Chamonix Activity Report: 20th August 2009
An absolutely scorching few days in Chamonix, with temperatures pushing in to the 40s, which has made it pretty hard going if you're planning some big hikes or climbs around the valley, even early in the morning temperatures are rising enough to make everyone want to head down to the lake.
Lac De Passy has seen record numbers of people flocking to this wonderful location. Others have chosen to get a lift up high and doing activities in the cooler conditions that altitude brings with it, but the good thing about Chamonix is that whatever activity you come to this valley for, its always possible to make it more comfortabl, and with the services of a local guide you will find new areas to explore where they will take you to the best locations for that day, whatever it is you are doing.
Yesterday evening we decided to hike up to Lac Cheserys, choosing to do so as the heat of the day was easing off. The Lac Cheserys is a very popular spot and you may have seen a few post cards around the town with pictures of this wonderful lake. If you happen upon the right conditions, you see the whole of the Mont Blanc Massif in a doubling view against the lake.
There are many ways you can get here; the easiest is to get the lift up to Flegere and walk across for about an hour on a sustained easy gradient path, the most beautiful but also the longest. You can also get the bus up to Col de Montets and walk up on to the plateau with a relatively flat walk the all the way to the lake, but with some outstanding views along the way.
We chose the direction from Montroc, although you can also choose a similar path from Argentiere. The hike up is probably the quickest without using the lift, however it is probably the hardest as it's a continuous slog up straight uphill. We caught the train to Montroc and got on the footpath which is just next to the tunnel entrance, from there it was pretty hard going especially in the heat even though it was 7pm.
You eventually approach a cliff band near the Aguillete d'Argentiere, where there are a series of ladders leading you over the cliffs. After the cliff band the path levels out a bit more making a little easier for the approach to the lake. We brought a tent with us and were planning on getting some good shots at dusk and dawn, although unfortunately there was a lot of cloud about in the evening, so we set our tent up and prepared for an early night to get some good shots of the lake in the morning.
This route is normally very busy and it was great to have the place to ourselves, apart from the odd lost hiker passing by in the middle of the night, and one other party with the same idea to get some good pictures of the lake without the mass of people in shot.
In the morning we woke to a perfect day and some pretty still water. The views were absolutely amazing and so much better to hike up at this time and appreciate the quietness of the mountain and having the place pretty much to ourselves. As it was quite warm as soon as the sun rose, we could not resist the temptation of jumping in for a little swim and to our surprise the water was actually quite warm - and great to be swimming with the view of Mont Blanc in our midst!
Well a great couple of days here in the valley and August is coming to an end meaning fewer people are coming to Chamonix, although it's still pretty busy at the moment. But a good time to start thinking about a holiday over here in September, with fewer people around, the weather still warm and lifts open why not book a flight over for some adventure.
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.
