Chamonix Activity Report: 26th August 2011

The past couple of weeks we have had some of the hottest temperature seemingly possible, and after a few weeks of rain back in July it has made us feel like the summer is really on again!

We are having to avoid the middle of the day for most activities at the moment as temperatures creep in to the 40's! Being in or near water has been completely necessary during the height of the day, although not an option for the trail runners completing the different Mont Blanc races at the moment! The Ultra Trail which starts tonight in more bearable temperatures for the athletes competing, is the last of the stages in a series of crazy long distance runs! The routes go around the various different trails around the base and balconies of Mont Blanc completing either half or a full loop of the mountain range. The longest course stands at an amazing 300km! And the famous ultra-trail tonight at 166km! The competitors run mostly without rest, in all conditions, and it is a supreme test on the human body, so if you are in the town be sure to clap those coming in hallucinating, bleeding toes and delirious!

PLEASE NOTE THAT STORM WARNINGS HAVE MADE IT NECESSARY TO DELAY THE START OF THE UTMB TONIGHT, CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

The past week or so for me has been about getting in as many climbing opportunities during cooler parts of the day as possible; climbing early morning or late afternoon with a BBQ is a great option, another is finding little climbs tucked away in the woods, in the shade and under the cover of trees. There are a number of bouldering areas that offer such cool pleasures along with some tricky moves to spend a day working out. Also there is a great wall in Le Coupeau near Les Houches which offers some longer sport climbs and is well covered by trees, so much so that it only ever gets the sun at the top of the climb.

The wall is set in a very peaceful location, higher up in the valley with some outstanding views, and in perfect tranquillity. You can access the wall in a number of different ways, depending on the heat of the day and your energy levels. The easiest is to drive up to the entrance of the climbing area head to Les Houches, and follow signs for Coupeau which is past the train station and follow the road all the way to the top, where you can park, and follow the climbing sign, and short trail down to the wall. You could also catch the train and walk up the footpath which zigzags across the road you would drive up. And if you're feeling motivated then hike from Chamonix, taking the Balcon Sud trail, and follow signs to Parc Merlet and Coupeau, possibly followed by a train journey home! See the map for general location.

When we arrived at the climb (by car) we checked out the routes which are all thankfully in the shade! The far left section has easier 5c level pitches and the far right 6c and above. The wall is quite slabby and most sections have a slight vertical or even over hanging section to negotiate before reaching the top of the climb. The routes require a lot of strength to stay on the wall and even after the slight vertical/over-hang section there is no real point to rest before the top. So on reaching the top my arms were throbbing so much it was a large amount of effort simply to press the button on the camera and take a snap of some of the lovely views you get as you poke your head above the tree line.

We tried a few of the other routes in the area, feeling our ability level fail as we tried some of the more difficult climbs, but a good work out and in some bearable temperature so before long it became necessary to head down the hill and grab some food in town from the MBC, followed by a few locally brewed beers!