Today was the first day of spring. A very chilly day it was. And at 9 when I looked out of the window I could see snowflakes. Many of them. All the cars are white, the streets are pretty white too. I am all excited about it especially as it has also been snowing in Switzerland and David is going to come over soon (easter holidays) and we plan to go skiing, snowboarding for a day or two. Excellent!
This year is the third time that I am taking part in Roli’s Alpine Touring Camp. We are staying in the Chasa Muntanella in Valchava. There hasn’t been a lot of snow this winter yet and many hills and mountains that should be covered in snow only show off their brown and dead vegetation from last year. 
We arrived at the house at lunchtime after a 4 hour train and bus ride. After some soup for lunch we got ready for a short walk with snow shoes and the all the other gear. We walked for about an hour, starting at the house. At the end we learned the basics regarding avalanches and how to react if somebody is buried in an avalanche and how to rescue him, followed by learning how to use an Avalanche Transceiver Beacon (Lawinenverschuettetensuchgeraet kurs LVS).