The sun has got his hat on once again and Chamonix has got significantly more lively, and lovely, now that the summer season has officially started.
Bars and restaurants have adorned their terraces with shady parasols and baskets of flowers, bottles of rosé are chilling in ice buckets and the sparkly waters of the outdoor pool are beckoning. Which kind of makes this weekend's big event seem like, well... quite hard work! It seems to be some sort of time-honoured tradition (or ancient curse) that the Marathon du Mont Blanc always takes place on a scorcher of a day, even if the weeks running up to and beyond it are enduring deluges of Biblical proportions.
Marathon weekend gets bigger and more exciting each year, with more races being added to the itinerary and more people signing up to take part. The "festivities" begin with the KM Vertical tonight (Friday), just 3.8km, easy peasy. Oh hang on, it climbs 1000m, that'll be why it's called "vertical" then... last year's winner was up there faster than a startled chamois, sprinting his way up in under 37 minutes. The 10km and the Cross both take place on the Saturday, the Cross being the 23km half-marathon; even the shorter races are more challenging than their distances suggest, plenty of rough terrain, steep climbs and tricky descents to contend with. Sunday is the big'un, the Marathon - 42km in distance and 2511m of uphill, starting in the centre of Chamonix and finishing up at Plan Praz on the Brevent. You can view the routes for all of the courses here and there are plenty of good spots to stand and cheer along the way, Compagnie du Mont Blanc are offering 20% discount on lift passes this weekend so make the most of it and get up into the mountains.
If you want easy access then hop on the train or drive to Montroc, you can see the runners coming over the bridge before they carry on to Vallorcine and plenty of people line this short section of road to cheer and wave as they go past. If you want to include a nice hike then you could take the Le Tour gondola up to Charamillon and walk the Col de Balme circular route, stunning views of the valley and you get to thank your lucky stars that you can take it at your own leisurely pace, rather than at full steam ahead up the marathon route to the very high pointy bit at the top of the Aiguillette des Posettes. Most people will gather at the finishing point or along the final stretch from Flegere to Plan Praz, so this is where to head for some full-on lung busting cheering and plenty of emotional scenes. You can get the lift up to either point and then hike along to find a good spot, the route from one station to the other in either direction is one of my favourite hikes in the valley. Be careful not to get in the way of the runners though as they will literally be on their last legs as they stagger up the final gruelling slog, arms outstretched in anticipation of the beer tent.
After such a whopper of a race you're going to need some serious refuelling (cheering can be a tiring business); an almighty MBC burger would certainly do the trick, washed down with a few pints of their home-brewed beer. Or, if you're feeling the need for cheese you could do worse than head to Le Monchu for fondu. We did this last year, armed with our medals and demanding an extra large pan of cheese in honour of still being able to stand. The waitress came back staggering under the weight of an enormous fondu, telling us with a grin that we would never finish it. Pah! We had just ran a marathon, we were able to laugh in the face of such a challenge. She was surprised (or perhaps horrified) when we polished it off and asked for a refill; I think the resulting food coma took longer to recover from than the marathon. It was a very good fondu though.
South Bar in Chamonix Sud are offering a free drink to all Cross and Marathon finishers; just turn up wearing your medal and enjoy a free glass of beer, wine or a soft drink. They have a nice south-facing terrace that enjoys the sun for longer than pretty much any other bar in town and it's also right next to Monkey Bar, which does really good food and bar snacks.
La Moraine is the newest restaurant to open this season, with a brand new team and fresh summer menu. I've not checked it out yet but it's on my list; their regular menu is tempting (I like the sound of baked cod fillet served on a bed of roasted vegetables and potatoes, with a lemon pesto squiggle) and they also do a daily special for just 9.50€, as well as great value set menus. It's on the corner of the high street, by the Aiguille du Midi railway crossing and has two small but very pretty terraces shaded by lots of flowers.
The Dérapage closing party takes place on Saturday night; guaranteed to be a messy affair. Hidden away down a small alley opposite the post office, Le Derapage is hard to find unless you know where to look and is a bit of a Chamonix institution. They've had many nights too good to remember in there, so their last one should see them out on a high with hip hop, dubstep and d'n'b from Mister Pop and no doubt guest appearances from anyone who has ever played in there (and there's been a lot).
There are plenty more events and parties on the horizon, so keep an eye on our calendar for the latest info. Enjoy your weekend and best of luck to everyone running in any of the Marathon du Mont Blanc races!
