Swiss Mountain Leader

Ian is a UK Mountain Leader and an International Mountain Leader (IML) Aspirant, and is a member of both BAIML (British Association of International Mountain Leaders) and ASAM (Association Suisse des Accompagnateurs en moyenne Montagne). He is a Nordic Walking instructor and uniquely holds both the UK and Swiss qualifications.

He leads groups and individuals in the mountains in Switzerland and further afield. In summer conditions this includes trekking and walking while in winter he leads groups snow shoeing. As a Nordic Walking Instructor he can give an added dimension to moving in the mountains and introduce clients to a simple fun exercise they can make part of their daily routine at home.

His expedition and group work takes him to Morocco, Corsica for the famed GR20 trek and the Himalayas for trekking at  very high altitude.

Ian runs the popular blog SnowSlider.net chronicling his travels in the alps and sharing his photographs with readers. You’ll find pages here describing trips we’ve made and some record of the flowers we’re seeing over the course of a year as the seasons change. Links on the top of the page and at the sides will let you look at flowers grouped by colour or the month we’re seeing them in.

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Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) perennial, May-June, 15-20cm high

This is a highly colourful flower found in mountain pastures, this particular one is near the summit of La Berra in canton Fribourg. It’s also known as “Dead Man’s Thumb” in some regions.
In the early 1800′s the roots were thought to be an aphrodisiac, there’s no active ingredient that suggests this is true though.

This is a great day tour from near Villars, there’s a couple of huts up on the route so you can get drinks and snacks as you’re walking although we take a picnic lunch and enjoy it in the meadows. The route takes some great paths with fantastic views and, in places, some airy sections.