Chamonix Activity Report: 11th June 2009
Well the forecasters got the last few days wrong; the rain managed to hold off long enough to enjoy Chamonix dry! Even when it'sraining, it's still pretty cool to get out for a bit on the bike and once you have fully accepted wetness, going straight through the middle of large muddy puddles is a joy!
Fully expecting a downpour on Monday, we went just a little bit out of town to a famous boulder La Pierre D'Orthaz, which is a short walk from the MBC bar, following the signs to Orthaz. There are many routes on this boulder and some very challenging overhanging parts, while not being so far off the ground to aid such manoeuvres in relative safety and with the benefit of bouldering being that you can come down pretty quick if it starts to rain.
After trying and succeeding at only a few climbs, we looked at the weather and decided to risk going up the hill a bit further to do a multi pitch climb at the Dalles de l'Arveyron, which is just an hour's walk from where we were, passing the helicopter pad, crossing the river to meet signs pointing up to le Chapeau and the climb is on the way up this path.
We went around the corner from the main climbs, where there is no path, to find a nice little hidden gem - a three pitch climb to the top. It doesn't look like this section is climbed very much as there is a lot of loose rock on the way up to the start and we did actually hear a rock slide at one point, so I would advise the use of a guide who would know the best route round.
It wasn't too challenging, a slight overhang at the start but then fairly easy to grip rock the rest of the way and with some amazing views back toward Chamonix up toward the Mer De Glace and down at the forest and the river. A very tranquil place to be indeed.
Afterward we headed back down the same path toward MBC because it was Monday, we were hungry and there was a half price Chicken wing deal! A great day out and couldn't believe we managed to avoid the rain.
After our luck at staying dry on Monday, we decided to make big plans for the next day, so we went for a bike ride from Chamonix to les Houches via the footpath which starts right next to Les Gaillands, then up the hill on the road passing by the two lift stations (Bellevue and Prarion) and took a very picturesque ride down the road in to Servoz for another climb! The wall here has loads and loads of hand and foot holds, as it was once blasted to avoid rock falls on to the road, so it's a kind of a man made easy climb, with some difficult overhanging sections though!
The face has climbs ranging from three to six and would be a great place to bring a beginner with bar La Faune just opposite to celebrate those first attempts! After our climb we were pretty knackered, but we had committed to ride the rest of the road down to Lac De Passy for a swim of two lengths of the lake, so off we went.
The road down has some amazing views of the plateau below and it's a fairly easy ride with some uphill, but a lot of down. Once at the lake we jumped in to complete our challenge which was quite relaxing after our day of hard work, but we made it just a quick swim in and out to get back up the hill for some dinner.
Once leaving the lake we headed to Le Fayet to catch the train back up as a ride up hill would probably have killed us at that stage But a very good day and missing the rain again which started as we came back in to Chamonix!
Even with the threat of rain it's been a good few days, so ignore the forecasts and book your holiday out to tranquil Chamonix you will have a great time whatever the weather!
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.
