Breaking with tradition, this year we took the van to the Alps over Christmas and New Year.  This was somewhat experimental and I won’t pretend it wasn’t all rather stressful leading up to the trip, but once we actually left things greatly improved.  The outcomes: 1) We didn’t freeze to death, get stuck in the snow or get fed up of each other during the long dark evenings.  2) Fairy lights might become a permanent feature in the van.  3) We did manage three days of sunny ski touring, two days of snowshoeing, one day faffing about on snow in high winds and flat light (not sure it could really be called “skiing”), a very cold morning on piste, and several days with expat friends in and around Zurich to see in 2018 – most of which was a lot of fun.  4) We did miss Scotland and might have to go there a lot this year to make up for it.  5) We might do it again sometime…

Campsite in Davos

First morning – SNOW!

Setting off on the first day

Skinning up the road

Slow zig zag towards the summit

On the final ridge

Nearly there on the Jorihorn

A friendly wolf on the top (the owner described it as his wolf. It really enjoys snow apparently)

First tracks of the year

Starting to remember how to ski

Another early morning skin

Stafelalp (came back for coffee later)

Christmas day skinning (ridiculously warm)

Along a ridge

Cutting the corner off the ridge

Summer path was obscured

Chorbschhorn for Christmas lunch

Action shot – almost perfect tracks in perfect snow (Jo’s are far right)

Back along the ridge towards coffee

Another clear day meant another skinning session

Bit more weather around today

Ill thought out route choice meant a horizontal tootle for a bit

Bouldering interlude

Decided to go for the bigger peak -heading leftwards

Top of the Sentischhorn

Great view of lummocky snow on the next valley over

Taking the shorter route down (Davos on the left)

And slogging back to the van

A windy, poor light day on the Pischagrat

More SNOW!

Playing with snowshoes

A horse just galloped past us.

Rare-ish slow snow slide on corrugated roof

Zurich wandering

Artistic Tree

Zurichsee

Snowshoeing on Rigi

Admiring the massive contorted lakes of Switzerland

Along the ridge

The ridge had lots of up and down, some on awkward snow

More massive lakes

Sunset on top of Rigi

Looking West (Jo’s PhD field area is just over the two rocky peaks in the middle)

Looking SW (ridge we walked along in the foreground)

Looking S to Eiger area

Eiger just picked out with sunlight in the centre

More snow, water and sunset – the last of 2017.