Swiss mountain guide Archives

Ski Touring, Off piste, Mountaineering course, Alpine Energy Guiding, mountaineering & ski adventures, Andrew Lanham Mountain Guide, Chamonix, Aosta Valley, Swiss

Winter 2021 Skiing & Mountaineering with Covid…?

October 28, 2020/in general blog, lyngen, skiing /by AndrewLanham

We want to get out here without endless Covid stresses…!

Some ways to plan when planning is not possible!

Like in the mountains, adaptation and flexibility are key! Keep fit, have your gear sorted, check which countries don’t have quarantine on arriving and or returning to your country. Have an open mind to new destinations. This year might be the time you inadvertently discover a hidden gem with amazing ski touring with no one around…

Ski Touring instead of lift accessed skiing may be the way to go this year. Don’t rely on infrastructure that could be closed by governments, aim for Ski Touring and Ice Climbing until things are more stable. Not only does ski touring lead you to fresh tracks and gets you fit, it also takes you to remote, beautiful places you would never experience otherwise.

The Norwegian mountains are remote and beautiful…

More remote, less classic destinations could be a good option. The most strict Covid precautions are always imposed in the most populated places. Contact us about cool destinations off the beaten track where extreme restrictions haven’t been implemented and are unlikely to be implemented due to being more sparcely populated.

Variety is the spice of life, if you love the mountains, try something new: ice climbing in Scandinavia for example. The autumn and winter can have great conditions for rock climbing in southern europe. Right now we’re rock climbing in Greece which is perfect.

Vallee Blanche, Valley Blanche, Ski Touring, Off Piste, Chamonix Ski Guide, Chamonix, Skiing, Ski Guide, French Alps — The excitement and perfection of an untouched slope!

Many times I’ve left my home with my skis in hand, slightly worried and uninspired that I wouldn’t be able to offer the perfect ski day to my clients, only to be surprised by a great day when everything seemed against us. Other times, I’ve expected amazing conditions and been a bit disappointed, probably due to my high expectations not being met. The best experiences are never planned to be that way, they happen kind of spontaneously when we enjoy the journey and embrace the moment.

Ski Touring, Chamonix off piste, Mountaineering course, Alpine Energy Guiding, mountaineering & ski adventures, Andrew Lanham Mountain Guide, Chamonix, Aosta Valley, Swiss — Bootpacking to good times!

We can design flexible offers for ski touring, rock climbing or ice climbing. We’re ready to adapt to the situation, so won’t ask for any money upfront. Get in touch to make plans!

A “skiers” Haute Route

April 8, 2013/in general blog, skiing /by AndrewLanham

Chamonix to Zermatt is probably the most famous multi-day ski tour in the Alps. There are as many ways to go about the traverse as there are personalities that find themselves drawn to this iconic traverse.

With three guest from the US I found a slightly different way of doing this traverse, we made the most of the world class off-piste in the resorts along the way and of course not forgetting to sample the local cuisine and good wine en route.

We clocked about 16000m of descent and 2800m climbing over the 6 days. Thanks to the guys for a fun trip!

Skinning up to the Col de Chardonnet with the Grand Montets ski area in the background.

Skiing down into Switzerland to get a taxi to Verbier

Off-piste day in Verbier, below the face we just skied in great snow.

sunrise over the Swiss Valais

morning view from the hut

Smooth turns down the Haute Glacier d’Arolla

enjoying some classic Zermatt off-piste

Chamonix Ski touring, freeride, off-piste, backcountry, Alpine Energy Guiding, mountaineering & ski adventures, Andrew Lanham Mountain Guide, Chamonix, Aosta Valley, Swiss, lyngen alps

Fresh turns and sunny skies

March 4, 2013/in general blog, skiing /by AndrewLanham

The last few days have been spent doing some nice tours with the two Henriks and Matthias from Sweden in search of fresh turns and adventure, weeks after the last snowflakes landed on the slopes around the Mt. Blanc range. Here are some photos: