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Dramatic rescue of hikers stranded overnight in Alpine Region

<p>In a heart-stopping ordeal captured on video, two hikers were airlifted to safety after spending a harrowing night stranded in Victoria's remote Alpine Region.</p> <p>The dramatic rescue unfolded on Mount Bogong, one of Australia's highest peaks, highlighting both the beauty and dangers of wilderness exploration.</p> <p>The two hikers, aged 63 and 71, had embarked on what they likely anticipated as a routine trek through the rugged terrain of the Alpine Region. However, as evening descended, their situation took a perilous turn.</p> <p>Recognising the need for assistance, they reached out to emergency services, prompting a swift response from the police Air Wing and Search and Rescue Squad.</p> <p>Navigating treacherous landscapes requires both skill and intuition, and it appears that these experienced hikers may have underestimated the challenges posed by Mount Bogong's unforgiving environment. Despite their best efforts, they found themselves stranded, facing a night of uncertainty amidst the wilderness.</p> <p>Thankfully, the Search and Rescue Squad quickly established communication with the stranded hikers, assessing their situation and determining that they possessed sufficient supplies and experience to endure the night. While undoubtedly a daunting experience, the hikers remained composed, awaiting the dawn and the arrival of their rescuers.</p> <p>As the first light broke over the Alpine peaks, a plan was set in motion to extract the hikers from their precarious situation. With precision and expertise, the police Air Wing and Search and Rescue Squad orchestrated a daring helicopter rescue operation. Against the backdrop of Mount Bogong's majestic slopes, the helicopter descended, its rotor blades slicing through the crisp mountain air.</p> <p>The video footage captured the tension and relief as the hikers were carefully winched to safety, lifted from the wilderness that had held them captive. Once aboard the helicopter, they were swiftly transported to solid ground, where awaiting ambulance paramedics ensured their well-being.</p> <p><em>Images: Victoria Police</em></p>

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F1 pioneer passes away

<p>French racing driver and engineer Jean-Pierre Jabouille, who in 1979 gave Renault their first Formula One victory, has died at the age of 80.</p> <p>The Renault-owned Alpine team has paid tribute to the two-times race winner as a pioneer whose victory at Dijon-Prenois was also the first in Formula One for a car with a turbocharged engine.</p> <p>The Parisian took only two F1 wins but it was his first at Dijon-Prenois in July 1979 that made his name and ensured he became the toast of France two-and-a-half years after he put the first laps on the Renault RS01 at Silverstone.</p> <p>Jabouille was a late starter to racing and didn’t make his international single-seater debut until he was 27 years old, when he took part in occasional F2 races in 1969.</p> <p>Having become a test and development driver with the Société des Automobiles Alpine manufacturer, Jabouille had entered his first Le Mans 24 Hours in 1968, starting a run of 14 appearances at La Sarthe that spanned a quarter of a century.</p> <p>He was also hired directly by Steve McQueen to be one of the drivers in the classic 1971 <em>Le Mans</em> movie.</p> <p>“BWT Alpine F1 Team is incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Jean-Pierre Jabouille,” read the moving tribute on the BWT Alpine F1 Instagram post. </p> <p>“A humble racing driver, brilliant engineer, and a pioneer of our sport. Jean-Pierre was a true racer.</p> <p>“He spearheaded Renault’s journey into F1 in 1977 with his resilient and dare to do attitude. He was Renault’s first Grand Prix winner in 1979, a landmark moment in Renault’s journey in Formula 1. His determination and dedication to succeed inspired many, and these values remain central to the current team in its now blue colours of Alpine.</p> <p>“We are where we are today because of Jean-Pierre and his legacy lives on.</p> <p>“We’d like to extend our most sincere condolences to his family and close friends.</p> <p>“Merci pour tout, Jean-Pierre.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoK-vfvrl-v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoK-vfvrl-v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BWT Alpine F1 Team (@alpinef1team)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Jabouille was still competing well into his 60s, appearing at a national Gran Turismo level for France, and was still occasionally spotted at Le Mans in recent years – even demonstrating his old Renault F1 cars for his legion of racing fans who will remember his legacy for years to come.</p> <p><em>Image: @alpinef1team / Instagram</em></p>

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Meet the 64-year-old winner of Swiss alpine MasterChef

<p>New Zealand travel writer Justine Tyerman meets Iris Riatsch, the winner of Landfrauenküche, the Swiss alpine version of MasterChef, who shares the recipe for her famous nut tart.</p> <p>High in the lush green meadows of the beautiful Engadine, I met a famous chef and television star. I was visiting an organic farm in Vnà, a tiny alpine village of 50 people near the town of Scuol in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.</p> <p>The farmer, Fadri Riatsch, showed us around his impressive farming operation, where his cows and pigs are treated like royalty, after which we sampled a delicious array of richly flavoursome alpine cheese and salami made from his cows’ milk and meat, and locally-brewed beer.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264900/image-3_500x333.jpg" alt="Image 3 (1)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Vnà is a tiny alpine village near Scuol in the Lower Engadine in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Fadri then introduced us to his mother, Iris Riatsch, who was helping his wife Daniela to serve the food. Iris just happened to be the winner of the Swiss Rural Woman of the Decade, a hugely popular MasterChef-type television show featuring country women and their recipes.</p> <p>Iris was a delightful, modest lady of 64 who radiated warmth and good health. She spoke little English but our guide explained that she had won the annual competition many times and this year took the top prize at the 10th anniversary of the show.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264901/image-1_498x245.jpg" alt="Justine 1 - Hero" width="498" height="245" /></p> <p align="center"><em>Fadri’s richly flavoursome alpine cheese and salami, and locally-brewed beer. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Ten episodes of the show were filmed in her own kitchen in Vnà so she has become accustomed to working under pressure in front of television cameras.</p> <p>Originally from Zurich, Iris has lived at Vnà for 40 years and has a very close bond with the land. She keeps a large organic garden and attributes her success in the competition to the relationship she has with all the ingredients she uses in her recipes.</p> <p>“It’s very important for me to know where the food and flavours come from — I grow all the vegetables and herbs I use in my recipes here in my own garden,” she says standing amid huge cabbages, potatoes, leeks, peas, brussel sprouts, carrots, spinach, artichokes and herbs.</p> <p>The meat and dairy products she uses come from Fadri’s farm and the venison from her husband Domenic’s hunting expeditions.</p> <p>Iris loves to cook but keeping the Engadine recipes alive is the main motivation for entering the competition. Many are traditional recipes she learned from her mother-in-law.</p> <p>Her winning entry was a venison schnitzel dish with juniper berry sauce followed by a nut tart which has become quite famous.</p> <p>Switzerland’s second biggest supermarket chain is promoting Iris’s recipes and her nut tart is marketed under her own name as ‘Iris Engadinerli’.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264902/image-4_498x280.jpg" alt="Image 4" width="498" height="280" /></p> <p align="center"><em>The main course in Iris's winning entry was a venison schnitzel dish with juniper berry sauce. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Michelin-star chefs are now lining up to learn from her.</p> <p>Mother of four and grandmother of nine, Iris leads a busy life.</p> <p>She runs cooking classes for children and teenagers so that she can pass on the Engadine recipes to the next generation.</p> <p>Like most Swiss, Iris likes hiking so she combines two of her loves in one, cooking for hikers in one of the local alpine huts.</p> <p>She rents out a small holiday flat under her house, a former cheese factory, to travellers who want to get back to nature and experience a week helping out on an organic farm.</p> <p>And she’s an accomplished artist with a studio at her house. She sees food as an art form — ‘creating art on a plate’.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264903/justine-image-two_498x280.jpg" alt="Justine Image Two" width="498" height="280" /></p> <p align="center"><em>‘Iris Engadinerli’ served with eggnog parfait, fresh berries, peppermint and lavender ice cream. Image credit: Justine Tyerman.</em></p> <p><strong>‘Iris Engadinerli’</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span>:</strong></p> <p><em>For the Engadinerli:</em></p> <ul> <li>150g butter</li> <li>150g sugar</li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>1 pinch of salt</li> <li>300g flour</li> </ul> <p><em>For the filling:</em></p> <ul> <li>300g sugar</li> <li>1 tablespoons water</li> <li>20mls cream</li> <li>250g of walnuts</li> <li>2 tablespoons grated almonds</li> <li>1 tablespoons honey</li> </ul> <p><em>For the berry compote:</em></p> <ul> <li>2 tablespoons liquid honey</li> <li>2 tablespoons orange juice</li> <li>1 vanilla pod</li> <li>400g fresh berries</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <p><em>For the Engadinerli:</em></p> <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Cover a flat baking tray with baking paper.</li> <li>Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the egg and mix with the flour and a pinch of salt. Put the dough in a cool place for at least one hour. Form into a thin rectangular shape on the baking sheet, no more than 1cm thick.</li> <li>For the filling, melt the sugar over a gentle heat, stir in a tablespoon of water. Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully add cream, nuts and honey and stir until smooth. Let cool down.</li> <li>Spread the filling on the pastry and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. The tart should be baked nice and light brown. Cut into rectangles when it is still warm.</li> </ol> <p><em>For the berry compote:</em></p> <p>5. For the berries, mix honey, orange juice and vanilla in a bowl. Carefully mix together with the berries. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then warm gently in a pan carefully. Do not boil. You want the berries to retain their beautiful shape.</p> <p>* Serve the engadinerli with warm berry compote.</p> <p><em>Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of Switzerland Tourism <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com</a></strong></span> and stayed at the Belvédère Hotel in Scuol. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.belvedere-scuol.ch/" target="_blank">www.belvedere-scuol.ch</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>Switzerland Tourism: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>Swiss Travel Pass: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/rail" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com/rail</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>Swiss International Airlines: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.swiss.com/ch/en" target="_blank">www.swiss.com/ch/en</a></strong></span></em></p>

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