The Mountains of Europe
A year in 20 photographs 5/20 – taking time for myself – dogs, dogs, dogs (and an Ibex)
Today is a slight cheat as I’ve posted two photographs.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love dogs. There is a running joke in my family that when I am away guiding I miss my dogs more than my wife and kids.
For eleven years I have sub-contracted to Marmot Tours as a freelance guide. Marmot Tours runs amazing cycling holidays across the mountain ranges of Europe. In 2024 I worked on six of these trips in the Dolomites and Stelvio; the Swiss Alps; the Massif Central; the Ardeche and Cevennes; and Mont Ventoux and the Verdon Gorge. During September that meant a five-week stint away from home. It sounds fantastic having the opportunity to visit and work in all these places, and it is. However, it is also hard work, with days often starting at 6 am and ending after dinner at 9 pm. So it is important to grab some moments for yourself when you can.
Many of the hotels that we visit are privately owned and the owners have dogs. This inevitably means that on arrival at the hotel I spend a large chunk of my evening playing with the dog.
The Hotel Cepina, south of Bormio in the Dolomites, is one such hotel. Their dog, a Border collie loves to play football. As soon as I pulled up in the van I would see the ball bounce down the steps with the collie in close pursuit. I would then spend half an hour with the dog, kicking the ball around the car park.
I managed to snap this shot of the dog in mid-air. The latest I have heard is that he has had a call from Luciano Spalletti for a try-out with the Italian team.
On these trips, I often get up around 4 am and cycle up to the summit of whatever col is closest to our hotel. It means ascending in the dark, but the deserted summit and sunrise always make it worthwhile. In 2024 there weren’t many opportunities to do this so, when possible, I would take 45 minutes or so out of my day to indulge in my other passion of hiking.
This second photo was taken on a short hike to a small summit opposite the Steingletscher in Switzerland. All the cyclists in our group had passed through and were descending to the hotel. As my fellow guide was already at the hotel to greet them, I decided this was a good moment to climb up for a better view of the glacier. On my way, I was delighted to spot two Ibex and managed to photograph them with the glacier in the background.
Moments like these are rare but important to grab when you can. Being able to switch off, even for half an hour, and recharge my batteries means I can return to work feeling fresh and ready to get into guide mode again.
