Chamonix Activity Report: 8th June 2005

The main news has been the fatal lorry accident in the Frejus tunnel, the alternative route through the mountains from France to Italy, and the impact this will have on traffic using the Mont Blanc Tunnel as an access route for European lorries. Since the Mont Blanc Tunnel disaster, in 1999, lorry traffic was either non-existant or has been more carefully controlled. The implication of the closure of the Frejus tunnel, for an indetermiate period, is going to be a huge increase in HGV traffic to the Chamonix valley, with yesterday's volumes immediately approaching pre-disaster levels. Ironically the Frejus tunnel bore the brunt of traffic after the disaster here: it seems however few lessons have been learnt: it takes one crash in a tunnel to stretch the system to bursting point.

The result of the trucks approaching the MBT can be huge tailbacks on the motorway leading to the tunnel, rendering the slow lane a truck parking zone, with trucks pulling out into faster moving traffic and gallons of diesel being burnt in waiting and in the steep incline over 12km to the tunnel from the bottom of the mountain.

Not only does this create concerns for levels of dust, exhaust fume and noise pollution in the valley (which dropped dramatically following the tunnel's inoperation), the image of the resort as a sporting mecca and world heritage spot, but also for the continuation of safety procedures for traffic transiting the tunnel. There will be numerous demonstrations against the anticipated problems, as there have been ever since the trucks have returned after the disaster.

We will be reporting more on this in the coming days and Chamonet.com will be taking the side of the anti-truck lobby from both safety on the road and the pollution aspects - its the Mont Blanc afterall, not the Mont Noir! It is our belief that the trucks bring no benefit to the resort whatsoever, either to enhance the destination or economically - the state pockets the benefits from the road tolls and few truckers stay over in the region. A request to truck drivers: please use alternative routes if you possibly can.

Meanwhile, weekends have started to fill out quite a bit but overall town is mostly on the quiet side. A few bars have returned to life, especially in the daytime when sitting outside is a possibility (compared to the winter).

We have had a cold spell in the last few days, so we haven't ditched the winter duvet yet. However, although May / early June is quite often rainy we seem to have been spared a downpour for this year.

Temperatures are returning to the warm now and we have just got back from breakfast in the sun (before smog from the trucks obscures it!) at the Maison du Thé in the main street. They do a potent Illy coffee (double espresso) which goes down well, and they are in the sun (as standing in the shadows this morning you can feel the chill). There is always a bit of a dilema with breakfast there as I actually prefer the French cakes from the Patisserie Richard, just off the Place Balmat (which also does superb homemade ice-cream) which I have to go past first to get to the Illy coffee place! Patisserie Richard doesn't do coffee, nor do they have seating outside which is unfortunate. Invariably I have my cake and eat it, then go for coffee.

Whilst on the subject of places which are good for breakfast, here are some other suggestions: Grand Central Café (muffins, power drinks, and coffee), Hotel Gustavia / Chambre 9 do a 'sports-persons' buffet, and there is a small coffee-shop up on Rue Joseph Vallot whose coffee is good and who have a small terrace in the sun (you can probably get away with taking your own patisseries here, purchased from elsewhere!).

A bit more of a hike (excluding proper mountain breakfasts on the peaks) you can get yourself stocked up with rewards and walk up to Chalet Floria, which sits above Les Praz. If you set off early the bakers in town are open from 7.15/7.30am, you can get the for half-eight and have breakfast overlooking the valley. There is no real need to go early, just if you feel like doing something a bit different. It is a fairly steep walk, and then you can carry on up the Flegere or come down again....

in time for brunch... A few extra suitable locations for a later breakfast, which take a little longer for the sun to get to include: Mojo's (Place Balmat, opens at 9am) - good coffee and sandwiches, Le Bureau (along by the river in the centre of town, opens 10-11am) - coffee and email, La Terrace (Place Balmat, opens at 10am), Le Lapin Agile (Rue Whymper) - sun-trap and Italian coffee, and Atelier cafe in the centre of town - their coffees are not bad.

Otherwise other news: roadworks continue in earnest. Everywhere seems to be getting the once over. It'll be another fortnight at least before things look normal in the centre.

Bar'd Up one of the bars on Rue des Moulins (also under the diggerman's JCB) has been busted by the Gendarme's (police) for publically airing a pirate copy of Star Wars III (or is it VI !) the other evening. Just when you thought little was happening in town....

Sporting-wise, conditions are good. Climbers are around, running is going well: the fitness is improving at last, the adventure parks are open, and mountain bikers are down-hilling.

So there you are for the brief roundup. Things to look forward to: on the 23rd of June the national Fete de la Musique means a rowdy all night music party, and is probably the mark of the start of the summer season here. There will be bands playing in lots of bars and a general good night of fun to be had.

Ok that's it for now. Enjoy your breakfast!

Useful Information
Cross-country skiing is Closed
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

We will be keeping this Chamonix snow report updated often during the season, but if you want even more up-to-date news on the ski conditions, why not sign up for our Dump Alert? We'll email you each time it snows enough to significantly change the skiing conditions. It's great to know that the snow is falling in the run-up to your holiday, and it might even allow you to book a last-minute weekend when the snow is particularly good. The service is free, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

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