The Alps continue to amaze me

It is fun to live in Lyon but it is also great to get out of Lyon. On the weekends we like to get out of the city and head to Val’s fathers. It is always a pleasure to be in the mountains winter or summer and the Alps definitely hold true to their reputation of one of the world’s most beautiful mountain ranges. In the summer Val’s father likes to go up into the mountains to eat and hike and each time we visit a different place. Now, we have been here for 4 years and we have experienced many different restaurants, trails, waterfalls, valleys, cows, sheep, lambs, chickens, etc. You would have thought by now that we would have exhausted the list but this weekend definitely didn’t disappoint us.

On Saturday Val and I were on our own so we took Mathieu to an ecological lake in Combloux. Combloux is a ski town just below one of the more famous ski towns in the French Alps called Megeve. They have created a mountain lake for swimming with clear, pure water that requires no chemicals to clean it. Aquatic plants, a fountain, a waterfall with a running stream all guarantee an irreproachable water quality. But the coolest thing about this lake is the view. You look up and the Mt Blanc is towering above. On a side note, I had the best tiramisu I have ever eaten in my life there. It was not a traditional tiramisu but a tiramisu made with rum and pineapple. EXCELLENT!!

Following our swimming adventure we headed over to Megeve. Megeve is similar to Chamonix. It is a charming little ski town that is as alive in summer as in winter. When we arrived there was a welcoming reception. A band was playing and they gave us a glass of champagne. It wasn’t really a welcoming committee we just stumbled across it and everything was free so we decided to take part. Then we took a walk through the village stopped for a beer and did some people watching until Mathieu told us it was time to head home. This town is well worth visiting any time of year.

Sunday Val’s father, once again, amazed us. We went for a picnic in the mountains at the Cirque du fer à cheval (basically a cul de sac in the mountains). You walk the trail at the base of the mountains and at one point you can see about 7 different waterfalls that drop more than 100 feet. All the waterfalls flow into a river at the bottom that snakes down through the valley. Just when you think you have seen it all in the Alps you stumble across another hidden gem.

Bastille Day

One more photo. Yes, as my wife says, we need a new camera.

Well, we were unable to go out with friends because Mathieu was giving us a bit a trouble. Instead, at 10pm we got into bed, turned off all the lights and this is what we saw.

Lesson learned

Last weekend we decided to go hiking. Valerie was dying to see the Lac Blanc (White Lake) which is tucked away at 7500 ft in the mountain range of the Alps just across from the Mt Blanc and above the town of Chamonix. Well, of course we had no one to leave Mathieu with so he decided to come with us.

To start the hike you can either hike from the town below or take the gondola up to about 6000 ft and then start your hike there. We opted for the gondola. From the top of the gondola the hike takes about 1 hour 45 minutes of walking straight up the mountain side and another 2 hours 45 minutes to descend, since you are actually doing a circle route around the back of the mountain. On the way up there are 3 glaciers to see descending towards the valley of Chamonix, the Mt Blanc and the Aiguilles de Midi, not to forget the lush valley below. The views are just magnificent. When you arrive at the lake there is a small Refuge that sits right at the edge of the lake which is perfect for having lunch or just a quick beer. The lake in itself is not all that impressive. It is rather small (more like a pond than a lake) and mostly covered in ice and snow. However, the panorama is surreal and as you descend down the back side of the mountain you stumble across the real treasures. During the descent we came across 3 small lakes, a waterfall that fell about 150 ft through a crevice in the mountain and a couple of mountain goats.

Now I know this all sounds amazing and it definitely was. But let’s step back to the first paragraph where I mention that we took Mathieu. Hiking up 1500 ft with a kid on your back is not easy, add a few sections with stairs and it becomes even harder. But don’t forget about the ladders as well and sliding through the snow sections. Overall, he didn’t suffer only I did. After 4 hours of hiking, the beautiful valley and glaciers start to become less intriguing. And once the blisters set in and your back starts to hurt it becomes even less intriguing. By the 4^th hour I was ready to be sitting in Chamonix with a beer in hand watching the people pass by.

Funny that the next day my legs were hurting but Valerie, on the other hand felt great. Anyway that is the last time we will be doing a hike that involves Mathieu on my back, 4+ hours, and a steep incline.