20 - 26 September 2013
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| View over to St Gervais |
From Lyon we took trains up to the Chamonix-Mt Blanc region. We got off at St-Gervais-les-Bains-le-Fayet (at approx 600m), which is the end of the main SNCF train line and serves a large area, though there are two other lines from there - the Vallorcine railway which goes through Chamonix to the Swiss border, and the Tramway du Mont-Blanc, a rack-rail up to the Nid d'Aigle at 2362m.
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| Near the Roberty's house |
We were met by a mountain guide called Manuel Roberty - we had met him and his family in the Amboise camping ground. They, too, were on a biking holiday -mum, dad and two daughters in the 10-12 age range. They had invited us to stay with them if we wanted to see the Chamonix region and we were delighted to take up their offer. Their house, in the throes of renovation, is on the hills opposite St Gervais and had an area downstairs that we were able to have to ourselves. We shared some meals and activities with them and they were fantastic people to stay with.
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| View from near the bus stop |
We tried to use public transport and walk, where we could. The bus stop was half-an-hour's climb away - very close to a café with great food, great coffee and a view straight across to Mont Blanc. We also both bought a thick fleece jacket at a good price, the weather being decidedly no longer summer!
The closest train stop gave us an hour 10 minutes walk uphill on the way home, through lovely countryside with picturesque chalets, fruit trees, forest walks and quiet roads. There were a number of really good walks we could do from the house, and a bus took us up to about 1600m, from where there were even better walks! We were also given a ride to Chamonix several times, as Manuel had work to do there. His wife, Armelle, also helped out with transport, dropping us at the main-line station when we left. We are so fortunate!
There are so many things to do in this region, we just brushed the surface. As I said, lots of walks were possible from the house, with fantastic views of Mont Blanc. We also took the Tramway du Mont-Blanc, a rack-rail, up to the end, le Nid d’Aigle ( Eagle’s nest), spending the night up there in a ‘ refuge’ - a very comfortable chalet with bunks, dinner and breakfast, at 2372m, from where we could have climbed Mont Blanc. However, we contented ourselves with shorter walks both across to the glacier and up to a small mountain hut, at 2761m, where we met an Australian-NZer and an English guy who lives in Chamonix. We also saw quite a few chamois on our walks.
Best story from up here - we met two guys from Iceland, in the same age group as us, who had flown in to Paris, come down to the Mont-Blanc area by train, climbed the Mountain, and were taking the rack-rail down to the valley, returning to Paris, then to Iceland, all in the space, more or less, of a long weekend!
On our way down by the tramway, we walked between two of the intermediate stations - great weather and stupendous views.
From Chamonix, we took the cable-car lift ( in two sections) up to the Aiguille du Midi at 3842m. It was the most glorious day, with blue skies and no wind and we talked with a local (ex-mountain guide) who had come up that day “because the weather was so good”. So we were very lucky. The view in all directions is stupendous and you are right near the border with Italy. There is a fantastic view of Mont Blanc...so close. |
| Access to La Vallée Blanche |
You can also access La Vallée Blanche from here - a well-known long ski run - though in September people were taking a running leap to paraglide down the valley. There is a link to a Youtube video of Manuel and family descending the White Valley, if you want to see the grandeur of the mountains or are interested in skiing.
We went up on the first cable-car of the day and didn’t come down until mid-afternoon.
On the way down we got off at the mid-station to walk around the side of the mountain to Montenvers, where the Mer de Glace is the longest glacier in France. Fantastic walk with views to the top of the other side of the valley all the way. Pity I didn’t think to check the train departure times until halfway there (thank you, 3G and internet), as the last train was leaving at 5pm, and we really didn’t know if we could make it. Nor did a much younger German couple we met en route. In the event we did make it - fueled by adrenalin, I ran the last X minutes to the station and spoke to the driver, who kindly waited for ‘my husband who has a sore hip’ - which also allowed the grateful German couple to catch the train as well!
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| The monster devours the valley |
We didn’t have time to take in the glacier at all and went back the next day for hours. This glacier was the first tourist attraction in Chamonix and is depicted on posters as a devouring monster eating up the valley (as they felt in the 17th-18th century, referred to as the 'little ice-age'.
Since then the glacier has receded far up the valley and there are indications as you descend to the ice-cave at the bottom of the valley, first by a cable-car lift then by metallic steps, of the level of the top of the glacier in recent times (1990 onwards). Massive movement. The station is at the level of the glacier when the railway was built in 1908-9 and tourists would cross the glacier in guided parties. If it weren’t for the photos on display it would be hard to imagine it a century ago.
Our host skiing La Vallée Blanche with his family in 2012:
Un grand merci à toute la famille pour tout ce qu’ils ont fait pour nous.
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