Chamonix Activity Review: 23rd July 2013

Last night was the latest Full Moon Party - all night hedonistic dance-tastic affairs that go on until after the moon himself has gone to sleep and the sun has risen. This time the theme was "Thai Beach Party"; surf gods and beach goddesses turned up decked out in sarongs, beads, bikinis, flowers, body paints, etc to dance the night away, first at the pre-party BBQ at Mix Bar then at the main soirée at White Hub until 7am this morning.

After such a wild night it is important to have a tried-and-tested recovery routine in place - partly to make the hangover more bearable and partly to swap all the gossip with your pals before it becomes old news. This article has taken a lot of research and many field trips to prepare, I hope you appreciate my dedication.

Relining the stomach: Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is especially true if you have not made it home yet and have just sweated away half your body weight on the dance floor.

• La Petite Kitchen: First choice for a full English breakfast without the grease, posher (and tastier) than a typical fry-up and with vegetarian options. Also popular for their American-style brunch pancakes served with maple syrup and either red fruits or crispy bacon.
• Elevation 1904: Start your detox right here with their healthy brekkie of granola, yoghurt, fruit compote, banana and freshly squeezed orange juice - your liver will love you for it! Or if you're craving carbs you can have a big baguette stuffed with sausage, bacon, eggs and dripping with ketchup, they even do fish finger butties, mmm...
• Hotel Les Aiglons: For 22€ you can enjoy a fine 2 course lunch, either starter and main course or main course and dessert (the food here is excellent). Then you can unwind in their luxury spa; outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, sunbathing terrace with panoramic views - sounds good, no? Oh, and they also happen to do delicious cocktails should madam be requiring a hair of the dog.

Soothing the senses: You probably don't have the energy for anything too energetic but there are plenty of beautiful places you can get to without too much effort where you can have a cooling dip and recharge your batteries.

• Lac Blanc: Take the Flegere cable car from Les Praz then the Index chairlift, the lake is an easy walk from here and the high altitude makes the air nice and fresh. Named for the snowy peaks that are reflected in its waters, Lac Blanc offers stunning views all along the valley. An extremely "refreshing" plunge will clear your head in no time.
• Lac Bleu: Take the first of the Aiguille du Midi cable cars and follow the hiking signs from Plan de l'Aiguille, the lake is an easy 10 minute walk from the snack bar. Surrounded by rocks and tucked beneath the looming jagged peaks, it has a eery and dramatic feel to it. The acoustics of the rocks make weird echoes and it feels more isolated than it really is.
• Paradis des Praz: Either walk along the river from the sports centre or take the bus to Les Praz. Paradis des Praz is an idyllic shady clearing tucked away in the forest behind the golf course. There is a little buvette serving snacks and drinks and an icy crystal clear river where you can dangle your aching feet in the water. It is popular with families and children though so if your head is feeling delicate then maybe continue along a bit further until out of earshot of the little darlings. You can follow a path all the way to Argentiere if you have the energy.

Now then, that's detox sorted - ready for the retox! Tomorrow night (Wednesday) Forse will be playing a live set of growly snarling rock classics at Le Jekyll from 10pm. If you are in Argentiere on Thursday night then Erik & Mollie will be playing a live jazz/blues set at La Yaute from 7pm, just in time to enjoy a chilled out apero in the sun. Again in Argentiere, An Ordinary Family will be at the Savoy Bar on Friday, they'll be playing from 10pm with some new songs on the playlist, followed up by a hiphop/electro set from Mister Pop. If reggae is your thing then Soulfood has a great weekend lined up with a roots/reggae/dancehall party from guest artist Guive on Friday and the return of Kulcha on Saturday where Adowa Hi-fi meets Rootikalist & Jah Jah Bast, with vibes from 60-80's reggae roots. I think I'll need another recovery day soon...

All upcoming events can be found on our What's On Calendar.