Photospots near Geneva Switzerland

Hello everyone,

I will be in Geneva on a business trip from October 11-19 and wanted to go out and do some mountain photography. I was thinking of heading to Chamonix for an overnight trip to "les Aiguilles" of Mont-Blanc, but was wondering if anyone knows of any place closer or more accessible? (I am only really free from Friday 17 evening to Sunday morning at the latest).
Would appreciate all input.

THanks,

Younes

Hi Younes,

If you're planning to go to Chamonix, I would suggest to head North to the area between Martigny and Sion (about 2 hours from Geneva) where there are tons of areas accessible by car to beautiful vistas of mountainscapes without the clutter of tourists like the Mont Blanc region. Best of all, you get access to some of Europe's best wineries and cheese!

Thanks Miguel. Any areas in spots in particular? I only have limited time to explore...do you know of any good book or reference? Thanks.

Sorry Younes, I don't have a guide. I visited my family in law two winters ago and spent a few weeks in and around the region. The "canton" of Vaud is also a must see if you have time but since you are limited, stick around Valais/Wallis canton to see the real beauty of the country. Generally I find that Chamonix is very rustic but also very touristy and the areas around Martigny (I stayed in Sierre) are much less crouded and just as beautiful. You might find some little mountain streams around that drain the snows and rains of the peaks. Unfortunately, it seems there isn't a lot light around the golden hour as the townships are mostly found along the slopes of the mountains and the valleys are very narrow as opposed to here in Canada. Certainly the drive into Chamonix is extremely beautiful with jagged peaks and spires not really found in Switzerland. There are "rest areas" around this region in which you could trek around for a few hours. If I only knew how to properly post images, I could show you how beautiful it is there!

Sites to see:
Martigny to Chamonix drive
Sion / Sierre area
Verbier (if you can reach it in time)
Montreux (for a beautiful view of the lake - a little pricey though...)

If you do reach Chamonix, I suggest you don't take the gondola to the Mont blanc but rather the gondola on the opposite side (can't remember the name of the mountain). It is much cheaper (around $20) and you can better see the giant and its neighbouring peaks. There you can walk along the ski trails by foot and reach grand vistas that overlook Italy.

Link for treks:
http://books.google.com/books?id=BmRYudCuSHsC&pg=PA163&lpg=PA163&dq=guidebook+swiss+alps+martigny&source=web&ots=OxJlBBUVbJ&sig=Jy6VVSzQJvgqf5k1wbh7qwFJ0Hc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA28,M1

Link for the area:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3D6113AF934A35755C0A961948260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all

Younes I'll be in Geneva at the same time. The week of the 11th I'll be touring the area with my wife, but the following week will be dedicated to photography and exploring the mountains. If you're interested in crossing paths let me know.

In the meantime I'll be following this thread with great interest.