Chamonix Activity Report: 17th August 2012

The Fete des Guides is an annual celebration of the guides who work in the high peaks and the glaciers that surround the Chamonix valley, as well as those who have retired and those who have lost their lives in the mountains. The fete includes rescue demonstrations, climbing displays, live music, BBQ, a spectacular light/sound show projected on to the Gaillands rock face and an almighty barrage of fireworks over the lake. So much effort and preparation goes into the Fete each year and so often it has struggled on through mud, rain and storms... not this year though! Wednesday was a perfect blue-skied summer's day that progressed into a warm balmy evening, allowing everything to unfold as hoped for.

The day started with a parade by the guides through town in their traditional uniforms followed by the official ceremony that welcomes new guides to the company, honours deceased guides and awards medals to guides who have achieved great things over the past year. The festival at Les Gaillands opened at 3pm (entry fee 13€) with the chance to try out the new accro park and have a go at keeping your balance on the slack line. There was a demonstration by the PGHM of a helicopter rescue and an acrobatic parapente display, as well as live music and other entertainments. The big show came at 9:30pm with an amazing sound and light show with the guides as the stars, showing off their skills as they climbed and leapt across the rocks as coloured lights created a magical effect.

Once the light show was over the gates were opened and we were able to wander between the festivities and the BBQ that was in full swing over at Le Vert. It also meant that everyone was allowed free entry to enjoy the fireworks that were set off on the far side of the lake, lighting up the dark waters and silhouetting the trees that tower around it. The street party vibe soon got underway as the very funky Charlotte Band got us all dancing under the stars, there were also DJs playing at Le Vert so we mingled around outside enjoying both parties until we tottered off homewards. It was definitely the best Fete des Guides that I've been to in years and hopefully the curse of the bad weather has now been broken, we'll have to wait a year to find out!

This week I had a lovely day out in Annecy, courtesy of a friend who was swimming in a race there across the lake. Annecy is a beautiful town just over an hours drive from Chamonix and is a great option for a day out. The lake there is the second largest in France and is apparently the cleanest in Europe; it has areas for swimming, boating and fishing, and is surrounded by cycle paths and shaded parks. It is a fantastic place to chill out on a hot day, you can even go wake boarding if you are feeling energetic!

Just a short walk from the lake is the old town "Annecy-le-Vieux"; quaint cobbled streets, old stone buildings, glorious flower displays, and lots of idyllic venues for a lazy lunch. The canals that run through the old town give Annecy its nickname of "Venice of the Alps" and they are lined with restaurants, bars, bistros, cafes, creperies, ice cream shops, etc. We found somewhere that met all requirements on the wish list, namely: pizza, moules frites, "something fishy", rosé wine, banana split and a pleasant view. We don't ask for much, do we?

An hour later we were fed, watered and happy. Time for an ice cream and a paddle at the beach before heading home, I was so deep into holiday mode by this time that if I had a cotton hankie it would have knotted and on my head quicker than you can say "bucket and spade".

The weather forecast for this weekend predicts temperatures on the high side of scorchio, so forget doing anything strenuous and embrace the heat - head to the pool, the lake, the river... dunk yourself in the coolest water you can find aaaaaaaand relax. If sun worshipping is your thing then you can't go wrong with lunch at South Bar in Chamonix Sud; they have a south facing terrace with a fine view of Mont Blanc that keeps the sun long after everywhere else is cast into shade. They do a good selection of salads and daily specials, as well as yummy homemade desserts.

Over the weekend there will be funky groovy jazz tonight at the Derapage courtesy of the Bronkenstein Trio, they start at 10:30pm so you have time for dinner first. Get to the Jekyll on Sunday for the fantastic skiffle-pop band Thrill Collins, they were a big hit during the winter and they are back to play a one-off gig so don't miss them!

Other than that, enjoy the sunshine and take it easy! You can find more events and activities on our What's On calendar.