Perhaps not surprisingly, it had rained while we were away and, given the lower temperatures, it was inevitable that some snow would fall on the mountain tops.  Although it happens every year, you are still taken aback by the huge contrast between the brilliant white and the blue skies.

I was keen to find out how low the snow had fallen and so I took the bus up to Arolla to find out and to walk back down the valley to our chalet.  Although some of the snow has now melted, it’s clear that it fell to just under the 2,000m or 6,500ft mark.

I should add that we have an incredibly talented wood carver in our valley, by the name of Hugo Beytrison.  He often works with just a chain saw, but he also carves the wonderful wooden masks for the annual Evolène Carnaval in January/February.  The last 2 photos show two examples of his work, which were on display outside his workshop yesterday.  Check out his website for more details.  It’s only in French, but, as they say, a picture saves a thousand words. 😊

 

5 responses

  1. bayphotosbydonna Avatar

    Breathtaking mountainscapes along with a lovely variety of photos! The wood carvings are gorgeous!

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    1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

      Thank you Donna. Those carvings must be fairly recent as he doesn’t usually leave things standing outside. So I was lucky to capture them. 🙂 Maybe he’s hoping to sell them before Xmas! Check out some of his (often weird, but wonderfully executed) masks here: https://alittlebitoutoffocus.com/2017/02/26/evolene-carnaval/

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      1. bayphotosbydonna Avatar

        Those are some scary masks, but still quite artistic!

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        1. Alittlebitoutoffocus Avatar

          Yes, they are a bit gruesome, but they are designed to scare the evil spirits (as well as some tourists!) 🙂

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  2. […] walking the other day, I noticed that the snow had melted quite a bit on the south facing slopes. (See this pic).  So I thought it might be possible to walk to the small lake or pond at Béplan without having to […]

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