Yes, we do miss the nice summer heat, but we even more look forward to the winter.

This is was life is about. Always put an extra glimpse of everyday life.
Alpine Legends, Living the dream

All of a sudden you just find that perfect peak that you just need to
climb. Dent d’Oche is that sort of peak, with a unique view over the
entire Geneva Lake.

To say that the view is stunning is the understatement of the year.
This is what turns up just like that on our way up. The mighty Mont
Blanc behind the faboulous skiarea and mountainbike paradise of
Portes de Soleil.

Some of the creatures we met do have incredible advantage in this
terrain over us simple humans. These Chamois or mountains goats are
the champion climbers of the planet.

On the way up the mountain hut Refuge de la Dent d’Oche turns up just like that

This hut in all it’s modesty has 56 beds.

And the food is good. This is momo, excellent and very tasty nepalese
dumplings.

And here is the explaination
The hosts are a mixed couple; she from Chamonix, Elise Cupelin Sherpa
and he from Nepal, Pasang Dawa Sherpa. They live up here all summer
bringing food and supplies almost everyday up the very steep and
sometimes very slippery route..Quite impressive.

Some parts of of the route have chains for your comfort and safety…

To reach the peak you have to pass the hut and use another set of chains

The 360 degree view is impressive and by all means hard to describe.
Behind the cross you can see Evian and even Geneva.
Nyon is across the lake.

Montreux, Vevey and the glacier of les Diablerets.

In the distance you can see le Petit et Grand Combin reknown for
being the Heliski spot for the locals of Verbier. Just in front Les Dent
du Midi right above Champery.

The front page of local press says that this mountain makes all
people overly excited. I cannot but agree.

More peaks to the people

Off we go. Big we go. We paddled through the canals of Stockholm.
Stand up paddle, SUP, the new Stockholm hit. We had to try it out!

In the beginning we did our best just taking control over the boards.Anna, Ida
and Jossan almost got into a fight about the seamanship.
Who is doing it the right way?

After a while we got the hang of it. We did a two hour upwind cruise, through
the canal of karlberg and up to city Hall and back.

Linda kept us strong and took the lead. Johanna just kept smiling.

We had an enjoyable day. Learned a lot. We did not crash with any boats, but
caught some of their swells.
Alpine Legends SUP-pro Chris Balmer was missing out. We would have needed
his magic stand up skills. Check out his boards and board rental in Switzerland
at: Makaiboards.ch

We do know one thing, we belong in the mountains. Although we like SUP we
prefer skiing.
Always living the dream