Chamonix Activity Report: 13th September 2009
Well autumn has definitely set in now here in Chamonix with a few rain storms cooling the air temperature down a fair bit making it a bit nicer for taking longer hikes up and generally expelling larger amounts of energy, although when the sun is out, it's still been fairly warm and pleasant. With the exception of the Aguille du Midi, Montenvers and the Les Houches cable car, the rest of the lifts will be closing in this next week, so if you're into your downhill mountain biking, high mountain climbing or walking around at higher altitudes I would seriously recommend booking a stay over in Chamonix NOW! Although all is not lost if you decide to come over during October, the Aguille du Midi and the Montenvers train will still be open and there are still many activities to do without the use of the lift system. The sniff of winter will be approaching soon and when the first snow falls, I will be letting you know when it's possible to come out and start snowboard/ski touring!
On a fairly dry Friday afternoon we decided to hike up to Grand Montets via the Grand Balcon Nord starting from Le Lavancher. It was a pretty dry day but the threat of rain was always present with many clouds passing through the valley, but we were lucky and stayed dry for the duration of our hike.
We started off by getting the bus from Chamonix centre in the direction of Le Tour, getting off at the Lavancher bus stop and heading up the road to the village. There are a few misleading signs at the start of the trails follow the sign toward Chamonix then you will find a sign pointing up to Lognan and the Grand Balcon Nord, not to be mistaken with the Petit Balcon Nord which will take you on a different route at a lower altitude. You can also get on this path by walking straight from Chamonix up to Le Chapeau area following signs to Lognan and the Grand Balcon Nord.
The hike up is fairly easy with some steep climbs up in places but some flatter parts where you can catch your breath! The trail crosses many others and can seem confusing but they pretty much all lead to the same place as long as you keep heading up till you get out of the tree line. You will find some lovely views peeking between the trees on the way up, and once above them you will have an outstanding view while traversing the Grand Balcon!
It's a good point to note if you are into your snowboard/ski touring that this is a nice route down through the trees when possible in the winter, so have a look on the way up for the route (guide advised). Once out of the trees you will find yourself in the Pendant bowl and you will see a few trails heading off in different directions. Follow the trail towards the chair lift which will get you on the balcon toward Lognan.
The path from here on is a very comfortable stroll with some amazing views, simply heading toward the Grand Montets cable car where you will see the home run ski piste which is a very obvious path to take down, or you can choose to leave the trail earlier following signs to Argentiere. The path down is a long steep decent on some fairly loose gravel so good footwear is a must and it's a good idea to take the narrower but firmer trail down which winds in and out of the wider path (If you drag your bike up here this is a fairly gnarly decent). We descended in to Argentiere and stopped for a couple of beers and Nachos at La Rusticana before getting the bus back down to Chamonix.
So a great few days in Chamonix with some nice cool weather and a few rainstorms in the early evening but nothing that would stop any activity. 2 weeks to go so enjoy the summer lifts while they are still in operation!
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.
