Spring Treat

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post from your favourite blogging Méribel Ski Instructor. This time I'm writing not from Méribel itself, but from Leamington Spa back in the Midlands. I returned about four weeks ago and last winter is already a distant memory. However that's ok because I love the changes of seasons; life never gets dull. The end of the winter, or you could say early spring, is a lovely time of year. My ski teaching finishes and I get to celebrate being in the Alps for a further ten days or so before coming back to the UK - a holiday if you like.

Readers of this blog page over the years will probably be able to guess what I do during this period - a visit or three to the Vanoise National Park, where I take my camera and see if I can find any bouquetins.

Guess what, I wasn't disappointed. Bouquetin (also known as ibex) are amazing creatures. Most of us are aware of what they are, especially since there are so many chalets, hotels, pistes or even ski lifts named after them! However, being able to see them in the flesh is very special - they are so majestic. As well as being a protected species, for most of the year they are tricky to find - not so much in spring.

The vast majority of the year they live up at around 3,000 metres. The Vanoise National Park has a large percentage of terrain at this altitude including numerous glaciers. In the spring, a proportion of male bouquetin descends to lower altitude levels and spend a couple of months feasting on all sorts of things. Some males - and all females - remain at high altitude all year round. This makes it an ideal time for me to catch a glimpse of the lads, and to take quite a few pics!

Aren't they amazing? With last winter successfully ticked off, and next winter seeming like ages away, I'm making the most of being back in Leamington Spa. That means throwing myself into cycling, both solo and with the Warwick Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club, and also my wedding photography work - there is lots to look forward to. I'm hoping to head back to Méribel again this summer for a holiday, but not sure when that will be yet. If I do return, I'll be sure to blog again. Have a great summer everybody, and don't forget to Live With Passion. Martin.