Walks with Marmottes

Marmottes are huge! I expected squirrel-sized little things. These were the size of badgers or large dogs on short legs! They have a large black tail, reminiscent of a beaver's, which they use for signalling - as far as I could see. They were quite shy, and we had to be quiet for a long time before they came out to play. There have not been many pleasant, warm days up there on the alpine meadows. In fact, a day after we were there, it snowed again. No wonder they spend up to nine months a year in hibernation!