Chamonix is a strange mix of dirt poor mountaineers and guides, and filthy rich tourists, and it does a fine job catering for both. There are climbing and skiing shops with slashed prices and massive ranges. Then there are jewellry shops for window shopping – or window licking as the French translation goes, and impeccable restaurants and hotels where you pay as much as you like. The town itself has some stunning architecture particularly that built in the 1920s when the olympic games were held, and with Mont Blanc in the background, it is a little girls fairytale place.
Mountaineering, or “alpinism” is so accessible in the alps and around Chamonix that it is no wonder there are so many people who do it. Each morning from Chamonix you can see little centipedes of headtorches going up into the mountains, and a milipede going up the Mont Blanc. There are guides for hire, and plenty of helicopters buzzing around to pick you up if you get injured, lost, or just too tired to come down (or so it seems). But if the thought of walking up Mont Blanc is too exhausting, the cable cars make it soo accessible that you don’t even need mountaineering boots, let alone crampons or ice axes to go up. A truly easy mountaineering ascent. But really, indulging in the Savoie (pronounced savwa - but think savour) specialities of tartiflette, fondue and raclette is best enjoyed after a tough day of hiking and mountaineering. Hmmmm.
A little overwhelmed with the crowds on Mont Blanc, and not wanting to be one more leg in the milipede, Nic and I decided to do something a little more unique, and possibly more rewarding. We decided to go up to the "Table" and dine...that is go up the “Arete de table”. We would take our baguette and cheese to eat when we arrived; to eat at it, or on it; we couldn’t quite decide as we could only see the "Table" from a distance. The Table is a rock formation which resembles its name, and forms part of the Aiguille du Tour – near the Col du Chardonnay. To get there we had to do a 4 hour hike up to a bivouac spot on rocks near the glacier. The route itself took a day and involved some glacier walking and an arete climb, the crux of which was a mantle move onto the Table which is quite exposed so gets your heart pumping. But sitting there and enjoying the stunning views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille Verte and the other mountains was awesome. Perhaps next time we will pack a table cloth, napkins, the china, the silver, and a chef; go in formal wear, and really enjoy dining at the best "table" in Chamonix.
Mountaineering, or “alpinism” is so accessible in the alps and around Chamonix that it is no wonder there are so many people who do it. Each morning from Chamonix you can see little centipedes of headtorches going up into the mountains, and a milipede going up the Mont Blanc. There are guides for hire, and plenty of helicopters buzzing around to pick you up if you get injured, lost, or just too tired to come down (or so it seems). But if the thought of walking up Mont Blanc is too exhausting, the cable cars make it soo accessible that you don’t even need mountaineering boots, let alone crampons or ice axes to go up. A truly easy mountaineering ascent. But really, indulging in the Savoie (pronounced savwa - but think savour) specialities of tartiflette, fondue and raclette is best enjoyed after a tough day of hiking and mountaineering. Hmmmm.
A little overwhelmed with the crowds on Mont Blanc, and not wanting to be one more leg in the milipede, Nic and I decided to do something a little more unique, and possibly more rewarding. We decided to go up to the "Table" and dine...that is go up the “Arete de table”. We would take our baguette and cheese to eat when we arrived; to eat at it, or on it; we couldn’t quite decide as we could only see the "Table" from a distance. The Table is a rock formation which resembles its name, and forms part of the Aiguille du Tour – near the Col du Chardonnay. To get there we had to do a 4 hour hike up to a bivouac spot on rocks near the glacier. The route itself took a day and involved some glacier walking and an arete climb, the crux of which was a mantle move onto the Table which is quite exposed so gets your heart pumping. But sitting there and enjoying the stunning views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille Verte and the other mountains was awesome. Perhaps next time we will pack a table cloth, napkins, the china, the silver, and a chef; go in formal wear, and really enjoy dining at the best "table" in Chamonix.
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