In an article published recently at this link, we talked to Tanya Perret from LiveBreatheHike. She explained how the winter snowshoe aspect was taken over by another company. We caught up with Jason and Vivien Day from DaysAway Adventures.
Vivien explained, "We knew Tanya as an International Mountain Leader living and working in the area. She wanted to focus on multi day summer trips and we were looking for winter snowshoe work, so we got talking and reached a natural conclusion - Tanya didn’t want to let down her existing clients and knew that as fellow IML’s we could continue her high level of service."
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
We have always loved the mountains and are both UK Mountain Leaders and were also leading student expeditions abroad. A few years ago, we sold our narrowboat home in the UK and spent 2 years working towards the International Mountain Leader qualification (It’s difficult to get a narrowboat to big mountains!). Some of the training was in the Chablis region - it was not a hard decision to move to the Morzine region - the area is beautiful and we have made some great new friends.
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
Jason has been rock climbing and mountaineering for 35 years in the UK, Alps and Himalayas. Viv grew up in the remote Shetland Islands and has always had a strong connection with the outdoors through multi day trekking, wild camping and back packing in different parts of the world. We have both always loved the mountain environment and the sense of well being that it gives us. It felt like a natural progression to put down roots here and to enable others to feel both the physical and mental health benefits that being in the mountains brings.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
Getting to grips with the French paperwork and setting up a tourist-based business in a pandemic year! However, we are relentlessly optimistic and patient.
It was in 2017 that we wrote about Live Breathe Hike here. We recently heard from Tanya Perret again and she explained how she is concentrating on developing some super multi day programs for her clients.
The snowshoe element of her business has been taken over by DaysAway Adventures run by Vivien and Jason Day. The handover went smoothly as these two are excellent International Mountain Leaders, and offer enriching experiences for clients during the winter months covering the whole of the Port du Soleil, Samöens, and Chamonix. We will write a follow up article interviewing them at a later date, so stay tuned.
Multi day program
Tanya explains, "I have decided to concentrate on developing my multi day program, and have just launched 3 new itineraries covering trips in Switzerland. Pricing caters for different groups sizes (min 2 people) and we still offer our excellent guiding ratios: 2-7 people = 1 guide, groups of 8+ = 2 guides. Covid19 cancellation policy is in place, of course."
By Fergus Dullaghan
Several years ago my wife was mugged just outside Geneva. It was a terrifying experience for her. The damage wasn’t limited to stolen items and a trip to hospital in the back of an ambulance – it was the aftermath. Months (maybe years) of jumping at shadows, disrupted sleep and anxiety.
As a former professional martial artist, I have wanted to help other women in the area avoid the same fate for a long time. Now, I have the opportunity to do so. To make it accessible I have tried to keep the price as low as possible. I would like to offer some very simple, but highly effective strategies to stay safe if you are ever attacked.
We will cover:
- The anatomy of an attack - understanding how a mugging happens
- The psychology of an attack
- Pattern disruption - how to stop an attack before it begins
- Behavioural habits - maximising your chances of a good outcome if you are attacked
- Instinctive defence - how to survive physically
- The aftermath - being aware that the attack itself is just one part of the process
- How to deepen your knowledge (suggested books, blogs and local training possibilities)
If you are an avid sports person, enjoy getting dirty and muddy, love a challenge, like to push your own limits, then you will be thrilled to hear about this sport event coming to Switzerland! An amazing obstacle course will be held for the first time in Switzerland — Spartan will be held in Verbier in September!
With its unique panoramic view of the Alps, its demanding terrain and a route for all levels, Verbier will play host on Sunday, September 14 2019. If you have ever watched Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge, Takeshi's Castle, Gladiators, Wipeout, Ninja Warrior, or any similar obstacle course, then you will be the first to know how demanding this can be. Months of training and fitness routines are needed... some of the participants are avid Spartan followers who follow the organization around the world.
Barbed wire, fire, and a myriad of obstacles will be set for the inauguration. Three groups featured this year:
- Sprint: with 20 to 25 obstacles over more than 5 km
- Super: with 25 obstacles over 13 km
- Spartan Kids: with a distance between 800m and 3.2km
Spartan events consist of races for athletes of all ages and levels, from beginner to elite runner, while the Spartan Kids race offers several options for children from 4 years old.
InterSoccer player Nora meets her hero Ada Hegerberg
Nyon-based UEFA has launched its new Women’s Football Strategy – with the help of 8-year-old InterSoccer player Nora. In this article Rebecca Brown, a former team footballer who works for InterSoccer, looks at the rise of women’s football in Switzerland and beyond. See the UEFA video at this link.
UEFA Women’s Champions League Final Saturday 18 May
Olympic Lyonnais are ready for their final match in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, to fight for the title. It will be the eighth final for Lyon in a decade, where they’ll take on FC Barcelona as the first female Spanish team to play the decider. Both teams continue to be great motivation for all females, beginners and professionals, in the football world. Ada Hegerberg is one of the big names that will make an appearance for OL on Saturday in Budapest. The Ballon d’Or winner of 2018 is nearing 300 goals in her senior career at the young age of 23.
Nora, one of our InterSoccer girl players, was given the incredible opportunity to travel to Lyon and meet Hegerberg ahead of the final, to film a promotional video for the launch of the new UEFA Women’s Football Strategy. We asked 8-year-old Nora why she loves playing football and she told us: “because it’s a team sport that’s so much fun!”
Nora had the chance to speak to Hegerberg and play a spot of football with her, which she loved. On the road home she said she wished she could do it all over again! This opportunity filled her with confidence and Hegerberg has been a true inspiration for Nora.
Although there are more and more girls participating in football, and the past few years has seen a rise in female participants, it is important to keep pushing and show the importance of females in football and sports in general.
