Chamonix Activity Report: 30th July 2007
Despite a fairly unsettled forecast for last week, the weather was actually pretty nice for the majority of it, just the usual late afternoon thunderstorms causing folk to run and duck for cover. Higher up the mountain though, these storms resulted in some very severe weather conditions that meant a busy week for the rescue services and sadly resulted in tragedy on more than one occasion. If you're planning on tackling any of the high mountain itineraries in the area this summer, the local rescue service, the PGHM, cannot stress enough the importance of checking out the forecast for your chosen route….and more importantly, heeding what it says! At least one of the incidents that occurred last week may well have been avoided if the group had waited a day or two until conditions calmed down. You can find the latest weather forecast in English here and at the Tourist Office, but the Office de la Haute Montagne also post regularly updated weather bulletins (in English) and can also offer endless advice and information on the latest route conditions.
On a cheerier note, Chamonix itself is really buzzing now as school holiday season is in full swing. Wandering through the town at any time of day can be a bit of an obstacle course (especially if you're in a rush) as the lively mixture of hikers, bikers, mountaineers and day trippers go about their business. Cafes and restaurants are doing a roaring trade (reservations for dinner are wise) and the ice cream sellers are looking very happy indeed, but for the shopaholics amongst you - “Sale Season” has begun! There have actually been a number of sales going on in town for a couple of weeks already but the big boys - Peak Performance, Helly Hansen and Patagonia – started this weekend. The only way I can think to describe the anticipation of these sales is a bit like the stir that the Next sale creates in the UK. Not quite camping out overnight to be first in the queue, but definitely sharp elbows and a determined stance are required! With up to 40% off all the ski and sportswear there are some real bargains to be had, and if anyone manages to come out of all three shops empty handed….well, you're a stronger person than I am!
As an excuse to wear some of the aforementioned new purchases, we pointed the mountain bikes in the direction of Les Houches on Saturday afternoon, with the intention of doing a fun circuit from the top of the Bellevue cable car – the Col de la Forclaz via la Charme (pdf) (Route C). This beautiful route circumnavigates the Prarion peak (1969m) and offers spectacular views of the Bionnassay Glacier, the Arve valley towards Geneva and finally of the Chamonix valley itself. It begins by exiting right from the cable car and descends down to the Col de Voza via a 4x4 track that is quite tricky to ride in places due to the big loose rocks. Crossing over the Tramway du Mont Blanc tracks at the Col de Voza stop, there is then a fairly steep climb up for about 15-20 mins depending on how fit you are. If like me, you had slightly misjudged your wine intake the night before, it is also about a 20 minute push! Once at the top though, the trail continues at a fairly steady altitude with some fast, but still quite rocky descents criss-crossing the Plancerts piste. The ride up to the Col de la Forclaz (a different one to the one in Switzerland…) was moderately uphill but nothing too exhausting. As before, if your legs are getting tired, there's nothing that a short promenade here and there can't overcome. From the top of the col, there is about 100m of hideous rocky nightmare to overcome but after that the descent back to Les Houches is fairly plain sailing. En route, the chalets of Charousse deserve a special mention for being the most idyllic little hamlet that pops up out of nowhere. One of the chalets has the most inviting hammock gently rocking in the shade. I'm sure they would have no problem at all charging a few euros to weary hikers and bikers for a 15 minute rock in the breeze! Including riding to and from Cham, this route took us about 2.5 – 3 hours, so it's a great choice for a cheeky afternoon tour.
As with all good bike rides, the appropriate way to finish them off is with a beer in the sunshine and this week was no exception. We stopped off at Le Vert in Les Gaillands for a post biking refresher which also led onto us trying out their new pizza menu. With prices ranging from €7.50 to €11, you can choose from the list or create your own. We can recommend the “Toute Viande” (€8.50) for the meat lovers and the plain and simple Margherita (€7.50) for something lighter. They are delicious, but you know what the best thing is? They deliver!!! A service that is noticeably lacking in Chamonix, for an extra couple of euros, these guys will drop your piping hot pizza to your door step and they can even add in a 6-pack of beers to your order to make your evening complete! Keep an eye out for their menus dotted around town or give them a call on +33 (0)450 53 13 58.
If you're looking to dance the night away this week then don't miss Soul Avengerz at Le Garage nightclub on Saturday. Resident DJs in Pacha, these two English guys will be playing a mix of funky house from 1am on this rare appearance in Cham!
Well, it seems the fine weather is going to be with us for at least another couple of days before turning more sultry and thundery later in the week. As we are at the height of the season just now, expect things to be much busier on the roads especially if you're planning on heading through the Mont Blanc Tunnel and allow extra time for your journey.
Apologies for a lack of photos from this weeks activities – an uncharged camera battery was the culprit, so I've popped in a few shots from previous excursions earlier in the summer to whet your appetite.
Piste Maps for Chamonix (pdf format), Les Houches (jpg format), Cross-country skiing (pdf format), and Mountain-bike trails (pdf format)
Current status for opening of Pistes & Lifts
Chamonix Webcam Index
Useful Links
Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research
French Avalanche Research Institute
Meteo France - Mountain weather and avalanche conditions bulletins (in French)
Henry's Avalanche Talk - popular avalanche training sessions based in French Alps as well as translation of current avalanche conditions
PisteHors.com - Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding News in English for the French Alps. Excellent coverage of avalanche safety and advice
Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office
