Mountain Goats

Bonjour once again,

Firstly it's been a very emotional and difficult week for us so I'd like to say a huge thank you to my Brother Leigh & Sister Joanna and their other halves as my Dad was taken into hospital unexpectedly the weekend before last.  They have been flat out visiting him etc and keeping me updated on a daily basis and I have also been doing daily check-in's via phone to the hospital and updating them both too, so between us all we have kept updated on his recovery.   He seems to be improving and is in good hands so let's hope he continues to make progress.

After leaving Chamonix we arrived in Samoens last weekend which is only 30 odd miles further North but basically in the next valley over.  It is also a small ski resort and from here you can link up with other small ski villages such as Sixt-fer-a-Cheval, Flaine & Morillon, the area is known as the Grand Massif.  Again it's inter-season here too so it's really quiet, as you can see from the picture we have the whole site to ourselves but this time next month it will be a different story.

The campsite is really beautiful and has stunning views of the surrounding snow capped mountains.  

Literally a few steps from the back of campsite there is direct access to Lac aux Dames and the Base de Loisirs which is basically a park area complete with fly fishing lakes and walking/cycling trails along the river all with stunning views of the hills and mountains above. 

Along the Giffre River there are loads of marked walks which follow the river either up or down the valley so between hospital updates we have been keeping ourselves busy and doing plenty of walking, we have been like a couple of MOUNTAIN GOATS, I reckon we must have walked 50+ miles, varying from walks along the river to hardcore hikes up through the mountains & ancient gorges!!

The river is fairly low and just meandering down the valley at the moment but it must be a very different picture in the Spring when the snow melt starts to flow down, it must get a lot higher as from this picture you can see where it has washed away the bank.

The walk up the valley again takes you along the river but up through the ancient limestone Gorges des Tines.  

One minute you are walking next to the river and the next you veer off through a small wooded area and then after a short climb up through the trees you are confronted with the massive dried up gorge.  You can clearly see where the water used to rush down between the rocks as it has carved out massive smooth curves on the rocks.  From here the footpath takes you up two sets of metal ladders and then carries on up the gorge over large boulders.  It's a hikers paradise as there are literally miles of walks clearly signposted with distances and estimated times to the next spot.  From the gorge there was a signpost to the Cascade (waterfall) du Rouget which was another hour and an half up the gorge so as it was already early afternoon we decided to go back to camp and do it another day leaving earlier and armed with a packed lunch.

Talking of mountain goats on the way back to camp we came across this one (it's the one on the right lol!) which was tethered in the woods behind one of the few wooden chalets we passed on route and was very friendly.

As we said we decided to do the walk/hike to the Cascade du Rouget so we left about 10.30am with our packed lunch and set off.  We got to the gorge and again climbed up the two sets of ladders but this time carried on up over the boulders which believe it or not was the marked footpath.  From there we carried on up a steep zig zagging path until we came across yet another metal ladder, this time it was near on vertical against the rock face.  At the top the path continued zig zagging and in some places there were anchor points on the rock faces next to the path to attach carabiners and climbing ropes or you could carry on along the path which had wire bond ropes attached to the rocks which you used as a hand rail.

Once we got to the top, yep you've guessed we descended down another zig zag rocky & tree rooted path until we finally got to the valley the other side and into a large open meadow area in the sunshine with picturesque views of the snow capped mountains at Sixt-fer-a-Cheval which borders Switzerland on the North-East side and also Chamonix and Mont Blanc to the South so we found a suitable log to sit on and have our lunch. 

Our lunch spot

After lunch we carried on walking until we reached the Cascade du Rouget which is just 6km from Sixt-fer-a-Cheval, it is also known as the Queen of the Alps, the two sections form a total height of over 80 metres.

We then made our way back to camp back through the gorge and zig zag paths, it was a fantastic day and the Cascade du Rouget was well worth the 16 mile round trip and 5.5 hour walk/hike.

Just opposite the campsite is the Grand Massif Express telecabin which takes you up to the main ski resort, Samoens 1600m which is closed until it officially opens for the season on 20th December.  So the next day we gave our legs a day off and went out exploring on the XT, first stop was Samoens 1600m.  Just before we got there at around 1,300m we found the snow line, it was great to see the snow and look down on the valley and village below but a bit strange as it was just like a ghost town, dead quiet and not a soul in sight.

From there we headed to Sixt-a-fer-Cheval where the road just ends at the Cirque du Fer a Cheval which from above looks like a horseshoe and in the Spring has an array of waterfalls.  You can't physically go any further up the valley from here as it is just a solid wall of rock. 

Next stop was to a road we spotted on the map which headed off up out of the Samoens valley on the opposite side to the campsite.  As with most of the roads around here it zig zagged it's way up through the trees and dense pine forest crossing the occasional stream on route.  We weren't really sure where it went which adds to the adventure, but after a while the tarmac disappeared and it turned into a track but then that eventually became covered in snow,  I hate to admit defeat but we couldn't go any further especially two up so we called it a day and just admired the views.

To keep ourselves busy and to give our legs another day off we had a morning giving the van a clean and check over.

Julie with her long hair!!!

And then the next day we decided to go on another walk, this time just the four hours!!!  We headed off out of Samoens in a different direction and up another valley (the same one where we headed on the XT before hitting the snow), again there are loads of walks, some are marked as 5 hours or more to refuges (a bad weather hideaway) at the summit of the mountains.  It was quite hard going and uphill all the way, we didn't realise quite how steep until we turned to come back as we knew that the refuges were out of our reach at that time of day/year as you really need to set off early or go during the summer when the days are longer.  It was a beautiful day and unseasonably warm considering we are in the Alps after all.  We took lunch with us again and found another suitable spot amongst the pine trees in the sun, just fantastic to sit in the middle of nowhere and enjoy the views, so so peaceful.  Sometimes we just sit in silence taking it all in, we just can't put into words the places we have been and the sights we have seen.

Lunch spot amongst the pine trees

We seem to have well and truly settled back into Winter mode now considering that just over three weeks ago we were still sunning ourselves in Sardinia.....it makes it feel like our adventure has gone very quickly and although we aren't counting we know that we don't have that many weeks left.

Next stop is Meribel where we spent the first couple of months of our adventure.

TTFN,

J&J

x

Catching Up With Friends in Chamonix

Bonjour Bloggers, 

Well we have broken the 10,000 views on the blog and the different people that we speak to now and then say how fabulous it is and what a great record of our adventure it will be for us both, which we are sure it will be.

We left our little site at Lake Orta, Italy,  in torrential rain and drove the 157 miles to Chamonix back in France and it rained the whole way with no sign of stopping.  The only time we got a rest from the rain was as we drove through the many tunnels on the motorway towards one of the most famous tunnels, Mont Blanc, and at over 10 km long it would give the wipers a rest also!!! 

A little way before the tunnel the diesel light decided to come on and we both said oh we will get some at the next station but it never came and we just had to keep going towards the tunnel with no services in sight, then the next thing we were at the toll booth to go through the tunnel and the van was beeping & flashing orange text to me saying LOW FUEL, LOW FUEL.  There was no option but to go through so we paid our one-way toll of €57 and proceeded, all I could think of was how much would it be to get recovered from the middle of the Mont Blanc tunnel, I hate to think, but once about half way through it begins to descend slightly so we managed to coast some of the way and while we were coasting had a quick look on the sat-nav which showed a petrol station just the other side in Chamonix (thank god).  As we came out after what seemed like a lifetime it was clear blue skies and no rain and the view of the mountains and Chamonix town below was amazing.

We had arranged to meet up with a good old friend of ours, Big Jim (who really does make us look like midgets!!), who we become friends with back in 2006 when we did our kitesurfing course together in Biscarrosse, France.  Jim now lives in Chamonix and has his own ski & bike rental business so we said we would give him a call once we had arrived.  Before we left Italy we had looked for a place to stay but there aren’t any open all year campsites at all but a few of our books said that you could park at an “aire” in a lift station car park called Grepon which apparently had water and waste in one corner and was usually full of motorhomes.  We headed for the Grepon car park after getting some well needed diesel but as we pulled into the entrance it had a lovely pair of new shiny height barriers set at 2 metres high so not a chance for us and looking at the car park no one else either!  A little further up into town we found a coach park and parked there while we rang Jim and explained our situation, without a minutes delay he said wait there I am on my way, and said don’t worry there are other better places to stay.  Well with that he pulled up by the van and stepped out, it was so good to see him after all this time (about 4 years),  I went to shake his hand but he insisted on a man hug then a welcoming kiss for Julie.  So after a quick catch up it was a simple follow me from Jim and we took off into Chamonix Town.  We had also earlier arranged to meet up with Jonathan & Sam another couple who live and work in Chamonix who we met about four Christmasses ago while kitesurfing at Kite Junkies in Egypt, but the weird bit is they also knew Jim and when Chamonix came up in a conversation at Kite Junkies the penny dropped that the Jim they knew was the same one, what a small world it is sometimes.  So as it was lunchtime Jim found us a spot to park up with a couple of other vans and then gave us a quick walk round the town on the way to meet Jonathan & Sam for lunch.  It was so nice to see them also, it’s been too long really but we all have busy lives and it was nice of Jon to take time out of his busy carpentry business to come and meet us for lunch as he had said to us over lunch that he is so so busy with work on the books for best part of next year!  

It was so nice to catch up with them all over a lovely lunch and a beer (which Jim insisted on treating us to) with Julie chatting away to Sam about our adventures, kiting & holidays and then us boys talking building, biking & anything snow related!!!  When we were in Meribel at the beginning of our trip we were meant to come to Chamonix and visit but once we got settled one thing led to another and we never made it so we both said we must make sure we fit in a visit on our way back home so it has worked out really well and they have forgiven us for being 11 months late!! 

After lunch Jim took us to his shop “Echo Base Ski et Surf” which was a little further up the valley in Les Praz, it’s a cracking shop on split levels with a basement which doubles up as storage and a workshop with tons of equipment for rental i.e. boots, skis & snowboards but at the time we were there it was in change over mode between seasons as he does mountain bike hire and preparation during the summer months so there was a bit of both in the shop.

So after that we said where do you live then Jim, with that he walked literally 10 steps through a set of gates beside the shop and said look it’s not a big place (one thing with Jim is that he says it exactly how it is) and he stepped toward this amazing wooden two storey chalet and said welcome to Shrek’s House and with that pulled the enormous key out from his secret spot and opened the four inch thick arched wooden door.  

What an amazing, totally different place to live, we both fell in love with the place it really did have something about it.  Julie and I said the commute to work must be horrific to which he replied “some days I have to put my shoes on”.  After a cuppa and more stories we went and picked the van up and followed Jim to where he thought best for us to park up for the night which was a great spot just by Jon & Sam’s place and their local bar where we had all arranged to meet up for a few drinks.  It had a great view Mont Blanc and the Bosson glacier.  We had a little chill out and a change of clothes then with that a knock at the door, it was Jon & Sam picking us up to go to their local which was lovely and as you walked in there was the open fire burning away and bar surrounded by English builders talking amongst themselves but Jon soon introduced us to them, then Jim turned up and we all just simply chatted the night away and exchanged stories and also we got to find out a lot more about Chamonix.

The Bosson Glacier

The next morning we took the motorhome up to Jim’s shop/house as there was a car park right there and we had offered to give Jim a hand in the shop to get it into winter mode but before getting to work in the shop Jim took us both on a lovely little walk through his back garden which is basically the whole valley, pointing out along the way all the couloirs that he drops into and boards down back into the resort amongst the trees.  It’ s one of those places that you just have to keep taking a second glance at because it is simply stunning with Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the European union, standing at 4810 metres high which for you old school is 15,780 feet.  

Mont Blanc is the small rounded peak furthest away in this picture

So after a brief tour we set to work in the shop which involved getting loads of skis up from the basement and sorted into the racking systems in the shop in some sort of order and getting the fitting benches in place etc etc which took best part of the day but what was nice was that Jon & Sam had invited us all over for dinner at their place along with one of their friends Jo. 

Jon & Sam’s house is beautiful, it was an empty shell and they have both turned the inside into a lovely apartment and with Jon being a skilled carpenter and builder and Sam a painter/decorator they have both done a fantastic job (Sam’s not a bad cook either!) the dinner and home made biscuits were amazing.  

That night we camped in the car park next to Jim’s house with stunning views of the mountains all around.

The next day the sun was out so Jim took a day off from the shop and took us on a long walk along the valley to Argentiere, on the way we climbed quite steeply up some of the trails and even across some of the runs.  

We got breathtaking views of the whole area including some of Chamonix’s most famous peaks such as the Dru and the Aiguille (meaning needle) du Midi.  There is a cable car that takes you from the centre of Chamonix up to the Aiguille Du Midi which is a 20 minute ride and takes you to point where you are perched at a height of 3,842m and offers you views of the French, Swiss & Italian Alps.  It is open in the summer months and again in the Winter season but as now is classed as inter-season (between seasons) it isn’t open, mind you looking at images on Google I am not sure Julie would have liked it!!  

The Dru

The Aiguille Du Midi with it's lift station perched on top

On the way back we followed the lower riverside trails back to Jim’s.  On route I heard a noise I know only too well (but haven’t heard for a while!), it was a concrete breaker on a machine and with that there it was mid-river breaking a large piece of granite that was blocking the flow of the river.  

When we got back we popped into town for a quick drink to replace lost fluids before heading back for dinner cooked by Jim, a yummy giant steak & vegetable pasty and so simple so it’s now on our to-do list.  We sat in Jim’s place, eating, drinking & chatting and felt so relaxed, at home & chilled out it was another great evening and we again stayed in the car park next to Jim’s.  

It was great to see Chamonix which is actually a town and much bigger than what we are used to in a ski resort, it is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and is known as the “Gateway to the European cascades” due to it’s proximity to Switzerland and Italy and it was the site of the first ever Winter Olympics back in 1924.

The next day we decided to head off to a place called Samoens only about 30 miles away to an open all year alpine site as we needed to get the van back on hook up and didn’t want to stop Jim getting ready for the upcoming busy season. Before we left we did a bit of work in the shop again which involved me getting back on the tools and in return Jim kindly gave our snowboards a quick look over and wax ready for Meribel.

We really enjoyed “catching up with friends in Chamonix” so after another man hug and a kiss for Julie we said our goodbyes but hope to maybe catch up in Meribel at some point before we head home.

Au revoir for now.

J&J

x

Getting Reacclimatised!!

Hi Everyone,

So after two days and a bit of cabin fever the rain did eventually stop and Julie managed to get the washing rinsed & dried, what a great idea the “Vanussi Magic 150” was but Julie wishes we had discovered it during the summer months as I don’t think we will get the opportunity to use it much more now.

The campsite we are on is right on the shores of Lake Orta and is deserted so again we have a nice little spot right on the waters edge.  It’s a really nice little place especially when the sun is out, but like anywhere not so appealing when it is pouring with rain!  

 Very picturesque 

 But not so picturesque in the rain & low cloud!!

Lake Orta itself is very beautiful and I suppose what we imagined Lake Garda to be like but obviously on a much smaller scale.  The village of Orta San Giulio is a small elevated peninsular that juts out into the Lake and is very nice too, you can even walk all the way around the bottom right next to the lake on a lovely footpath but at the moment there are some parts that are actually underwater as there has been so much rain. As usual Julie seemed to find a very friendly cat although it wasn't that impressed with the umbrella.

There is only one road onto the peninsular which leads into a main Piazza and then just little narrow cobbled streets with a handful of shops and restaurants/bars.

At the summit is the “Sacro Monte Di Orta” (Sacred mountain of Orta) which is a Roman Catholic complex and is dedicated to St Francis of Assisi,  it’s construction began back in 1583.  It’s quite a surreal but very peaceful place and has a main church along with 20 small chapels dotted around under a variety of trees, it’s quite hard to believe that they are so old but all still complete with murals on the walls so no wonder it is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

There's even this amazing bamboo growing high above the road

From there you get a great view across to the “Isola of San Giulio” which is a small island just off of the peninsula, the main building in the centre is the “Basilica of Saint Giulio” but since 1976 it has been transformed into a Benedictine monastery.  So all in all it is quite an interesting little place that we stumbled across and for a change somewhere in Italy that we actually quite like.

One building that we noticed straight away which we thought looked a bit out of place and not in your typical Italian architecture was "Villa Crespi". So thanks to the good old internet here's what we found out.

"In 1879 a successful cotton merchant built "Villa Crespi" in an authentic middle eastern style with an unusual feature, it's very own minaret inspired by Baghdad's architecture.  During the 1930's captains of industry and royalty were frequent visitors to the villa but at the end of the 1980's it was converted into a hotel where nature, art & history entwine."

As usual we have been out and about exploring on the XT (we don't know what we would have done without it, it's been a godsend and enabled us to get to some remote places).  We ended up following a road full of hairpin bends up to a little village about 800 metres above Lake Orta and found a fantastic viewing area that treated us to this stunning panorama.  At the far end of the picture you can see the peninsular of Orta San Giulio and the Isola of San Giulio.

The next day we followed a different road that took us up through more small villages to Mottarone which is in the pennine Alps range with an altitude of 1,492 metres.  From the summit we got a breathtaking view of Lake Maggiore which is the second largest lake in Italy after Lake Garda and the largest in Southern Switzerland as the lake and it's shoreline are divided between Italy & Switzerland.

 We were even up above the clouds 

Mottarone itself has a small ski resort and we found this out of season dormant chairlift, it's hard to believe the last chairlift we were on was back in March but it seems like only yesterday!

While out & about on the XT we had to stop while the local farmer moved his sheep, lambs and donkeys from one field to another which meant crossing the road.  If you look at the picture closely you can see that the donkey has a hessian  type saddle bag on with pockets on the side and inside the pockets are some small lambs with their heads poking out...obvioulsy they can't keep up with the main herd so have to hitch a lift, how cute!!!

To relieve our cabin fever we have been keeping busy reading, doing crosswords and researching stuff as usual.  One of the books we have read and re-read is "Europe in a Motorhome" which my sister Jo bought me a few years ago for my Birthday.  It's about a middle aged couple that sold up everything they had in the UK and took a mid-life gap year around Southern Europe with their 13 year old son.  It's a great easy like hearted read and in many ways we can relate to it, even to the places they visited and the predicaments they got themselves into in their huge american RV that they called the Beast.  So if you are looking for a great little stocking filler for anyone for Christmas then check this link out, you won't be disappointed.

Europe In A Motorhome - A Mid-life Gap Year Around ...

So after a few days of sun the rain has now returned again so the flip flops & shorts are definitely packed away and we are now "reacclimatised" into Winter mode.   It seems quite bizarre but we seem to have made the transition OK and are looking forward to returning to the mountains a place we love being, just as much as we love being by the sea.

We need a change of scenery & country now so are moving onto Chamonix back in good old France and are looking forward to meeting up with some  friends who live there.

So it's arrivederci from Italy.

J&J

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