 Poster: A snowHead
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According to Bev Bish (my management) the restaurant at La Daille (the one by the bottom of the Furnival) reckons that marmottes are best slow cooked in red wine with garlic and onions. Anyone tried it? Personally I like my rodents running about and enhancing the scenery.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi PG, I have no doubt that the critters are now over-running Tignes; we saw quite a few on April 22 at Tignes, under an interminable chairlift with a very short name the name of which escapes me. Also saw a few coming down into La Daille.
(Uh ... what IS the excitement? they are just fat rat cousins, right? Am I too cynical for my own good?) 
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| Chris Bish wrote: |
| According to Bev Bish (my management) the restaurant at La Daille (the one by the bottom of the Furnival) reckons that marmottes are best slow cooked in red wine with garlic and onions. Anyone tried it? Personally I like my rodents running about and enhancing the scenery. |
I think you were having your leg pulled to be honest  I have never, ever seen or heard of them being eaten in any way at all. Given the way the cuisine has developed in mountain areas and particularly the ability of French cuisine to produce delicacies out of nearly any base ingredients then I’ve always assumed marmotte must be practically inedible.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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According to this marmot link there are 14 species of marmot in the Northern Hemisphere, and it says "in some parts of the world marmot meat is a delicacy".
On a tangential note, the largest rodent in the world is the South American capybara which weighs up to 160 lbs, and is also considered good eating by the locals 
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Just back from Val D & Val T - spotted marmotte yesterday under 2 lacs chairlift in Val T...
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LJ, welcome to snowHeads, and I like your name: at first I thought it was a new symbol coz the L and J link up to look like a wide U.
But my real reason for posting is to hope bit of Val T might rub off if I do: I have been watching Val T conditions ever since I was there over Easter. It just seems to get better and better. It is now May, but freezing level remains below resort height and 72cm of snow is forecast over the next 6 days (snow-forecast.com). I bet you wish you were still there.
(PS: lots of foxes, but no marmottes round here)
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Well there's one less of something of round here, our cat just ran past the window with something 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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LJ, Jonpim, looks as if most of the domain will be open next week, except for the southern sector, 3V link, i.e. funitel Bouquetin, Marielle and Pluviometre pistes, as well as Bd Cumin, and the Plan de l'Eau chair..... sounds promising!
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Jonpim, PG, It was still snowing a bit has we left yesterday. Conditions were great, the last two days in particular have been such fun! I'm still on a high at the moment from such a great time, not sure how I'll feel in the morning when the reality of home dawns!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Last week skied over to Tignes side from Val d'Isere. On my way down to Tignes le Lac, a marmotte crossed the piste right in front of me and then sat grooming itself about 20m away.
Last summer saw loads in the Pyrenees. The downside in places like Gavarnie, is that the shops sell toy ones that whistle when you go past.
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You know it makes sense.
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PG, cat is a she, but rodent at least 8kg sans doubt 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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When in Alpe D in Jan 04 some of the beginners in our group saw the little fellas, but the closest I got was a furry toy in the Spar shop 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies for rescuscitating a long dead thread, but I saw one in Quebec a week or so ago. A right cheeky blighter he was too. As I approached, he took some shelter in an old tree root, but still perfectly visible and watching me quite fearlessly.
Never seen one skiing though.
We did see a Pyrynean mountain vole in Baqueira in Feb though. Also somewhat testy. For a rather small rodent he seemed quite happy to try biting the ankles off the skiers that stopped to watch his stroll up the piste.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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PG, You could farm them? The next big thing, forget Ostrich franchises, try dormice.
Here's what the BBC say http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/269.shtml "breed between June and October" - hopefully it won't get worse (more profitable?) before it gets better! You have my sympathy.
Try one. I guess a simple wire trap. Apparently two recipes have survived, e.g. glazed in honey and rolled in poppyseeds see http://web.onetel.net.uk/~hibou/Apicius.html You can also apparently buy them in Germany but I can't translate the page. Thinking about it, peruvian recipes for guinea pigs might work as well?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Do marmottes make good pets? In the winter when you are skiing then they are hibernating and so need no looking after, unlike dogs and cats and goldfish. (Actually, cats and goldfish may be OK provided you restock the tank after every ski trip.) In the other, non-skiing, seasons you can enjoy the marmottes company.
Also heard that marmottes were a good larder-food for the alps. Just before the winter snows cover everything, catch a few plump marmottes. Put them in a hole near your alpine home where they will go to sleep. When hungry, take a marmotte from the hole, cook and eat. Nice fresh meat all winter through.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've seeen them several times walking in the alps (them and me), but never closer to than between Klosters and Davos a few years ago, when we rounded a bend to be confronted by half a doz of them about 20 feet away. Most shoved off sharpish, but a couple just kept an eye on us untill we moved toward them. I have excellent 'photos somewhere, but who knows where (pre digital era)?
I've eaten an excellent marmotte casserole (marmotte in a marmite, I suppose) in a mountain restaurant in Appenzell (they call it murmelteer over there, I think). Delish, very gamey, but there's not a huge amount of meat on a marmotte. They look a decent size, but once they're peeled, there's not much left. Still, I'd recommend it if you have the chance.
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I am going to illustrate my vast lack of knowledge about these little beasties. Can they be tamed and kept as pets similar to rabits? How are they received by locals, Pest's or cute?
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The only time I,ve seen any number of them was on the last day of my season in La Plagne so it must have been mid April. Their village was on a watershed / plateau at the far side of Mt. Belecote from the ski area. ( we got there by walking up the Summer ski area to the top of the non-operating T-bar, then skiing the first part of the Glacier De Cul de Nant before climbing some coloir on the left (as you go down), skiing a bit then walking over the saddle (where the Marmottes were), then finally sking down and walking to the restaurant at the bottom of the North face of Bellecote. Fantastic last day but I don't think I've seen a Marmotte since.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There is a large colony at Mount Dauphin midway between Gap and the Serre Chevalier in which all are completely tame and will sit in your lap to eat from your hand. If you visit I recommend feeding them dandylions as a preference to carrots.
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I have seen 5 all together in one spot. Unfortunatley it was August, and it was in Arizona. Very cute for a rodent.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FAQ
Down in Provence at the moment we're been invaded, a whole colony of the critters scratching around in the loft at first light 
. Big things with squirrel-like tails. Even worse nests are appearing everywhere, behind shutters, in every nook and cranny... Which means... 
