Fall colors are here. We were lucky to have one brilliantly sunny day before the rains came. All oranges and deep golds against the blues of the skies and the Alps. Couldn’t be prettier. #hiking #Switzerland

Snow in summer, 4000m above sea level. The ingenuity of cable cars 🚠 never ceases to amaze me and while I know they are safe and secure, each ride definitely tickled my nerves #Switzerland #Matterhorn

Have a view! At the top of Rigi Kulm, an easy day trip for people of all abilities, including young kids. Very accessible thanks to a cogwheel train all the way from Vitznau on Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee).

A sunny spot

My wonderful partner in hiking and many other crimes (to be clear: only one of us keeps eating illegal things on the street. It’s not me). Can’t believe how gray his snout is now, but Mr Hound is still tail up all the way. #dogsky #seniorpup #coonhound

Deep green of the forest against the blue of the Alps. I was inspired to go see larches today in Balavaux partly by The Treeline by @benrawlence.bsky.social. A beautiful book, and awesome trees. (Not all trees on the photos are larches, it’s a mixed forest) #Switzerland #hiking

A few close-ups from today’s adventures. An easy, but delightful #hike to see old larches in Balavaux (Haute-Nendaz), #Switzerland. I will include the link to the route in the comments.

This path to the #GornerGlacier at 3000m, above the tree line and the noise of the world, was sublime. A reminder how small we are in this vast landscape.

My favorite #hike so far: to the #GornerGlacier. Riffelsee area is quite touristy, with a swanky hotel and a restaurant on top of the #Gortnergrat. But a path to the #glacier is breathtaking and away from the tourists. “Stunning” doesn’t begin to describe it.

2 of my favorite things in Switzerland: 1) almost every public trash bin has a free doggie 💩 bag dispenser. A no-brainer, but I haven’t seen it anywhere else. 2) free book boxes.

Calm before the thunderstorm

Aletsch Panorama Weg, #Switzerland #hiking #Alps

An evening stroll. #peaceful

The bestest boy in the world. This snout might be turning gray, but still looks pretty royal, and no crumb will ever escape this nose on our daily long walks despite all my vigilance. And no one cuddles like he does. #dogsky

An old #cedar making cones on a city street. Love these giants, although I am learning they are not native to #Switzerland, even though many are very old.

From Liddes to St.Bernard (#Switzerland), we hiked 18km along the famous #ViaFrancigena, an ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. I want to think that the worn stone steps on one of the photos were carved by those medieval pilgrims.

St. Bernard #dogs in St.Bernard, #Switzerland #hiking

Even on the most seemingly remote #hiking trails in #Switzerland, there are hiking signs with key information: yes, you are still on the trail; walk this way; this much walking till your destination. It’s incredibly reassuring.

The magic of evening light. #hiking #Switzerland #Aletsch

Underbelly of a glacier. #hiking #Switzerland #Aletsch #glacier #Alps

So many times on a hiking trail, I would stop and gasp and think that this is the most beautiful, precious little planet we’ve got. We must protect it, not exploit it. [Fiescheralp, Aletsch Arena, Valais] #hiking #Switzerland

Here’s what happened: we were hiking for almost 8 hours, having crossed the most stunning terrains and seen the most incredible sights, when we found ourselves 5km/1hr away from the cable car station, with the last ride in less than 50 mins.

Near Aletschgletscher (Great Aletsch Glacier), the largest glacier in the Alps. Located in the Bernese Alps, it spans 23km and at its thickest is 905m. We accessed it from Fiesch via Fiescheralp, 22km of pure hiking joy.

I am new to hiking. About a year ago, my job took me to Switzerland (yes, very lucky!) and I bought my first hiking poles. As my news feeds turned into cesspools of awfulness and despair, being on the trail in nature offered an antidote and a sense of elation I haven’t experienced anywhere else.