General
Backcountry skiing, paragliding and cycling
February was an exciting month with opportunities for backcountry skiing, paragliding and cycling.
Finally ready to restart
We were happy when we finally were able to pick up our motorhome from the garage on February 7 and were able to restart our adventure. We went to Lower Valais. First out was the Great St. Bernhard. The pass road is closed and covered with snow in the winter and the region is a great hiking area for skiers. Due to Corona, traffic between Switzerland and Italy is virtually completely cut off. Therefore, there were very few people in the region and we had the opportunity for many wonderful summit hikes in untouched powder snow.
After a few days we went on via La Fouly to Champex Lac. Both locations are located in the Lower Valais in the French-speaking region of Switzerland. From Champex Lac we did a summit trip to Val d’Arpette. The avalanche situation had calmed down in the meantime and the rating of the avalanche danger dropped from level 5 to level 2.
Just before we reached the top, we passed an area with packed and icy snow. Roger slipped away, his left binding came loose and one of his skis and riser ran down the hill at full speed. The ski completely disappeared in the deep powder snow. Although we searched for a long time on the slopes, we could not find the ski. Roger therefore had to go about 7 km downhill in beautiful powder snow with only one ski. It was a strenuous task to say the least!
Paragliding and road cycling
Due to this year’s unusually warm climate and because Roger had pain in his ankle, we had to put our skis away for a while. Instead, we took out our paragliders and made our first hike up to paraglide in the Interlaken region for the first time this year. It is always nice to fly and have the chance to marvel at nature, the lakes and the mountains from the air. The feeling of freedom is even more intense in the air.
After the flight we drove to the canton of Ticino. The so-called solarium in Switzerland. Surrounded by lakes, with palm trees along the streets, the vines and the proximity to Italy, you will find a truly southern atmosphere in Ticino.
The mild temperatures and the sun’s rays were perfect for our first rides with the racing bikes. Then we had the opportunity to use our new cycling clothing from Trail Sportswear for the first time! We are especially impressed by the comfortable cycling bib shorts!
We look forward to more nice winter days before we get ready for spring. We hope Rogers’ wounds heal quickly and that we return to the snow and skiing!
Our motto is “The adventure begins where the plans end!” We are happy to see what the next few weeks will bring!
