3 days in the Jura

January came with sub zero temperatures.. We left the frozen Chamonix valley and expected something a few degrees warmer... Little did we know that the Jura is renowned for it Siberian climate during the winter months!

We arrived in Les Rousses in -14 temperatures set for a 3 day expedition on the Grand Traverse of the Jura. Having never been to the Jura in winter before we really didn't know what to expect and we pleasantly surprised at the contrast from the jagged skyline if the Chamonix to the vast rolling valleys and tree lined ridges of the Jura. And what's more we had the place to ourselves, kilometer after kilometer of deserted terrain.

Ready to start at Les Rousses

Day 1: Setting off from Les Rousses we headed for Chapelle des Bois a 28 k stage passing Bois d'Armont with 400m of ascent over Les Combettes having never skied that distance before cross country with a back pack with 3 days worth of gear it was tough going. We finally dropped down in to the xx valley and completed the day with a further 8 kilometres on flat terrain until we reached the village of Chapelle des Bois and our hotel for the night. Tiered and hungry we made good use of the hotels sauna, downed a cold beer and tucked into a great meal before crashing out!

The final stretch to Chapelle des Bois as the sun goes down

Day 2: Wow another cold day -15 at best, from Chapelle des Bois we headed on flat terrain down the never ending Combe des Cives valley which seemed to go on for miles a short climb took us to the Le Pre Poncert and on to Chaux Neuve. We covered another 24k before arriving back at Chapelle des Bois and the Hotel Melezes.

Combe des Cives

Gite Combe des Cives

In the woods just before Le Pre Poncet

Day 3: For our final day we retraced our tracks back to Les Rousses on a similar route to day 1 with a couple of added variations over the Combe du Vert. With warmer temperatures (-5) and snow forecast during the afternoon this gave us the incentive to make progress and avoid the worst of the weather. We returned to our car by 3pm, cold wet and tried and contemplated our snowy drive back to the Chamonix valley.

80 kilometres in 3 days on skinny skis with overnight kit, madness yet weirdly addictive! A really worth while experience though a real wilderness with miles upon miles of cross country ski trails, we would definitely plan another stage of the GTJ next winter.

Dee trying to generate some heat as her hands went numb!

New Year Aussie Snowshoe

There is a first time for everything and a fabulous family from Australia decided after a Christmas of over indulgence there is nothing better than getting out in the mountains to burn off those extra kg's!

On holiday from down under they opted for mountains of the snowy variety as a complete contrast to the weather they normally get in January in Sidney.

We proposed something a little different and suggested a overnight stop in a mountain refuge so after there arrival in Les Houches we set off early morning to the Italian Val Ferret. Kitted up and ready to go we left the minibus in Palud and took the Navette (bus) to Planpinceaux. A cold start at -6 and an easy start on flat terrain which was good for them as they had never seen snowshoes before let alone used them, by the time we reached Lavachey we were in the sun, see the deck chairs and could smell the coffee!

After suitable refreshments we headed on up to the Refuge Bonatti, a beautiful refuge built & run in the memory of Walter Bonatti the iconic Italian climber & explorer. The refuge is situated at 2025m high above the Val Ferret with the most spectacular views of Mont Blanc and the Grand Jorassess. The refuge is modern, comfortable and has great facilities, food & drink and is open all year round & is very popular in the summer months for those doing the Tour du Mont Blanc.

After a climb of 400m we reached the refuge in time to enjoy the last of the sun and get inside where it was cosy & warm as the late afternoon temperatures dropped dramatically.

Unfortunately some of the group felt under the weather to say the least, a bug picked up whilst travelling through Europe or maybe a dodgy burger the night before in Les Houches who knows? They retired early and missed out on the excellent food & drink offered by the guardian.

The following day the group were back fighting fit and were determined to make a real day of it after missing out the evening before.

We had the most fabulous descent from the hut, surfing through the fresh snow and bum sliding through the trees. After another refreshments stop at Lavachey for coffee & paninis we headed back to the minibus through the beautiful Val Ferret.

Many thanks to the Aussies Scott, Justine & family (great kids) you were a pleasure to guide and had such a fantastic outlook on life 'glass half full' even in the face of illness at 2025m!

More information on snowshoe treks contact: sara@montblanctreks.com or view our website: www.montblanctreks.com

Winter's here

Winter arrived with a vengeance this week in the Chamonix valley with over 1 meter of snow falling in 5 days. A bit of a shock to the system as beforehand we had had very little to speak of in the valley bottom and autumn seemed to go on forever!

After 8 months snow free in the valley bottom it takes a little time to get re-accustomed to living with snow and the cold temperatures. Snow clearing, de-icing, togging up, the on & off of snow chains & of course driving at slower speeds.

It looks like being a great season.... our first snowshoeing & skiing trips are in the bag 3 weeks before the official opening of the resort.

See our winter snowshoe provision at www.montblanctreks.com/snowshoe-holidays

Walkers Haute Route, Les Hauderes to Zermatt

To continue from our last post...

Day 7: Les Hauderes to Zinal, another beautiful morning as today's challenge was the Col de Torrent and on via the Barrage de Moiry and on to Zinal. Climbing quickly & steeply we soon found ourselves above La Sage with great views of where we had come from the day before, towards Arolla & the Pigne. Once above the tree line the path moves steadily up and leftwards for a long while through open high pastureland. Finally the path changes direction bringing you to the Col with fantastic views of the Dent Blanche to the west and Pigne Arolla to the North. The south side of the col reveals more amazing views towards Zinal Rothorn, Weisshorn & the Moiry glacier. I personally think this is one of the best views on the trek, 360 deg of awesome scenery.

A fairly straightforward descent took us to Lac Auternes and a welcome lunch stop. From here you descend quickly to Lac Moiry and if time allows a quick ascent if the Col de Sorbois and down through the ski area to Zinal. Our other alternative was to have a drink at the cafe and take the bus from the dam. We decided on the second option and arrived in Zinal in good time for beers at the bar!

Day 8: Rest day in Zinal, however some of the group decided to punish themselves further & went back to do the Col des Sorbois! Taking the bus back to Grimentz & on to the Barrage de Moiry and walking over from there.

Day 9: Zinal to Gruben, from French to German speaking area of Switzerland! The weather again was truly on our side and the views as we climbed out of Zinal towards the Forcletta were absolutely stunning. Views of the Zinal Rothorn, Dent Blanche and the Matterhorn were second to none. We were treated by a religious service & music as we passed the memorial at Alpage Nava, giving us reason to rest a while before climbing the last section to the Forcletta. A long yet steady descent through high pastureland with stunning views of the turtmattal glacier. We continued our descent through the trees and on to the little hamlet of Gruben and the hotel Schwarzhorn.

Day 10: Gruben to St Niklaus & Gasenreid. The forecast had threatened to be bad on the Thursday & today we were not disappointed as we awoke to heavy rain. Gald we had a chance to use the waterproof gear we had all carried for the past 10 days! If ever there was a day to have rain & low cloud this is the one as due to the nature of the terrain the views come after the Augustbordpass & when on the traverse high above the Matterhorn valley. The weather had started to clear & we got the views on our descent to Jungen before taking the lift down to St Niklaus. By the time we reached our hotel in Gasenreid the weather had been restored to its former glory.

Day 11: Europaweg, Gasenreid to Randa. The Europaweg is a strange route indeed and not for the faint hearted! Initially the terrain is easy (although very steep up through the trees) you then arrive in a lofty position high above the Matterhorn valley at Grat. The views here are out if this world... especially with the weather as it was. View to the east over towards the Bernese Oberland and to the west and the mighty Wiesshorn & Matterhorn. The route continues idyllically past the statue if St Bernard & then turn the corner & all hell lets loose! Gully after gully of broken shattered rock and a mountain full of house sized boulders in precarious positions, this is not a place to linger long! Following the Grosse Grab couloir you are treated to a network of exposed & loose traversing ledges that seem to go on forever. The group handled it well and moved stealthily over the tricky terrain.

As the path is closed (due to rockfall) just past the Europahutt we descended to Randa for the night and the comfort of the hotel Alpenblick.

Day 12: Europaweg, Randa to Zermatt. We ascended once again picking up the Europaweg past the closed section. The route then traverses high and cuts around to the hamlet of Tashalp with an odd little cafe. Stop for refreshments if you dare & dont expect service with a smile. Mock & you might end up in tomorrows meat stew!! It was a frightening experience!

From here the route heads back towards the Matterhorn valley for the very best of endings to this fabulous trek. This part of the route is second to none, the views are amazing all the way to Zermatt. Weisshorn, Breithorn, Matterhorn, Caster & Pollux, the list of mighty mountains seen from this last day on the Europaweg is endless. A fitting end if ever there was one!

Thanks to the group, Katrina, John, Amanda, Tzvetan, Jude, Carmel, Lynette, Michael & Keith... you were a dream to guide through the mountains and such good fun.

More information on the Walkers Haute Route at: www.montblanctreks.com

Walkers Haute Route August 2012

It seemed a little optimistic to discuss the good weather to come as Chamonix was shrouded in low cloud and rain, somehow I don't think the group could believe my optimism! 

little did we know at that point in time that we would be blessed with two weeks of almost near perfect weather, fabulous views, blue skies with a total of 2 hours of rain all the way from Chamonix to Zermatt!

The Walkers Haute Route is a tough undertaking, much harder than the Tour du Mont Blanc in terms of terrain, daily height gain, distance and trek duration. Its definitely not for the faint hearted and un seasoned trekker. We had a few of those thankfully.

Day 1: a relatively easy day we took the bus from Chamonix to La Tour and made our ascent of the Aiguillette des Possettes with fabulous 360 deg views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille Rouges and the Valaisian Alpes. We made our way to Trient via the Col du Balme, Alpage Catogne and Alpage Tessepes an great belvadere before making our descent through the trees to the Relais du Mont Blanc.

Day 2: a toughy, taking the steep path from Trient we made our ascent of Fenetre d'Arpette. 1300 meters of ascent from Trient to the Col followed by a long and tricky descent on the other side to Champex Lac, the blueberry pie was our only encouragement at the Relais d'Arpette 40 minuits from our final destination. A hard day deserves good accommodation and the Hotel du Glacier did not disappoint.

Day 3: an easy a day today which is not a bad thing as I knew what was to come! A descent in to Sembrancher followed by a valley walk through alpine meadows to Le Chable before taking the lift via Verbier to Les Ruinettes saving a slog up through the ski resort which is never pleasant. A 4k ascent to the Cabane du Mont Fort and a relax on the sun terrace taking in the views was a fitting end to the day.

Day 4: There is never a dull moment when trekking from Mont Fort to Prafleuri & today was no exception! Normally the weather has something to do with it but the forecast was perfect so what could go wrong?... path closures! As in my previous post the Sentier des Chamois has been temporarily closed due to rock fall our only option was to take the path via the Col des Chaux. Residue hard packed snow made the top section tricky, the descent was no better steep and loose and this was only the first Col of the day! the rest of the day went according to plan although long and tough as we tackled the Col de Louvie, Grand Desert & the Col de Prafleuri. Beers were order of the day on our arrival at the Cabane as our group had risen to the challenge!

Day 5: another beautiful morning, a short sharp climb over the Col de Roux and steep descend to Lac Dix on the other side we were treated to some fantastic views of Mont Blanc Cheilon and the Pigne Arolla. After a 4k interlude walking along the banks of Lac Dix we started our second climb of the day towards the Cabane des Dix and the Col de Reidmatten. The installation of the new footpath makes so much more sense (see previous post) and keeps you away from the loose & dangerous gully over the other side of the glaciated valley. The trail winds it's way up over moraine on either side of the Cheilon glacier bringing you out at the junction below the Col de Reidmatten & Pas des Chevres (ladders). From here we made a short and very steep final ascent of the Col over loose and precarious rocks and boulders making use of the fixed chains to pull us up the last final section where views of the Matterhorn awaited our arrival. The descent from the col is straight forward yet long as the path descends into Arolla. Nice hotel with good food was just what we needed after another fantastic day on the high route!

Day 6: A very easy day in comparison as we headed for Les Hauderes via Lac Bleu. This is the most beautiful traverse through the woods at high level (gaining a little height at times) the path finally brings you out at Lac Bleu with stunning views back towards Mont Colon. So attractive was the lake it was worth a quick icey plunge in the crystal clear 5 deg waters. We made our easy and leasurely descend to Les Hauderes and a 2pm arrival gave us all time to relax & recover from the challenging days that had gone before on our trek from Chamonix to Zermatt.

Part 2... Les Hauderes to Zermatt, to be continued.

For more information on the Walkers Haute Route and the guided & self guide,d treks we provide see: www.montblanctreks.com

Walkers Haute Route path closure

Since July we have discovered whilst on our August Walkers Haute Route trek that the Sentier des Chamois path from Mont Fort via Col de Termin to Prafleuri has been closed due to rock fall.

When going to the Cabane de Prafleuri from the Cabane du Mont Fort you will need to go via the Col des Choux. Great care needs to be takes on the later part of the ascent & the first section of descent as this is particularly loose, slippery & steep.

http://www.montblanctreks.com/walkers-haute-route

Tour du Mont Blanc July 2012

After an unsettled spring & early summer we were due for a bit of good weather!

Things didn't bode well the weather on day 1 was very trying!! Low cloud, rain & even hail at some point during the day!

Fortunately this was short lived as the weather just got better with day after day of clear blue skies showing every side of the Tour du Mont Blanc in all it's glory.

A great group who were fit an able for any additional challenge opted for the 'high route' when possible going over the Tete de la Tronche from Courmayeur to the Bonatti for example.

Thanks to Joy for leading a great team: Pam, MJ, Irene, David, Shabnam, Sabrina & last but definitely not least Rachael.

More on the Tour du Mont Blanc visit: www.montblanctreks.com/tourdumontblanc