An Albula Alps Adventure

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An Albula Alps Adventure

The Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route is perhaps the most well known ski tour in the Alps, but there are many lesser known multi-day tours. Several years ago I guided the Albula Alps tour from St Moritz to Davos, but we weren’t fortunate with the weather that time, so we had to adapt some days. When the opportunity came to guide it again, I jumped at the chance. The Chamonix to Zermatt haute route is linear so there is a big drive back to Chamonix at the end, but the Albula Alps haute route is more circular. This time we were blessed with amazing weather, and excellent snow conditions, despite the fact that there had been very little fresh snow for quite some time. Everything went to plan, and we completed the tour in seven days, with overnight stays in very nice huts.

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Managing Risk in the Mountains #3: Ten Principles for Taking & Reviewing Risk

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Managing Risk in the Mountains #3: Ten Principles for Taking & Reviewing Risk

According to Merriam-Webster, risk is “the possibility of loss or injury, or someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard.” As a society we are becoming increasingly risk-adverse, but any mountain adventure involves risk to some degree. It can be argued that taking risks can add to the enjoyment and sense of achievement. So how do we decide what is acceptable risk-taking? These ten principles have been adapted from the Authorised Professional Practice of the College of Policing.

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The Skier's Haute Route: What's It All About?

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The Skier's Haute Route: What's It All About?

The Haute Route is the most famous ski tour in the Alps. It is an amazing journey linking the historic Alpine towns of Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. There are many variations, giving different options in terms of difficulty and length. The Verbier Haute Route gives better skiing, is less technical and is slightly shorter than the classic Haute Route. It gives the option of missing out the section from Chamonix to Verbier, which currently involves longer days as the Grands Montets lift in Argentiere is closed following a fire last year.

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