When I left my home in Cluses for a quick trip back to Canada for Christmas, it was raining, dismal, and a far cry from a winter wonderland. However, the Alps have officially pulled through and are living up to their name; the mountains are laden with glorious white powder and the population of Haute-Savoyards and tourists alike are out in droves enjoying the mountains. Whether you are into skiing, snowboarding, ski touring, snowshoeing, ski mountaineering or even dog sledding, the mountains seem to offer a never-ending list of activities for all tastes.
Although I haven't officially hit the slopes on skis (an outing is impending this week), I did make it out for a beautiful snowshoe adventure to Mont Truc, one of the many mountains offering snowshoeing terrains and marked trails in the region. After driving up past the snow line and into a literal Narnia-esque world of snow, myself and members of the CAF of Cluses strapped on our snowshoes and started off on a trek up the mountain. The terrain was easy and varied; there were wide paths switch-backing up the side of the mountain, narrow twisting trails through the forests, and finally, and an open area at the summit dappled with chalets (closed for the winter) with a vista of the surrounding mountains and valley. The snow was blinding and beautiful all at once. I've never seen snow quite like it; flaky powder that was almost chunky, and diamond-like in its brightness and form. The sun was surprisingly warm at the peak, and we ate lunch sheltered by the wall of a chalet, soaking in the winter rays.
Although I didn't lug my camera up the mountain this time, luckily another CAF member did (Photo Cred Bernard Gontier) and took some great shots of the day. Here are some of the pics:
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| Playing in powder (Photo: B. Gontier) |
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| Running free (Photo: B. Gontier) |
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| CAF members on Mont Truc (Photo: B. Gontier) |
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| Almost there (Photo: B. Gontier) |
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| Chalet closed for winter (Photo: B. Gontier) |
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