This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 184
published Winter 2009
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Swiss Snowshoeing Meet March 2009
by John Dixie
It is always good to arrive in the Alps in winter, but particularly gratifying when there has recently been a big dump of snow and the weather has then stabilised and there is wall-to-wall sunshine for the whole of your trip. So it was when seven of us gathered at the excellent Hotel du Glacier in Champex-Lac, Switzerland, for a custom-tailored snow-shoeing week put together especially for us by International Mountain Leader Lindsay Cannon of Tracks and Trails. This area will be known to those who have done the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB).
Lindsay issued us with our rented specialist kit – modern lightweight snowshoes, trekking poles, and shovels, probes and transceivers for avalanche rescue. The latter enable the party to locate anyone unfortunate enough to have been caught by an avalanche – though as Lindsay demonstrated during the week, the best way of managing this risk is by taking careful account of the snow conditions and choosing suitable routes.
Our itinerary was to include the Plan de Monnay ridge above the quiet little ski resort of Vichère; Le Chantonnet which is a rounded summit of 2576m just above the Petit Col Ferret (this col is an option on the TMB); a night at the monastery guest house on the Grand St. Bernard Pass and a couple of high cols in that area; and a final couple of summits, the Mont D'Arpille and La Vaudette at 2485m. The views from all of these places were superb and each one was an excellent day out, usually involving around 900m of ascent and taking about six hours. To visit this variety of places required transport, which was provided in the form of a minibus rented and driven by Lindsay. The only problem we encountered was that towards the end of the week Lindsay was under the weather and so for the final two days we were led by her business partner, Julia, who is likewise an International Mountain Leader.
Snowshoeing is an excellent way to enjoy the mountains in winter. It is easy to learn and after a few days experience one may expect to be ready to go out of the valleys and to visit the cols and summits. Usually you have the mountain pretty much to yourself, maybe seeing a few ski tourers passing by as they enjoy similar terrain. It is a little more strenuous than summer walking - a snow-shoe weighs about the same as a mid-weight boot, and breaking a new trail often involves extra effort – but with them one can climb and descend quite steep slopes and cope with snow conditions ranging from fluffy powder to icy crust. And then there is the snow-shoers’ answer to skiing for descending the steeper slopes, the ‘bum slide’, which is an experience not to be missed! For this shower-proof trousers are a definite advantage. All in all, it was a wonderful week.
Skiers may be interested to know that there is a wealth of easy off-piste skiing in this area, particularly using the lifts at Vichère and Grand St Bernard.
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Last updated: 15 December 2009