Chamonix Activity Report: 6th June 2008
Need sunshine? Well, Chamonix won't have been for you this week! The pressure's been low, the skies grey, the temperature cool and the town quiet. It's the calm before the storm of the summer, as the locals win back their town and get it into shape before the influx of crowds seeking sunny fun in the high alpine.
Shops are refitting (the Helly Hansen store has more builders in it than the Vagabond!), streets are being dug up and certain parts of the lift system are being refurbished. But perhaps most poignantly, the 'Petit Train' of Chamonix has started up. The petrol-driven steam engine with it's charge of greying sightseers has begun to toot its way around town - mind your heels if you're strolling down Rue Docteur Paccard this week!
We escaped the madness earlier this week and went for a fairly substantial bike ride. We started off by taking an early train to Vallorcine, where we joined the 4x4 fireroad and started the long slog up to the Col des Posettes. That's the pass just above the Vallorcine gondola top station that divides the Le Tour and Vallorcine areas. It was a hell of a climb, as much an emotional experience as physical, and took us just under three hours bottom to top. The Tété de Balme chairlift looked totally out of place in the summer, marooned in a sea of green grass. Adding to the spookiness was the fact that we were almost totally alone on the trails, save one octagarian walker and a couple of motorbikers. Soon after passing the chair, we came across some pretty expansive snowfields lying across the trail, another testament to the amount of snow we had this winter. I was surprised to see so much, especially given the rain and foehn wind that we've had lately.
Upon reaching the Col des Posettes, we turned up the singletrack toward the Aiguille des Posettes, from which we had an awesome descent down to the Le Tour parking lot. All in all, it took us around five hours...and we slept very well that night!
La Flégère opens tomorrow morning, and we'll be there to check out the trails. Contrary to the rumours flying around town, bikers will be allowed on the cable car. So I'm especially looking forward to the Floria descent via the flower chalet of the same name. Also, there are rumblings of a Facebook-organised group of renegade skiers and boarders planning a late assault on the snowfields off the Index chairlift...will the lifties let them do it?
Until next week!
