Chamonix Activity Report: 21st July 2010
It's hot hot hot here in Chamonix! Temperatures have been hanging around well in to the thirties for a good portion of the day, and we should be seeing a few large thunder storms over the next few days so that should hopefully cool things down a bit. For now if you're out and about doing some sort of physical activity which requires a small amount of effort, it's going to be necessary to find ways to make yourself a little more comfortable in the blistering heat!
Whatever activity it is that you're out to do here in Chamonix you're never too far from some sort of body of liquid which you can emerge yourself in, which is my personal favourite way to cool down and get back to the task at hand. Locating yourself near water or passing by a river, waterfall or lake is always a good idea. Also getting up to a higher altitude can often help matters, especially for climbing where the walls are less crowded, less used and a little more grippy.
La Joux, which is one of the lower crags in the valley, is a good spot for climbing; you do however get a lot of people using the same wall and it can get very hot as it is south facing. It is better to climb there in the mornings at the moment, as the slightly cooler temperatures make it that much more bearable. The main reason we chose to come to this wall however was that it had a nice waterfall just round the corner which is a great way to cool down! There is a good mix of climbing in the area with some very easy routes on the left hand side and some more challenging ones to the right along with some very tricky routes hidden around corners. Most of the routes up the wall are hardest for the first couple of moves, after that it soon becomes easier with some very pleasing views all around.
We spent as long as we could handle in the heat on the wall before it became absolutely necessary to get in the waterfall! It was very cold to get in but with temperatures in their late thirties it was a godsend! After taking a dip we felt fresh enough to go back and do another couple of climbs before feeling that perhaps it was just too hot to continue so had one last dip and headed for a couple of cold fruit juices in the Office Bar in Argentiere.
There are loads of other walls in the valley where it will be slightly cooler or you might have a river, waterfall or lake in proximity to the wall; it's well worth getting the map out before you head off to check for places to dip.
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!
