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Chamonix Activity Report: 10th July 2008

featured in Activity reviews Author Tom Wilson-North, Updated

It's amazing what you can find when you poke around a bit. And Chamonix is no exception. From the secret gorges and tucked-away walks to the less obvious mountain bike trails that we've found in previous weeks, there always seems to be something new in a place like this.

Yesterday, whilst out walking, we stumbled on the old Grands Montets cable car whilst checking out a trail above Argentière. It's smaller than the newer, blue one that goes up to Lognan nowadays, and even more rickety - should such a thing be possible! The car was overrun with weeds and tree branches and it didn't seem quite right to see something that is surely home to so many days on the hill, so many stories, so much laughter and good times, just languishing in the bushes at the bottom of the mountain. Any museums out there need a new exhibit?

Speaking of Les Grands Montets, the resort finally opened on Wednesday with new cables to whisk tourists up from Argentière in safety. The resort was busy (thanks to fully booked Aiguille du Midi cable cars and the Brévent closure), but we found peace and quiet on the dry trails - the zigzag path down the Trapette couloir was blocked in places from winter rockfalls, and fairly slippery from the strimming that had been going on of late. However, the brisk walk down the singletrack to Le Lavancher via the bottom of the Pendant bowl was beautiful; lots of families out on the trail, tons of 'bonjour's and even a huge herd of goats and sheep just off the 4x4 track after the bottom of the Magic Forest.

Rode Les Houches again on my lunchbreak yesterday...unfortunately the downhill track still isn't finished though. It starts off brilliantly - berms, bumps and jumps galore - but after a couple of hundred metres seems to fade out and disappear, leaving the rider to deal with an uphill slog through deep mud. Apparently a bridge is going down soon which will cross the worst of the goo - as soon as that's done there will be some excellent riding here off the Bellevue lift. A new bike shop has opened just across from the parking lot of Bellevue. It's a branch of Chamonix shop Zero G, and has a dozen or so enormous downhill bikes to rent. Having a liftside shop certainly makes life easier from a logistical point of view - no more lugging bikes on that train!

Over the back of Les Houches there are a handful of excellent trails down to St Gervais, and we rode one the other day. There's a lot there - I know of at least five or six ways down, from fireroad cruises to singletrack brake-burners. It's a part of the area that's oft-forgotten...true, the necessity of taking the train back up to the valley from Le Fayet is something that needs forethought, but anyone who is into biking should certainly give this side of the mountain a go. All the way down Mont Blanc is behind you rather than in front, and the gentler terrain of Megève, St Gervais and Les Contamines makes you feel that you're in an altogether more mellow and less intense enviroment.

Stopped by Les Gaillands today and was stunned by the quantity of climbers scaling the wall, probably ahead of the sketchy weather that's due this weekend. I'm sure that won't dampen any spirits at the climbing event or beer festival though. See you there!