Next up in our fun-filled France days was a high-speed tram up to the top of the Aiguille du Midi, super awesome! A highlight for sure, one of the best touristy things to do while in Chamonix.
We put on all layers of warm clothes and stood as close to Mont Blanc as we could (without special equipment). So thankful that we had clear skies and sunshine - and a great bunch of friends to share it with:
Next time we also want to try the little gondola balls that take people directly over a huge glacier and down into Italy:
An ice cave near the Aiguille, and I assume this sign says something like, "Don't even think about walking over here":
We had the best view of the valley and beyond, including the first few miles of the UTMB course over the Col de Voza (the little ski area on the left):
Peekaboo...
We took the tram halfway down, to the Plan de l'Aiguille, to start a hike. And admire the mountain flowers:
Shedding some clothes and getting the lay of the land below:
We traversed along the mountainside to the north, enjoying the changing views and various shapes of rocks:
The Mer de Glace (sea of ice) glacier and another patented Dani pose - someone save this girl already :)
Dani, John, and I ran down the hill while Cathy and Robyn took the cute little train. The trail crossed the tracks and we happened to see the train at that spot:
Back together again, and now with the required baguette resupply (so French):
Last spring Robyn had asked about hut-to-hut hiking possibilities, and I managed one phone call in French to a lovely woman at a refuge (French hut) who helped me make a reservation. Maybe in the future we can string together more overnights in the mountains, but for now I was happy with this minor accomplishment. No internet reservation system for these!
On top of that, we were going to overnight at Miage, one of our favorite places in the Alps. I had been there with my French friend Sandira many years ago (possibly once as a teenager and once on a Europe tour) and always remembered it as a special place. I looked forward to sharing it with our friends.
Starting on our hike, we found the "start/finish" of the Tour du Mont Blanc trekking route - possibly the inspiration for the UTMB race:
I was guessing that the race would not take us up these stairs (it did not - there's a nearby dirt road climb instead), but we were following TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc) hiking signs:
Excellent yard art:
It's a steep climb up to the Col de Voza and I was happy to see that in advance of the race. We had a bit of rain off and on that day, never too challenging and we still had good views:
But we don't have our ski passes, whatever will we do?
We had a wonderful hike over to the Contamines valley and were so excited to be spending the night at Miage. We even had our own little chalet - so adorable!
Welcome to our hobbit house, with a downstairs bed and an upstairs bunk area, a sink and a toilet (plus shared showers available in another building) - love it!
Hard to believe there's another refuge even higher up, but this is Mont Blanc:
The Miage valley is so magical, with its serene ambience and water flowing everywhere. We went for a walk to the large waterfall across the way:
The view back toward the refuge and distant ridge:
Also great was the evening meal. Always nice to work up an appetite and then have an amazing supper. A group shot while waiting for it to arrive:
It was so good, we ate without pausing for a photo - until dessert:
John discovered an older bathroom with a stand-over toilet like we remembered from our time living near Grenoble - we probably saw these mostly at ski areas. Still a curiosity:
Robyn is curious too. Between this and the Grand Canyon groover, it's any wonder she doesn't ditch us for friends who have only normal toilets.
Starting our hike out the next morning - thank you Miage!
John and I took Dani over the hill to Le Truc ("the thing") that we had last seen during the 2008 Grande Traversee des Alpes stage race:
Typical Alpine setting with cows:
We found Robyn and Cathy further down and continued our trek to the valley and toward St Gervais. I didn't know it at the time, but the trail we followed turned out to be part of the UTMB course. Yay for unintended race scouting!
We saw some parapente people (paragliders), although they are almost invisible in the sky in this picture:
I always enjoy roaming around St Gervais, ever since I stayed here with Sandira and her family when I was in high school. Such a quaint and fun little town:
Turns out there are permanent orienteering courses in some of the parks here, so we took a picture of one of the controls:
Back in Les Houches at the end of our wonderful 2-day hike:
Our friends took a trip to Lake Como in Italy for a few days, so John and I had to entertain ourselves. Seemed like a good time to do some UTMB race scouting, so we headed to the train station (which, of course, has a view of Mont Blanc):
Our train brought us over the hill to Vallorcine, the last crew aid station of the race, and we trekked back to Chamonix on the trails. It was a fun hiking day, plus I would be very glad to have already seen the end section of the course by the time I got here during the race.
Especially the big climb up from the col - it's rocky, steep, exposed to the sun, and can seem never-ending if you're tired (like after running ~90 miles). Finally up on flatter terrain:
Such a pretty place, glad we had time to take it in together:
John and I made a detour above the race course to visit the Lac Blanc - I'd seen a postcard photo, which is how we have found several of our more memorable hiking destinations. On our way there, with many more hikers than we were used to seeing, walking around Lac de Cheserys (which also has a rather spectacular backdrop):
It was worth braving the crowds up the little ladders, finding a relatively quiet snack spot above the lake and watching the birds who were watching for crumbs:
Apparently an iconic picture-taking location:
We descended back to the race route and over to the Flegere refuge, marveling that the hiking/running trail goes right across the outdoor patio of a café along the way. So European. I was happy to see the final UTMB descent down into town, and then we walked over to see the start/finish line under construction:
Seen in a bakery - but not purchased (no need to get ahead of myself):
August 2022 was shaping up to be a really good month.
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