Some photos of Verbier, Switzerland.

The snowy slopes we ski on in the winter and all grass!

Due to humidity and light conditions some pictures are a bit hazy.

Beautiful terrain Saeed. I lived most of my life in view of mountains, mostly volcanic with snow and glaciers on them, and miss them greatly. Just being able to see them and imagine being up there is cool relief on a sweltering hot day. Lots of efforts here in the States to attract downhill mountain bikers to the runs in summer. Ziplines, too.

This place is great!

Like most Alpine mountain places, it is on a mountain slope.

A bit hard for old creatures like me - 74 this year.

But, as long as you are reasonably fit, you can manage.

My daughter loves hiking in the mountains.

A couple of days ago friends took the lift up, and I thought I will try to be a goat - like my daughter - for the day.

And hiked from our home up with her and her dog, Alaska.

Alaska is a large poodle.

We met the others up the mountain, and walked across the valley from one side to the other.

Not gaining any altitude or loosing any.

Hessa, Alaska and me went vertically up over 1,500 meters!!

I am glad I did it.

Had my doubts before, but it wasn’t bad at all.

Yesterday Hessa, Alaska and me went a bit higher.

But we cheated going up by using the lift.

Then walked across for 8 kilometers.

We had a snack up there, and we had a choice of how to get down to our house.

There is a service road which winds up, but much longer in distance.

And there is a footpath down.

Very steep, but much shorter!

We decided to take the footpath.

I just managed to keep up with them.

Today I am taking it easy, as we have friends coming in the afternoon.

Sitting on our veranda and reading WRECKED ON A REEF,OR 20 MONTHS AMING THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

A fascinating book about a ship wreck!

Planning on a helicopter ride over the Alps in the next few days, depending on the weather.

That's an interesting book. They say Jules Verne used the idea for his novel, "Mysterious Island."

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
That's an interesting book. They say Jules Verne used the idea for his novel, "Mysterious Island."

Fascinating!

You are second person I know who has read this book!!

I read these old books, and it never stops to surprise me how many people read the books I read!

Great minds think alike!

We found a beautiful lake up in the mountains.

Alaska loved playing in the snow too.

Bill, you might remember this part from the book.


using up three caps, he grew discouraged; but as he rested the gun on the ground to re-load the first barrel, it went off.

The ball passed through the nap of his hat close to his forehead! His face black with powder, and his features discomposed by the sudden surprise, Musgrave let go the weapon, and recoiling a step, supported himself for a moment against the trunk of a tree.

Thinking he was wounded, we abandoned our chase, and hastened to his assistance. The seal took advantage of the incident; she gained the shore, and escaped our pursuit by plunging into the waves.

Saeed, I haven't read it yet, just read about it. It was a best-seller in its day. I have it ordered and greatly look forward to reading it.
I expect it to rank with the much earlier "Sufferings in Africa," said to have shaped a young Lincoln's views on slavery, and the much later "Endurance," the story of Shackleton's miraculous survival.
That's just glorious real estate there. The lake reminds me of the glacial tarns we used to fish above timberline the Cascade Mountains of the Northwest, and the Eagle Cap and Wallowa mountains of northeast Oregon, the heart of Nez Perce country.

Looks like good weather to go fly tomorrow morning.

Had quite a bit of rain, thunder and lightning later this afternoon and early evening.

Got good photos.

I took a helicopter ride over here in December.

It will be nice to compare the mountains.

Look forward to your photos, Saeed.
Have you read "In the Heart of the Sea, the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex"? That one was dark.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Look forward to your photos, Saeed.
Have you read "In the Heart of the Sea, the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex"? That one was dark.

Yes I have.

I am trying to remember another good book on the subject of being wrecked.

Will post its name when my morning coffee might unscramble my brain cells!

ISLAND OF THE LOST and IN THE WAKE OF MADNESS.

Two books by JOAN DRUETT.

I think the first tells the story of two separate ships being wrecked on an island, totally unaware of each other!!

despite what we can think my dear Saeed you seems a lot attracted by cold snow and ice ... us we are not waiting for it and it is a sure thing coming ...

I like reading books of exploration.

In all parts of the world.

One gets a fascinating outlook on those times.

Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Sometimes one gets to read a book on the same event by different authors, and get a totally different view of had transpired.

But ultimately I prefer living in a hot climate rather than a cold one.

Sitting by the fire with snow covered mountains all around and outside temperatures being minus 25 degrees C, reading about someone stuck in a storm on Mount Everest is much better than being there experiencing it first hand!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I like reading books of exploration.

In all parts of the world.

One gets a fascinating outlook on those times.

Antarctica, the Arctic, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Sometimes one gets to read a book on the same event by different authors, and get a totally different view of had transpired.

But ultimately I prefer living in a hot climate rather than a cold one.

Sitting by the fire with snow covered mountains all around and outside temperatures being minus 25 degrees C, reading about someone stuck in a storm on Mount Everest is much better than being there experiencing it first hand!

-25c is when things are starting to be interesting ...

That is nothing.

Saw a video of a Siberian town with temperatures down to minus 76 degrees!

The only reason people can live there is because their brains have been FROZEN!

On the same wavelength!

Their water is blocks of ice placed outside.

They cut pieces and defrost it inside!

About a month ago temperatures in my garden in Dubai was 60 degrees C.

I have a picture of the weather station I will post.

Took an iPad and sat in the shade of a tree.

Not bad at all really.

The iPad stopped working 10 minutes later!!

Got a book and sat reading for an hour in the shade of a tree.

Was not very uncomfortable!!

What great photos, love to see the tops of those mountains someday. Good that you share these places with family and friends.

I also discovered something new with my GPS!

And step meter.

I covered 178 kilometers. In doing 3,714 steps??

That translates to just over 20 steps per kilometer!

I wonder how my hunting friends will keep up with me!

Someone asked if my GPS is faulty!

No.

I walked very little.

Flew in a helicopter instead!

Today we had one of those pouring down days.

The weather was supposed to stay sunny till noon.

Apparently the storm was faster than anticipated.

Went up in the lift to the top of one of the mountains.

Idea was to walk across the valley from one top to the other, which is a great hike.

Went up as soon as the lift opened.

Halfway on my hike it started pouring down!

Storm came 2 hours early!

My wife insisted I take a rain jacket, which came in handy.

Back home by lunch time.

And hour later sunshine again!

Sorry about the weather Saeed. We could use. rain shower here in this part of Texas.
Great photos from the helicopter.
Ordered "Island of the Lost" as well. I like the old maritime misadventures as well. Assume you have read "Two Years Before the Mast." Dana's descriptions of rounding Cape Horn and early California are fascinating.

Thank you Bill.

Just ordered it on my Kindle account.

From the way it appears, that dam project must have been quite the feat.

20 steps per kilometer . . .

That is quite a stride

Yet again another fantastic photo journey by way of your camera.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
From the way it appears, that dam project must have been quite the feat.

20 steps per kilometer . . .

That is quite a stride

Yet again another fantastic photo journey by way of your camera.

20 steps a kilometer is child play!

My new discovery.

Use a helicopter!

We had a great morning at our friends Yves and Sandy's house yesterday.

It was fascinating watching him make cheese!

Then a lunch with melted cheese!

The milk is heated to a certain degree.

Stirred, then the rennet is added.

Left off the fire for about 15 minutes.

Making sure that it had congealed.

Back to the fire for a while, again, the temperature is very closely controlled.

Then stirred with two wooden stirrers, one with spikes and one with wires to break it down to small pieces.

This goes on for quite a while.

Then most of the liquid is taken off.

What is left is put in buckets through a cloth mesh.

One half was plain, and the other half he added chili too.

They add salt water to it for 24 hours.

For lunch we had all sorts of delicious bits, the main course being melted cheese.

A half round of cheese - made last January.

It is fitted as you can see into a purpose made holder.

A fire is made on a stand purposely made for this.

The holder is placed so the end of the cheese half round faces the fire.

As starts to melt, it is scrabbed off with a knive into plates, and eaten.

Bill,

A friend recommended a book.

EXTREME AMAZON, THREE MEN, A RAFT, AND THE WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS RAFTING.

It is about three men trying to raft the whole length of the Amazon.

Sounds very interesting, just read a few pages of it.

Rainy day today.

Glad I have almost unlimited books to read.

Finished the above mention book on kayaking the Amazon.

Very interesting and easy to read.

Another rainy and very foggy day.

The rain let up slightly, just a drizzle now but low clouds looking like fog.

We decided to walk up the mountain for lunch at a restaurant about a mile up.

All clear again, and back to hiking for the last couple of days here in the mountains.