We have had plenty of rain passing through the valley and now finally it seems that it might be letting up, with weather forecasting dryer spells and more sun over the next few days. It will take a wee while for the rocks to dry out after the rain we have just had but as always south facing lower walls will come back in to condition a lot quicker than the higher up more interesting ones.
There is a lot to do in this wonderful valley, especially so in the summer with some of the winter joys still available up very high, and many summer activities such as biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, climbing, etc. Coming out to the valley with a mind to do more than one activity will get you the best out of your summer holiday here, such as today if you were heading out for a climb with all this water hanging around on the rock it's going to be difficult to find something that enjoyable or new to do. However you could get out on the bike and splash around the puddles or even go for a bit of hydro speeding down the river. There are plenty of companies in the valley which are worth giving a call to see what activities they have on offer, and can also offer guides and rental equipment. One of the best to go for all sorts of winter and summer activities is Evolution 2 with a large selection of activities and loads of guides available to get the best out of your stay in Chamonix.
Even in the rain a bit of downhill biking can be good depending on what sort of trails you're hitting. The muddier ones are obviously going to be slippery and the more rocky paths slightly drier with more grip potential. With the added factor of cloud and lots of rain falling I decided to head out on my own for a couple of laps underneath the cloud in Le Tour for the day. The cloud was just touching the top of the lift station, which made it possible to see what you were doing for the two possible runs which descend from the bubble lift. I did a good few laps on the wider trail which is quite rocky and allowed a little more grip in the pouring rain! After just one run on the muddier path, which became like a river in places after a good downpour, I decided to stick to the rocky side! It's probably a good idea to have a good set of brakes on your bike if you're heading out in conditions like these as if you want to stop quickly you might find you can't! Zero G is always a good place to rent out a decent bike for whatever type of riding you're in to.
It wasn't quite the same riding around on your own and I did feel a little less like letting the bike roll faster or jump off stuff in case of the inevitable injuries that could occur, but it was good to get out for a bit in the rain and made a cuppa tea and DVD feel really good when I got back!
Check out our Mountain Guide Listings for contact details of local guiding and activity companies.
Check out what to do around town once the lifts have closed with our Apres Ski Report - a weekly round up of what's hot and where to party in Chamonix!
