Le Lac Blanc

Tuesday. The weather forecast for the morning is good, a top of 27, with the possibility of a late afternoon thunderstorm. A good day for a hike.

We decide on Le Lac Blanc, the only glacial lake in the range. This is accessible via Les Praz, a village about 3km further along the valley from Chamonix. Walking along the river under the trees is a shady retreat from the sun. The river is fed by glacial melt and is swiftly flowing. Before long we are in Les Praz, a much quieter village than bustling Chamonix and this would be a good place to stay if you don't like crowds. From Les Praz a cable car takes us to Flegere at 2000m. Someone inside the car has had garlic for breakfast. None too soon we commence our walk.

The trail is a busy one and very steep in parts. It is a case of watching one's feet on the rocky path. But when you pause and look up the views are magnificent. We are on the opposite side of the valley to the Aiguille du Midi, where we were yesterday.

The barely visible Argentiere glacier has retreated significantly over the past twenty years. It used to occupy this rocky valley.

 

Richard taking in the view

  



Our objective - Lac Blanc

3/4 of the way up (and after three hours of walking), we admit our hips/knees/ankles aren't accustomed to the scrambling involved over the large rocks. We decide to beat a retreat to the cable car area at Flegere. The café offers a welcome sandwich, baguette, coffee and tart. A group of American walkers settle at an adjacent table and order beers. When it arrives they raise their
glasses and heartily toast to a great reward for a great effort. Here here!

Aiguille du Midi - glaciers, crampons and hard slog

Today it's bright and sunny, a few wispy clouds dotting the sky and almost no wind. It's ideal for a ride on the Freek (Telepherique cable car) up to Aiguille du Midi at 3842m.
We score a cable car at 0930hrs - an organised sardine tin style of travel.

The views are amazing as we climb steeply up the mountainside, past the Glacier des Bossons (a retreating glacier almost certainly caused by global warming) towards Mont Blanc the real 'top of Europe' in the eyes of the French!

 

The cable car screeches up the final vertical section and we spy climbers getting ready below. It is the Mecca for climbers apparently.

 









 

We pile out of the cable car onto a magnificent feat of engineering commenced in 1951 - the platform is enormous and every part of the edifice was brought up by workers who initially had to climb up to commence the building. At 3842m that's quite a task.

 

Our goal of being near to Mont Blanc approaches - the curved dome looks enticing as it stands starkly against the deep blue sky

 

 

Our final stop is at the pinnacle of Pointe Helbronner, 3777m right on the French/Italian border.

 

 





We could continue to Courmeyer, an Italian ski resort but leave it for another day. The views are breathtaking of this unbelievable scenery.

 

 

We've spent a few hours up here and our ticket says we must depart by 1300hrs, so we are packed back into the sardine tin for our descent, passing over enormous glaciers and cervices.

 







 

 







 As we descend, the cloud tries to cover Mont Blanc but not before we sneak one last glimpse of this impressive mountain

 

The day finishes in the town square with a pint of lager and half-an-hour of people watching.

 

 







Chamonix

Getting to Chamonix is easy - easyJet left almost on time and the flight took just 1 1/2 hrs. The rule with low cost carriers is to be prepared - book speedy boarding and you can be assured of having overhead cabin luggage space. Leave it to pot luck and the overhead lockers will be full before you've even boarded the plane. But the flight was smooth and I'd fly with them again.
Geneva Airport - not quite as efficient as easyJet! But we got our luggage and found the Irish driver for the Cham Express transfer and off we went through winding roads up into the mountain, dropping off passengers as we climbed through the forests to Chamonix - chic climbing gear, walking poles, expensive boots and the most amazing scenery underneath Mont Blanc.

 

Downtown Chamonix - glacial water courses through the flowers

 



Mont Blanc in all it's glory - our view from the apartment balcony

 

After a day's travel getting to Chamonix, it's time for some adventure! Looking out from our balcony this morning, the paragliders were drifting silently above us, colourful birds of prey them seem. But I've never been airborne before under wind power and it's time to take the plunge. Richard comes too - he's parachuted near York, so this is tame for him!

 

 

 

 

 

I glide above Chamonix for about ten minutes but it seems longer. My heartbeat finally settles and I enjoy the magnificent views of the glaciers and Mont Blanc. I can hardly believe I'm soaring in the thermals like birds - some paragliders stay up for 8 hours or longer, depending on the wind conditions. We land gently on the grassy field and I immediately fall backwards like a stranded whale! What an inglorious end to a marvelous experience.

 

 

We finish the day with an organ recital in the local church - a wonderful end to an exciting day

 





Wildlife along the way

Much of our blog has been about greenery, architecture and food - what a wonderful combination! But it's timely now to look at the wildlife we have also seen along the way.

Firstly in Cumbria - this is an area of wild natural beauty, open moorlands and steep craggy hills, verging on mountains (although I'm not sure when a hill turns into a mountain). Herdwick sheep are everywhere and the ewes have all been shorn.

Then we were lucky enough to see a selection of Welsh sheep, some rare breeds and a Welsh Black cow, all roaming freely on the heathlands.

 

Adult Herdwick ewe

 

Chubby not-so-little Herdwick lamb

 



 

 

Wisely these two Herdwick ewes were sheltering out of the wet and windy weather - we kept on walking!

 



 

Swaledale (Yorkshire) sheep - used for meat and wool

 

 

 

Brecknock Hill Cheviot sheep which originated in the Cheviot Hills around 1372, used for wool (tweeds) and meat, thriving in wild and blustery heathlands.

 

 

Rare breed - Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep used for wool and meat

 

 

Welsh Black cow (I think, the flowers hid the important bits!). Wales' only native cattle used for meat and milk and extremely hardy. This one was up on the heathland in mid Wales.

 

 

We saw little wildlife like badgers and hedgehogs except as roadkill, but I did see a green snake (non-venomous) near our campsite in Cynwyd, Wales.

 







Highclere aka Downton Abbey

Mary and I are devoted fans of Downton Abbey - in real life Highclere Castle, an estate near Newbury, Berkshire. The website says visits are booked out for the entire month of August but a small number of tickets are held for walk-ins. We chance it.

Not only do we get in with no problem but a chat to Bert at the carpark entrance - he has worked there for 27 years - reveals that it is a quiet day. How come it says booked out we ask? Ahh, he says, to stop the hordes inundating the place.

 

We take a tour inside (no photography allowed) The rooms are exactly like you see in Downton Abbey, though they seem a little smaller. You can get close to all the furniture though you can't sit on anything. Some of it is fragile. The library, drawing room and dining room feature large photographs of the actors to bring it into context. You expect Carson to walk down the corridor at any moment.

 

Life on a barge

Today is a break from walking. About 35 minutes drive from Tintern into Gloucestershire is a junction of the Gloucester and Sharpness canal at Saul. We meet friends Gillian and John who, over the years, have travelled the length and breadth of the extensive canal network of Britain.



Swing bridge to allow a passing barge

 

 

We walk to a nearby pub frequented by boaters and renowned for its famous pies.

Quaint rural cottage along the way





 

 

The Three Horsehoes pub at Saul. Pies to die for. And enormous! We all agree the best tasting ever. A true find.

 

We would like to try a canal boating holiday at some stage. It is a very tranquil way of seeing the countryside.