Chamonix Activity Report: 13th August 2010
Some overall cooler weather here in Chamonix and some crazy amount of rain passing through which is cooling the air down a lot more that what is usual for August. There have been some nice sunny patches and as soon as you see a clear spot it's best to get out and make the most of it! We are in the middle of the busiest part of the summer and there are thousands of people from all walks of life and nationalities enjoying some of the many activities available in the valley.
There is loads going on at the moment, lots of parties up and down the valley, some great restaurants to indulge yourself in and of course many outdoor activities around these! If you are out for a more relaxing chilled time here in the valley it can be a good idea to just take a nice wee afternoon stroll up to one of the many café's or mountain restaurants around the Chamonix area.
Depending on how easy/crazy you want to take it there are routes with a nice stop along the way or at the top, where you can sit and feel good about your hike and enjoy what sunshine there might be and relax. So, having some of my family over at the moment and granting them the wish of a more chilled out stroll than a high mountain crazy hike, we set off on a short walk from L'avancher to Le Chapeau, where there is a great café/restaurant at the start and end of the trail!
We drove up to the café L'avancher where the route starts and followed the fairly easy path which is sign posted up to Le Chapeau and walked the rest of the way. There were quite a few with the same idea, taking a nice afternoon hike up at their leisure to reach the hut and enjoy the views.
Even with the amount of rain we had the previous day the paths where becoming quite dry with the bit of sun that was shining down on us, and there were a few eager climbers trying to find the entrance to the Chapeau climbing wall which can be quite tricky to locate but once there they would have found it, it would have been in a fairly dry and climbable state.
I did realise that being out here taking the family on a nice easy stroll when they have just come from sea level was a bit of an oversight, being use to the higher altitude and frequent hikes it can seem like an easy stroll but it was a bit of a mission for them. I managed to drag them up and they felt good once at the top and sat with a bit of lunch and a nice white wine. After a bit of chilling out in the friendly family run Chapeau hut we headed back down the trail, and for a bit of afternoon chilling in the sun.
So this weekend is the Fete des Guides; if you're out, you have to come witness the spectacular shows from the guides themselves followed by some amazing parties afterwards, and don't forget we have the Ultra Trail coming up, so a very exciting time to be in the valley!
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!
