Because We Got High

It was bitter-sweet returning to Chamonix a couple of weekends ago.  This weekend, which has now become our annual girls weekend with a difference, was ideally part of the build up to my second attempt at the CCC (part of the UTMB race week) in August.  Regular readers however will know that I was unlucky in the ballot this year, and the race is out of my grasp until (hopefully!) 2017, with the double chance in the ballot.

Not to be put off by that, or various health matters that Helen was going through, or the fact that the forecast wasn’t looking too clever, we knew we were definitely going back, whatever the weekend finally allowed us to achieve.

And it was great to be back!

This year we opted to fly out on Saturday morning, returning the following Tuesday afternoon.  Easyjet from Edinburgh provide a simple flight option, and we found a nice apartment through Airbnb, upgrading ourselves this year with wifi and a balcony with views of Mont Blanc!

Breakfast of prosecco and eggs benedict at Wetherspoons….well, why not?! And then off we flew to Geneva.  Aside from a squad of rugby touring schoolkids on the flight, it was relatively uneventful, and we had the bonus of a spare seat in our row, so some extra space!

On arrival, a short wait until all the people for our mini-bus/taxi arrived, and already I was feeling the comfort factor of having been before – familiar surroundings definitely ease the travel stress.  Before long we were dropped off at our apartment, not far from the town centre, close to the river in Chamonix.  And without much ado, decided to head into the centre….well, it was beer o’clock…..and our eating schedule was a little off kilter and we needed food!

The weather was a bit Scottish – driech and a bit cold.  Stark contrast to last year’s weekend when we had baked under blue skies and 25 degree heat!

We quickly familiarised ourselves with the locality, and headed towards the iconic church – home of the finish line to the UTMB races, and still capable of making my heart skip a beat!  Also handily close to a couple of pubs, where we found ourselves a nice beer and local delicacies platter to scoff, while checking out the local fashions at a wedding!

No running on Saturday, but some planning and prep for where we might go on Sunday –factoring in that the cloud cover was low, and the mountains still snowy.  I’m a firm believer in not taking any risks, and we were already feeling the effects of altitude even being in the town (c1,000m above sea level)…it’s these things you really forget how much impact they have on you!  We also went out for dinner…revisiting La Tablee, for one of their delicious set-menus….and the obligatory fondue!

After a relatively good sleep (in our bunk beds!), the plan was to hit the Petit Balcon Sud and head towards Argentiere.  Ideally, then returning via the Petit Balcon Nord.  It was a great benefit this year for me of having a much better sense of direction, removing the fear factor of ‘what if’, and knowing where the trains ran and about the local travel cards etc.

We wrapped up for the weather and headed through the town and up towards our access point (at the cable car…also where the VK route starts, but it was too snowy/cloudy for that today!).  This in itself was a steep climb and our breathing was labouring with the altitude.

Hitting the trail, and the first of the many incredibly useful route signposts…although this caused me some debate as the ‘Petit Balcon Sud’ arrow was not pointing the way my brain told me to go (nor the map!).  However, we opted to believe the signpost and headed up the trail.  At this point we agreed to split up, with the likelihood my pace and current fitness meant I would be a bit faster than Helen on the climbs.  We were both comfortable with where we were heading, so no dramas.

The trail was beautiful – in some ways very similar to some of the hillier passes in Scotland, yet in other ways quite different.  I was quickly reminded of how knarly the trails are, how steep the drop offs, how high you get (quite quickly) and to be mindful of the altitude.  It was also really quiet, and I quickly found myself relaxing into my running, at peace with the world (corny…), and easily following the sign-posts, which did take me the direction I wanted!

Coming to a sign for La Floria, I took a detour, adding some climb, but cheekily in the hope the café would be open (it wasn’t).  And then dropped altitude and carried along towards Argentiere, through light snow flurries…and decreasing temperature (they were still skiing down to town level at Argentiere).  Keeping in touch with Helen by text, we’d both decided that catching the train back might be an idea.  I was mindful of the Highland Fling the following weekend…and the mileage was starting to look like out and back might be a bit further than planned.  Best laid plans and all that…..there wasn’t a train for an hour and a half when I arrived….so I decided to head back the way I had come (without the Floria detour) and try to catch Helen on route at Les Tines, rather than wait and get any colder.

As it turned out, Helen made progress to Les Praz, and caught a bus back to Chamonix….I found my way to Les Praz, and after waiting for a bus (assured by a wee local man it was coming), then realised it was Sunday timetable, so ran the final stretch (which turned out at 1.6miles to be far shorter than I remembered!), and caught up with Helen in time to meet her at the cake shop to buy some lovely quiche and afternoon cake delight!  We made it back to the apartment to hear of John (Helen’s husband) finishing the London Marathon in a very decent time!  (For the record it was he who suggested we go away the same weekend he was doing the marathon!!)

Wow, were we knackered after that!  I’d done about 13 miles (and 2,500ft of ascent), and it felt (not in the legs) like more.  Eat, shower…and off to bed for a couple of hours!!

Wandering around town that night we found a new venue for food – Moo.  Full of cool looking ski dudes and more importantly with a menu populated mostly with tasty burgers and tasty cocktails it definitely ticked the boxes for us and hit the spot!

For Monday’s route, we planned to hit the other side of the valley, with a route we were both slightly familiar with (well, I knew where it ended it transpired but ended up a slightly different path up).  Heading upwards from the Montenvers train station and up into the hills behind the ‘luge’  this was a challenging climb, but so worth it for the views!  The sky was clearer today and we were rewarded with some cracking vistas, and the fun of being higher than a helicopter as it flew up the valley.  Again we agreed to split up, with a rough time plan.

 

I climbed up and up, ending up at Caillet chalet/café where I hadn’t been before.  I’d hoped to do a loop down from here, but the snow was calf deep at this point, and the alternative descent path looked untrodden….so I opted to go back the way I came for safety!  Was a smashing run, and about 2,000ft of ascent over 5.5miles.  I was happy with how my legs felt on the hills, and my heart with the scary drop offs and altitude!

We then did some tourism, and took the wee local train up to Vallorcine and back, and then stumbled upon happy hour in the bar next to the station….well, it would be rude not to….. 

We then ended up back at La Tablee as the place next door where we were heading was unexpectedly closed for the day.

And then it was departure day!  Wow, how time had flown.  An early rise to get a run in, and a return to the Petit Balcon Sud, with a wee blast along to Les Praz for me, and back along the river (including the full run from the leisure centre round the town for the ‘race finish’ at the church).  6 miles and another 1,000ft of ascent.  A happy runner, my first black squirrel siting, and followed by a well-earned traditional French dejuner before Mountain Drop-offs came back to collect us for the homeward trip.

Stinky men on the bus made for a slightly nauseous journey, but we didn’t have too long to wait at the airport before the flight took us back in time, and finally arriving in Edinburgh where Clark kindly picked us up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fab trip, even if the weather we had hoped would be better.  I can’t wait to get planning for our 2017 trip!!  Also looking forward to heading back in August for UTMB week, even though I won’t be racing, I’ll still be planning some decent running.  This short visit was a great reminder that I need to keep raising my fitness levels and work on my adaptation to altitude and my stability on the technical and narrow trails!