Chamonix Activity Report: 13th June 2010
More mixed weather in the valley but the sun is winning the battle over the less frequent showers which have mainly been occurring later on in the afternoon or evening. However this weekend it has been fairly overcast but with no rain, which has been a shame for the opening of Les Houches and made it not so good for the first bit of proper downhill mountain biking of the season.
Next weekend will also see the opening of Flegere so downhill mountain biking, high mountain hiking and climbing will be back on the menu bringing with it the more official start to the summer season here in Chamonix!
There are still possibilities for high mountain ski/snowboard touring, ice climbing and other winter activities during this inter-seasonal period, although it does require that a lot of effort be put in to get to and from the routes. The snow lower down is melting pretty fast now, meaning that hiking back up to the Aiguille du Midi is necessary or long walks back to the mid-station for those riding the north face of Mont Blanc.
Things are certainly feeling summery here now, the other day it was finally warm enough in the lake for swimming! It was an absolute scorcher when we decided to head down, so hot that we couldn't be bothered to do anything else other than submerge ourselves in liquid. Normally a cycle down to the lake is a good idea and with very pleasant views along the way it's a great day out.
On this occasion as it was so hot we took the car down to Lac Passy. You can get there by driving just outside of the Chamonix valley and following signs to Passy then the lake. The lake is fairly large and has a nice beach area at one end which is also supervised by Lifeguards, there are a couple of snack huts to grab a bite to eat or you can bring your own coal and use one of the many BBQ's dotted around the lake. We spent the entire day down there chilling out, between sunbathing and dipping in the lake every time we got too hot. The water was amazingly warm compared to the other week when we braved it and jumped in while it was obviously still too cold so we spent a good bit of time swimming around and on to the island in the middle of the lake. When the sun began to cool off we headed back on up the hill toward a couple of happy hour beers out in the sun in Bar'd Up and as it was 2-4-1 it soon become more than just a couple!
If you are thinking of Cham for a holiday to enjoy some outdoor summer fun, now really is the time to book a trip over, more lifts are opening and many activities are possible with more lifts opening over the next week. Most of the bars and restaurants have re-opened for the summer and there are some big parties on the way like Fete de la Musique when all of France eases licensing laws allowing music to be played anywhere and the sale of alcohol is permitted throughout the night! It's a party that shouldn't be missed and in my opinion marks the official start to the summer!
For more information about lift price information and parking check out the Vallée Blanche skiing article on this website.
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!
