Tag Archives: hiking

Aug20

The flowers of Zermatt

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Thursday, 18-July-2024, through Wednesday, 24-July-2024


Astute readers may have noticed a peculiarity in my last few posts.

They lack flowers.

I do enjoy photographing flowers – they’re colorful, they’re pretty, and they generally have interesting little details that make them fun to look at up close and magnified. It’s a habit I picked up years and years ago, when I would do solo hikes and want to bring back pictures that a partner could use as references for her art… but now, I continue searching them out because they simply make me exceptionally happy. Both in the moment, and when reviewing photos later on and seeing those that come out just right.


Zermatt has tons of flowers – and I was fortunate enough to arrive just in time for the alpine blooms throughout the valley! Likely made even more spectacular due to my adventures, traversing between different elevations, allowing me the opportunity to see different blooming strata.

In short – I got one or two photos that I’m extremely proud of. Please – sit back, relax, and enjoy what I bring to you, my dearest readers, from the mountains of the Swiss alps. In, on, and around the beautiful town of Zermatt.

Aug19

A hike to Tuftern, Sunnega, Gant, and Riffelalp

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Saturday, 20-July-2024





My first big hike in Zermatt was freaking awesome.

11miles, 3,000ft elevation gain, two restaurants, and countless views. Good hiking, constant yet mild elevation gain, and I was even graced with a railway ride to descend… which my knees definitely appreciated.

I can’t believe I just wrote that. I feel old.



As old as I feel writing that out… I didn’t feel old while hiking. I felt strong, I felt good, and I was frankly a little bit awestruck at how beautiful the views I was getting were… even as I passed restaurant after hotel after restaurant. I stopped at two – one for some cold drinks, and one for a late lunch.

My friend Daniel and I have joked that, should we ever become infinitely rich and famous, we’d hire a helicopter to meet us at the top of various long rock climbs with babyback ribs and other BBQ accoutrements… I didn’t notice ribs on the menu in Zermatt, but they had pretty much everything else. So… yeah. Welcome to Swiss Heaven!

Aug5

A walk out to Port Mieu

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Sunday, 07-July-2024


I had some time before my Mom and Steve arrived in France, but I frankly wasn’t feeling super energetic… so instead of trying for a big hike like I had the day before with Mount Pugot I went easy and just took a stroll into Les Calanques, the national park right up against Cassis.

It was a walk that I’d taken quite a few times in 2014, taking the trail up to the rock climbing areas that my friends and I explored and scaled, and it was interesting walking those same paths again ten years later. They felt vaguely familiar, though I could definitely tell that I’m a different person now than I was back when I first set foot on them.

I’ll admit, the lack of 50lbs of rock climbing gear definitely helped my mood too.

I’ll also admit, the bajillion degree day didn’t help my mood all that much, though… It wasn’t bad, per say, but it was definitely a challenge that kept me sticking to the shadows as I ascended and descended the various hills.



A really cool part about Les Calancques near Cassis, and Cassis itself in fact, is just how worn the marble is. (I am learning now that it may not actually be marble… but a form of limestone that wears down super smooth?) Basically, it’s like walking on an ice rink in many places… which is kind of fun in town, but on the steeper sections of the hiking trails it definitely adds an interesting challenge aspect to the descents.

As I walked, I enjoyed the memories coming back to me. I appreciated the quiet, and I embraced the calm surrounding me… in the sea of tourists and chaotic people heading to and from the various beaches that the trail lead to.

It was lovely. Absolutely lovely, and a perfect start into my (our!) adventures in Cassis.