Alps Hiking

One of my favorite stretches on the Tour du Mont Blanc goes right through the Contamines-Montjoie nature reserve. It’s the highest nature reserve in France and offers an unbelievable mix of picturesque alpine landscapes, dramatic …

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Pick your own Wild Teas –Dream Big and Enjoy the Taste of the Alps in a Cup   Discovering the delicious local cuisine is a delighting part of any trek through the Alps, but did …

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Wildlife on the Tour du Mont Blanc If you’re hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc this summer, don’t forget to look up to the sky once in a while! Because that’s the domain of some …

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Signs of a Black Grouse This beautiful grouse snow angel was made by a black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). It’s a snow hole with wing marks where the grouse has left its shelter. Black grouse dig …

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You don’t get to see owls very often while trekking through our mountains (the Alps), and definitely not up close. However, I’ve spent the month of November volunteering at a Wildlife Hospital, Centre régional de …

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There is an unreasonable joy to be found in seeing birds going about with their daily activities. I find incredible pleasure in watching common birds like magpies and sparrows scavenging for food in our villages …

Continue reading “Wildlife of the TMB – Birds of the High Mountains”

Tiny Feeders Have you ever noticed the large amounts of half-eaten cones in coniferous alpine forests? It’s one of the most common feeding signs you find in our forests, because the seeds in conifer cones …

Continue reading “Wildlife in the Alps – Who’s been nibbling on that cone? “

At this time of year, colourful eyebrights (Euphrasia) brighten up many hiking trails in the Alps, but don’t be fooled by these cute little flowers. Eyebrights are little thieves and parasitic plants. They use their …

Continue reading “Flora in the Alps – Little Thieves and Parasites”