Chamonix Activity Report: 14th June 2007
I love this time of year, even though the weather can be a little bit unpredictable at times, June is still one of my favourite months. The town is gently bubbling with activity as many people start arriving back from interseason breaks and it's the perfect time to make the most of the area before the summer crowds arrive in July and August.
If mountain biking is your thing then June is a great month to visit. In peak season, some of the more popular hiking routes (Petit Balcons and Sentier des Gardes) are out of bounds to mountain bikers as there are too many walkers using them. Now however, you can roam at will, exploring the many woodland trails that criss-cross the length of the valley. Despite a number of heavy rain showers in the last few days (mainly in the evening) the trails are mostly dry and in pretty good condition. However, it's worth taking a bit of extra care when rounding bends as there is still some fallen debris in places as a result of the freak snowfall a couple of weeks ago that brought down a huge amount of trees and branches.
If you're a hiker, then again, you can expect to have the majority of the trails to yourself. It's so quiet and so pretty at this time of year, as the trees and flowers begin to bloom – spring is a bit slow off the mark over here! So far, the majority of people that we've seen out and about are obviously in training for the Mont Blanc Marathon, taking place at the end of the month, but we've been enjoying some of the lower trails at a much more leisurely pace. Although Flegere opened up briefly last weekend, the weather was not very encouraging to head up high so we're going to save that for next week.
More of the lifts are opening up for the season this weekend, namely Brevent, Flegere and Le Tour, with Grands Montets opening on June 22nd. We reported in the news recently that there is a delay in the opening of the Tramway du Mont Blanc this summer, as a large stretch of the track was damaged by storm debris at the end of May. However, all going well with the repairs, it will be open for visitors on June 30th.
Around town, it's pretty much business as usual now with more and more tour groups heading this way. One place you'll be lucky to get into at lunchtime at the moment is Satsuki, the Japanese restaurant on Rue Joseph Vallot, which is completely chocca with Japanese tourists from around midday until 2pm. So if you fancy sushi (and it's really worth a visit) – book!
There was great excitement in town yesterday when the Webb-Ellis Trophy came to Cham, after being taken to the summit of Mont Blanc as part of the build up to the Rugby World Cup, held later this year. Around 600 young rugby players from across the region flocked here to set eyes on the famous trophy and get the chance to meet some of the stars from French rugby, past and present. One of the more entertaining points of the afternoon came when the 27th BCA military brass band did a rendition of the “Haka”. Whilst very good, it was a bit more “jazz hands” than the Jonah Lomu version!
For anyone that is planning on camping in Cham this summer, you might be interested to know of Alpbox, a new food shopping service, that will deliver pre-ordered groceries right to your tent or camper, so you can just pitch up and chill with a cup of tea or a cold beer. They have a number of options available for groups of 2-3 people with the emphasis on “convenience for campers”. However, they can also deliver supplies to your chalet or apartment.
The big event to look forward to next week is the Fete de la Musique – a national celebration held each year on midsummers day (June 21st) when Chamonix explodes into life with bands and DJs lining the streets until the small hours. Whilst you shouldn't anticipate getting much sleep, you can be sure to have a lot of fun!
