Chamonix Activity Report: 28th May 2009
Chamonix has seen some super hot weather this past week, temperatures have been rising in to the 30s and the other night it was almost 20 degrees after midnight! With weather like this, a lot of people have been getting down to lakes or some of the outdoor swimming pools attached to hotels around town. With Chamonix still relatively quiet during the inter-season period, it is really easy to find a quiet spot to sunbathe by the lake, find a pitch to climb, or a trail to ride/hike.
Due to the heat, I haven't been so keen to hike for too long or to ride up hill for a prolonged period of time. I have been getting the train from Chamonix up the hill towards Le Buet or Montroc and then riding downhill using the wind to cool me down! There are some really nice trail options on the way back. If you get the train up to the village of Buet then there is a slight and consistent uphill for a mile or so, but you can get some fantastic views of Mont Blanc massif from a different perspective once at the top.
Then it's pretty much downhill all the way, with signs pointing out the direction back to Chamonix. The first track down towards Argentiere is pretty narrow, steep, and has a lot of switchbacks so a good set of brakes on your bike would be useful, failing that you can always take the direction of the road which is not too far from the trail. On the way there is a small hamlet called Le Bas where there is a lovely gite called Auberge La Boerne a good place to get a cup of coffee or spend a night there and get away from it all in complete tranquillity.
After this you can follow signs to Argentiere and pick your route back to Chamonix via Paradis des Praz, up on to the Petit Balcon Sud, or (like me on this occasion) the Petit Balcon Nord. This is a pretty nice route down to Chamonix crossing a couple of rivers on the way with great views of the Aguilles Rouges. On the way past the first river there is a small park, which is a good stop for the kids. The signs point towards Chamonix passing through the village of Les Bois which connects to Les Praz following the river Arve back to town. Or stop at the Hotel Eden in les Praz for a really good meal before heading back.
We had a really big storm on Tuesday which cooled the air down a lot, bringing temperatures back to a more comfortable level, so the more energetic activities are back on the cards! We went climbing down at Les Gaillands today, which was occupied by only a couple of groups of climbers, some school children on PE lessons and a few army recruits.
It was fairly easy to get a spot to climb and there was a good range available, from nice and easy to some quite challenging routes. It's well worth bringing the camera up with you (depending on how much your camera's worth!), as the views are amazing once you get up on the wall and find a little ledge to relax on next to a couple of lizards! There is a nice spot here where you can make your own BBQ next to the lake, or you can pop in to Le Vert, which is right next to the climbing wall for a couple beers and after the 19th June their restaurant is open.
Remember that a lot of bars, hotels, and restaurants are open throughout the inter-season with some more opening over the next few weeks along with more lifts too! So book a flight, train, or drive on over for some good and healthy fun in the sun!
Don't forget to keep an eye on our What's On Calendar for a full list of events taking place over the summer months.
