Three peaks over 4000 meters, two as ski tours and one as a high alpine climb. Tackled several 3000-meter mountain passes on the hike & bike adventures, finally cycled up Col de la Bonette, and even made it to the stunning Colle de Nivolet. Looking back, I have to stay what a summer it was !
However, I can’t remember the last time summer felt this short in Europe. Usually, summer means stable weather with warm days, mountain passes opening by mid-June, with those towering snow walls along the roads made by snowplows. By this time, even the high-altitude spots around 3,000 meters were usually accessible, with no major snowfields left. But not this year.
This year was something else, thanks to Mother Nature. Late spring brought heavy snowfalls, and June was drenched in rain. Honestly, I even got lost a few times on familiar trails, they just didn’t look the same. Everything was so overgrown, everywhere. It brought my memories back from Bhutan, surrounded by wild, untamed plants. Ferns that would normally be 50 cm tall were now towering up to 100 cm, swarming with ticks and horseflies. I did not think to put a repellent under my cycling shirt once and got bitten by those flying beasts at least 20 times ! It felt like nature had turned hostile. Higher places were dangerous for crossing, northern sides of high mountains were still covered by the melting snow fields, just it was not good idea to try to step on it.
Planning anything outdoors in the Alps was totally unpredictable. You basically had to be ready for anything – cycling, mountain biking, hiking, ski touring, or even motorcycling and only decide the day or few hours before. Or just take a last minute flight somewhere relatively close for nice weather. And if you were traveling somewhere, it was smart to pack all your gear so you’d be prepared for whatever the weather threw at you.
What a summer it was. You’d start with Plan A, and somehow end up on Plan K. Ultra-flexibility was key, often travelling further away than usual, chasing weather windows, and making the most of them. But it was totally worth it, 100%.