Chamonix Activity Report: 12th July 2009
The weather in Chamonix this week has been sunny at times, but fairly overcast for most but at least it hasn't been raining and with the cooler temperatures it has been great to do any activity without being too uncomfortable.
So far the weather seems to be holding out for the climbing world cup competition in the centre of Chamonix and it has been a great time to have a look at what the professionals are doing for some ideas on how to better our own techniques.
The past couple of days we have been going to watch some of the climbing competition, then heading down to Les Gaillands for a climb on some of the more technical stuff there. Les Gaillands is a very accessible wall to climb on, only a five minute drive or bike ride from central Chamonix and enough restaurants, cafes, and BBQ stands to cater for all walks of life.
At first look it seems like there are only the routes you first see as you enter the area, but there is actually a great deal more to this wall, with many challenging and easy routes to keep any climber happy hidden in the trees as well as on the main wall.
As the main area was very busy, we decided to take the footpath that goes around toward the left of the main wall, where you will find many other routes. We carried on round to the area called Forestiere, where we checked out some more challenging climbs and just single pitching so we could get more routes in and get back to the climbing competition.
The routes to the top look very good though and seem to increase with difficulty compared to the lower routes. After having our fill round this side and noticing that it had become quieter on the front wall, we had a go at some of the more challenging routes round there, before sitting by the lake to enjoy our lunch with some of the local wildlife.
After finishing lunch, we decided to return to see some more of the climbing competition and it must be said that they are truly amazing, climbing on an overhanging wall most of the way up, before becoming completely upside down for the last section of their climb!
The competition is on all weekend and Monday is the final for technique and speed climbing followed by fire works and a beer festival and ball afterwards, so be sure not to miss it if you are in town!
During a clear spot yesterday, I went up the Aiguille du Midi just for a quick look around at some of the ski/snowboard tour routes, as there had been a lot of rain the previous week and a lot of snow up high, coming as low down as 2500m which is outstanding for this time of year.
If you come to Chamonix you have to go up this lift just to see the view and you can even tie it in with a tour, or a walk when you come back down to the mid station where you can head over to the Mer de Glace, or just use it as a good excuse for a day off.
It seems like there is a lot of activity still going on with the touring up here, groups were heading up to Mont Blanc, the Mont Blanc du Tacul and many other routes in the area. If you're feeling the need for an adventure, mountaineering, ice climbing, ski or snowboard touring, there are still a number of organisations operating in the valley. One of the best is McNab Mountain Guiding offering extensive knowledge of the mountains in Chamonix and the highest possibly qualified guides - great if you're an experienced mountaineer wanting to explore new areas or new to the sport wanting a bit of guidance through those first steps.
Well anyway, a great few days in Chamonix again, now it's time to go and have a look at the speed climbers at this year's world cup climbing with the finals tomorrow and Bastille day celebrations to finish up, so a great time to book your holiday over here now!
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.
