All change in Argentiere

Some welcome improvements to the village of Argentiere are under way at the moment. First is the complete refurbishment of the village 'square', outside the Mairie and the Office Bar.

The Mairie, Argentiere.

Although in the centre of the village and effectively being the focal point, the open area was always a bit lacking, dominated by a cash point lobby and a defunct chalet office.

New steps replace the defunct chalet office.

But no more! These buildings have been cleared, new steps added, and a more organised open communal space created.

But does anyone know if there's going to be a replacement cash point?!

Elsewhere, the road junction to the Grand Montets car park is being rebuilt. Again, hopefully this will improve the busy junction and perhaps set the tone for more improvements planned for the Grand Montets car park and lifts in the next few years.

Argentiere in 1925

My! How times have changed! Came across this post card recently, and going by the postmark on the reverse it appears to date from around 1925.

My hero!

I think the photo says it all. I don't do hero worship. Just like I don't do all the celebrity culture bit either. Well, not normally. But meeting Glen Plake is different.

Family Daynes (minus shy Sam) meet My Hero.

Actually, its not the first time we met. I was quite taken aback at a local ice hockey match; Chamonix taking on Megeve I think it was, last October, when I realised that Glenn was sat further along the same row. Too shy to go up and say hello.

No one has really asked what took us to Chamonix. Obvious I guess. But if anyone did then the full answer would have to include watching Greg Stump's movies in my 'formative' years. The Blizzard of Aahhhs (still got it on my iPhone!), License to Thrill and Groove Requiem in the key of ski. Then dashing across Europe to for a week in Chamonix, flinging ourselves off anything vaguely steep and dangerous, and wishing I had the nerve to go for the full pink mohican.

What a sad man I am!

Le Grand Bornand

There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes along the lines of “simply printing a mountain bike route map does not a mountain bike mecca make”. Or at least if there isn’t one, there should be. And the good folk of Le Grand Bornand in the Aravis Region should take note.

Camping L'escale, LGB

Uplift!

Moving on from Annecy, a trip back through the Aravis seemed like a good idea; a good scenic route on the way back to Argentiere, with plenty to see and do along the way. Finding some good biking was high on the list of priorities, as was a good camp site with a pool, hence we landed in Le Grand Bornand for a few days.

Jodie with the Col de la Columbiere in her sights

Some of the better "green" sections above Chinaillon

We reported to the tourist office, bought the VTT map, and set off up the gondola to tackle a green route. Don’t get me wrong, it was pleasant enough. Contouring round above Chinaillon and towards the Col de la Columbiere and then back down towards the village again. However, I think we bikers have been spoilt with dedicated and even purpose built trails. We’re just not used to large portions of a green route taking in the tarmac road.

Sam & Jodie on the descent from Le Lachat

Undeterred, we also had a go at a blue route. The first problem was that to get to the start of the blue we had to descend a red, from the top of Le Lachat chair lift. No flowing single track here. The red route follows the access track to the top of the piste, and is little more than a vehicle track covered in loose gravel. Fairly daunting for Sam and Jodie, but no fun for me either. Lovely views, though!
And the blue? With one very short exception, the blue route is a winding road which leads up from LGB through the hillside farms. I was expecting a little more in the way of singletrack, or at least some more ‘off road’.

So, not a high score for the quality of the mountain bike trails in LGB based on this experience. But this was a mere blip on an otherwise unblemished record. The camp site is very pleasant and conveniently close to the village. The pool is both indoor and outdoor, and a great spot to catch some rays at the end of the afternoon.

And the village itself is a lovely spot. Focussed around a very attractive square with plenty of useful shops – bakeries, bars and a Casino mini market. By the river you’ll find lots of leisure activities, from mini golf and beach volleyball to archery and a fitness trail. Close by at the Maison de Patrimonie is a newly constructed bike skills area.


And at the patinoire the kids were playing rollerblade hockey. – the day before they’d been shooting , in the style of the winter biathlon discipline. Unsurprising to hear that if the Winter Olympics bid by Annecy for 2018 is successful, the Nordic Combined events will be held in LGB.

Spot the ball! (It's blue!)

Obligatory end of ride ice cream...

Chances are we’ll be back for another visit some time soon.

Back to Lake Annecy

It wasn’t in the plan, but with a sudden drop in the temperatures the lure of lower altitudes had a certain appeal. I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of ‘hot’ temperatures, but I have kind of got used to seeing a big yellow thing in the sky and not having to carry a rucksack full of fleeces and Gore-Tex.

The Annecy - Albertville bike track. The M1 of bike tracks!

So, a return to our favourite camp site at De La Ravoire on the shores of Lake Annecy was the call on the day. Fortunately, they had a pitch for 3 nights and our luck was in.



It’s a top spot. Great facilities, good atmosphere, plenty of friendly people and very welcoming owners. Sam & Jodie would have been happy just riding their bikes round the site, swimming and sliding down the waterslide (Sam’s still not old enough to use ride solo in Fort William, but has free reign on this one – a happy little chappy!) and playing footie and badminton with the rest of the children. Dragging them away to go and see the sights wasn’t too easy and we didn’t try too hard.


Three nights away from the vertical world of the Chamonix valley well spent

A day on the bike

A cracking day on the mountain bikes today. All the more satisfying for finding something that Jodie and Sam could really get stuck into and enjoy. With so much “gradient” in the Chamonix valley, it’s easy to satisfy body armour clad, long travel gravity junkies but slightly harder to find something that even the littlest braking fingers can cope with.

Jodie with Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley beyond.

Sam on the French/Swiss border, ready for the 1000m back to Argentiere.

But not before a spot of lunch - and a twister.

Leaving the van on the Col des Montets, we took the VTT trail down to Le Buet and on to Vallorcine. This section is just great, Excellent trail, brilliant scenery and a gradual gradient. Once at Vallorcine we jumped aboard the gondola for a bit of uplift. The top of the uplift isn’t quite the top of the hill, and there’s a short (and unpopular) ride to the Col Des Possettes. And then a sweeping downhill on a broad but still quite challenging track to the top of the gondola from Le Tour and the 4 man chairlift to the Col De Balme.

Jodie at the start of the long descent.

Leaving the top of the chairlift, it’s a short and relatively flat ride to the refuge on the col – the perfect spot for a bit of lunch, with your toes dangling over the Swiss border. After lunch it was downhill all the way. First back to the Col des Possettes and then the Le Tour Gondola again. Kids whooping with delight!By now little braking fingers were in need of a rest, so we hopped into the gondola for the descent to Le Tour. Fingers rested, we then the off road again. Down by the river to Le Moulin and then taking the back way into Argentiere. And ice creams at the Rencard.

Nearly there - approaching Le Moulin

There was still the small question of getting the van back from the col, and I came up with the perfect route to go an tackle while the kids hit the pool. Road ride back to Le Tour. Gondola and chairlift back to the Col de Balme. Over to the Catogne descent on the narrowest of trails and on to Trient – all 1014m of it! Oh, yes!


By the time I hit the road climb back from Switzerland to the top of the col, through Chaletard, Vallorcine and Le Buet, my ass was getting a bit sore and my legs a little tired. But that’s what I call a day of mountain biking!

Every day is like Sunday...

I'm not one for lists of favourites, but if I did then "Every day is like Sunday" by The Smiths would be high on my favourite songs list. And today I've been thinking wouldn't it be good if indeed every day was like Sunday. In particular, this Sunday.


Today I have mostly been...

Rising at a leisurely hour and taking a short stroll to my favourite boulangerie for some viennoiserie and a crusty baguette.

Catching the train to La Flegere (no worrying about taking the car and its free with your resident card or card d'hote) and then the telepherique. Walking with the kids on previously unexplored trails with stunning backdrops and cool shade back to Argentiere.


Picnicing in the sun while taking in the views. Foraging for a feast of blueberrries and wild strawberries by the trail side.


Enjoying Cafe Gourmand (you've got to try one to know!) at the Dahu.

Leaving the kids to play in the pool while taking the bike up to Lognan on the last telepherique of the day and ripping up the Lavancher descent. Getting back to the pool within the hour and jumping in!

Filling the corridor full of curry fumes and Brit Pop classics as my French neighbours arrive. Entente cordiale and all that!

And finally popping a cork on a wonderfully cheap bottle of plonk and watching the sun set over Mont Blanc.


Bring on tomorrow...

Fun in the sun

Well, the whole point of the blog was to try and keep a record of some of the many things we get up to whilst in residence in the Chamonix Valley. That, and to perhaps inspire you to do the same, and maybe even book a week in the apartment so that you can. But as we seem to be so busy each time we visit, there never seems to be much time left in the day for writing about our exploits.

Family portrait at the Grand Montets

Take this last week for example. The temperatures have been creeping into the 30's every day, and the pool has seen much action. But every day we've been out and about doing something. The list includes gondola accessed downhill mountain biking out of Vallorcine, biking on more relaxed gradients down past Le Buet, walking in the Grand Montets, both uphill to see the Argentiere Glacier and downhill to our favourite at Cafe Lavancher.

Sam, not far from the final descent to Vallorcine

Jodie, finding her stride in the woods below the Col Des Montets

Get used to it! Playing catch up.

Sam. Le Buet in the background.

The bike friendly train - and it's free with your Carte D'Hote!

Sam. Below the Col des Montets and ripping it up on the Foret Verte

Near the Col de Dalme chairlift - entering the Foret Verte

Taking in the view at the Argentiere Glacier.

Then there was the trip to the Emosson Dam on the worlds' steepest funicular. at 87% it was steep. And long. But while the nerves held out, the views were stunning, though it is a bizarre place to be riding on a narrow gauge train. And I did think that having paid the not insubstantial fee to ride up there, it would be some time before I would be there again. But funnily enough, the road bikes came out at the crack of dawn this morning and we climbed just shy of 1000m to the dam - before breakfast!

The first of 3 stages - up from the frontier village of Chattelard

Next it's round the cliffs of the precipice hugging steam train.

Another rather steep ride to the top!

And finally, the Emosson Dam.

And speaking of silly bike rides at the crack of dawn, there was also that first train to Martigny and the ride back over the Col de Forclaz and Col Des Montets. Another 1000m straight up - but more before lunch rather than breakfast, as it did take quite a while to get both there and back.

So, busy, busy... With so much to see and do you'll excuse the lack of posts!