The Hills Are Alive....

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post. It looks as though we're finally accepting that summer is slipping behind us now, with a warm start to autumn. And what a great summer it was in terms of weather. I left Méribel in the sun just over a week ago, with the temperatures, as I drove back up through France, nudging 30 degrees C. Over the last few years I've been very lucky with the weather in Méribel in summer; it has been glorious. This time, due to my visit being quite late, there was the chance that it might've been less so - not at all.

Harriet and I enjoyed some lovely hikes locally and really appreciated the beauty of the high mountains. You know how sometimes you can be absolutely desperate for a holiday? Well this was certainly the case this year. Due to my wedding photography commitments, and a planned hand operation, our later-than-normal holiday came at a welcome time.

Because of this hand operation, frustratingly I hadn't been able to participate in any sport for nearly two months. This meant that my fitness level was sub-optimal. However, what an amazing place to be able to ease back into being active again.

One thing that never changes in the mountains is the unpredictability of the weather. One day is baking hot; the next day it can be raining in resort, with the chance it may be snowing higher up! Sounds bizarre that this can happen in early September, but it can.

A gentle reminder that the seasons were changing, more on this in my next blog post shortly. This year I had fewer visits into the national park, but when I did, what a treat it was with marmotte sightings. I guess those of you who have been following over the years won't be surprised to see some photos of these gorgeous creatures. Here is just a small selection from a couple of weeks ago, aren't they cute?

So another amazing trip from Méribel has been fully enjoyed and ticked off. It's funny to think that in less than three months time, more snow will have settled on the mountain and the ski lifts will be running. Time to try to get ski fit then - speaking of which, the next post will be about exactly how this process started! Have a great week everyone, and do think to come back soon. Martin.