Yvette Evers grew up camping, hiking and skiing in the Swiss Alps. A Canadian with Dutch roots, her career in international development allowed her to explore mountain areas around the world. Since moving to the Geneva area in 2009 with her husband and two teenage daughters, she also works as a sustainability consultant specialising in tourism.
Yvette is the founder of ‘fraiche air’ - an outdoor club that fills a gap in the market for global locals who are looking for information about outdoor recreation and tourism in English. The outings in small groups provide a wonderful opportunity to discover new activities and join an active community of like-minded sporty friends – powerwalks, hiking, snowshoeing, ski-touring, and family days.
The following article is the first in a series of articles on outdoor leisure activities that will be provided by Yvette in this section of the website.
It’s not hard to understand why Grindelwald has been a tourist attraction since the early 1900s. Nestled in one of most stunning valleys of the Jungfrau region of Switzerland, impressive glaciers and waterfalls can be spotted in every direction.
We took the relaxing and eco-friendly option of the train to Grindelwald. Once there, the summer cable cars and regular yellow ‘postbus’ services offer transport to places you can’t access with your own car.
Our hideaway was the friendly Berghuas Bort www.berghaus-bort.ch, situated half-way up the mountain, away from the hustle and bustle of Grindelwald. It’s a 1.5 hr hike, or 10 min cable car ride up the Firstbahn. You can book a double or family rooms (four, five or six pers). There are also two very comfortable 10 person dormitories. The young chef serves up delicious dishes while you dine on the terrace with a breathtaking view of the north face of the Eiger.
Zermatt Unplugged is one of my favourite music festivals – don’t miss it! It runs from 8-12 April in the beautiful town of Zermatt under the Matterhorn in Valais. The 2014 line up includes Aloe Blacc, Katie Melua, and Jamie Cullum ,to mention just a few of the big names. There are also great up and coming Swiss artists featured. Book your tickets online www.zermatt-unplugged.ch.
I’d say make a weekend of it – book a hotel, get in some spring skiing or hiking lower down in the valley, enjoy a soak in the spa, and then hit the festival in the evening. Here are some tips for the savvy festival-goer.
