Chamonix Activity Report: 23rd July 2009
Well the past few days in Chamonix have returned to much higher temperatures and glorious sunshine striking our wonderful valley. With the weather as good as it has been, a lot of people have been getting out of the valley to see sections of the Tour De France which has been circling around, but not through, Chamonix with minibus tours leaving the valley to go to the event and back again, which has been a great day out for those who fancied a look at the race. The race has also been on in most of the bars in town and has offered a great excuse for those wishing to get out of the heat and grab a nice cool refreshment.
For those who didn't fancy the cycling, there are many other activities to do in and around the town. With the amount of rain we saw last week, the rivers have been in excellent condition bringing many people to try the sport of hydro-speeding. You simply grab a wet suit and a type of float and jump in the river. You might hear them on your way, walking about town - follow the screams and you will find them! Booking is possible through Cham Aventure who offers a number of activities in and out of the water.
On Monday we went over to Vallorcine for a climb, intent on taking on the most difficult route. It's very easy to get to this climb, either exiting the train from Chamonix at le Buet or Vallorcine itself, and following the signs to Rocher d'Escalade. The day was due to be very hot and a lot of people headed over here to escape the heat on some of the north facing rock.
Although north facing, this means in the middle of the day as the sun rises over the steep valley you get a lot of glare, making it difficult to spot your route more than one move at a time.
We waited for the afternoon sun to move on and had a go at some of the lower climbs in the meantime, trying to add a bit more technique in to our climbing than on previous visits. There are many climbs in the area ranging from as easy as 3 and as difficult as 6b making it a great place to come for beginners on the lower routes with some nice intermediate multi pitches and a couple of tricky ones with some pretty flat slabby routes to the top for the more experienced.
After having a go at a few routes at the bottom, we were swarmed by many climbers coming with the same idea as us, to get away from south facing rock. Many of them stayed on the lower routes, so we decided to pick our way through the masses and head up to the next pitch to complete our mission.
Starting the route was quite committing with the bolts far apart, so once you put your first clip in you had to get to the top or leave a quick draw behind. The route was filled with finger holds rather than hands, with a lot of effort being put in to every inch climbed, but it was a great challenge none the less, and an amazing feeling once at the top knowing you had conquered it!
So, a great few days in Chamonix, some great weather and lots to do in the area whatever level you're at, in whatever activity, come out with a goal in mind and see if you can achieve it in the best place in the world to be outside and enjoying life!
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.
