Despite being willing to ride anything in any amusement park, Vicki has a mortal fear of chairlifts. Alas, we arrived at Index too late to walk down to La Flegere (last cable-car down at 5:45PM), so the only choices were a) spend the night, ill-prepared, on the mountain, b) walk down the entire mountain to the valley, in the dark, or c) the chairlift. She conquered her fear, and in this amazing sequence, Vicki rides the chairlift from Index to La Flegere.
...recounts the retirement travels of Mark and Vicki Sherouse since 2008...in Asia and the Pacific, New Zealand, Europe, South America, and Africa, as well as the US and Canada. Our website, with much practical information, is: https://sites.google.com/site/theroadgoeseveron/.Contact us at mark.sherouse@gmail.com or vsherouse@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Lac Blanc Rides Again
I had been to Lac Blanc, high in the Aiguilles Rouges, twice, once on a stage of the TMB, another time from La Flegere. Vicki had never been, and so we decided La Blanc might be another suitable challenge for her new knee.
Sign not taken |
Self-portrait near Lac Blanc |
Us at Lac Blanc |
From Lac Blanc, looking up the Mer de Glace, the Grand Jorasses, and Le Geant |
Le Geant up close |
Son Of Chamonix Rides Again
We have lost track of how many times we have been to Chamonix. It is destination enough by itself, and always seems on the way to something else (Italy...France...). Anyhow, the weather in Courmayeur turned wet and ugly again, and we decided Chamonix might be a better place to weather the weather. Besides, it was on the way to France.
Leaving Courmayeur, a storm cloud wraps from the Val Ferret around Mount Saxe... |
Another new entry, the nougat shop |
Evening street scene in Chamonix; not the main street, just a typical one |
From a central square, Dr. Paccard gazes upon his mountain |
Art nouveau in Chamonix |
Try to imagine: 1/2 baguette, stuffed with fries, maybe a little sauce americaine |
Alpenglow on the Aiguille du Midi |
And on the big mountain |
Penelope, note: fashionably attired little girl on left, holding hands with parent/guardian; also, two toddlers on right, wearing sunglasses |
Europeans have a thing with flowers, and none are better than the French; even the back streets of Chamonix are gorgeous |
Sunday, August 5, 2012
More Courmayeur, Again
We spent a few more days in Courmayeur, enjoying the free wifi and nice people at the Biblioteca Courmayeur, and also the Feast of S. Pantaleone, patron saint of Courmayeur, which we saw also in 2005.
Cheese guy and cheese truck...fontina, beaufort, yum! |
Memorable (to us) poster |
Lines form long before the Feast begins |
His Grace appears |
The band plays on |
The eating and drinking goes on |
Thus |
We enjoyed the festive atmosphere, but preferred sitting down at our old favorite, Le Vieux Pommier, the Crepes Mont Blanc, the veal, fontina, ham cholesteramas; twice we ate there this time |
Return To Courmayeur Again: Rifugio Bertone, Again
So we drove on, south and west through Switzerland, past old friend Champex and the eastern periphery of the Mont Blanc massif, under (!) the St. Bernard Pass, through Aosta, and up to one of our favorite places, once more, Courmayeur, on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. The weather was variable and problematic, but we resolved to hike up to the Rifugio Bertone, 2,000 feet over Courmayeur, and further up on the TMB, in order to see some of the views we missed due to weather in 2005. I had seen some of this from the vicinity of Rifugio Bonatti in 2010 and 2011, but not nearly so close to Mont Blanc's Brenva Face as at Bertone. We spent the night at the refuge, in the dortoir, enjoyed a dinner of mostly cheese polenta, some beef, some soup, etc., and the company of a Danish couple doing parts of the TMB in reconnaissance for a later trip with their grand-daughters. The next day we indeed climbed another 1,500 feet, saw what we wanted to see, and then did the whole 3,500 feet back down to Courmayeur. Vicki's knee passed another, more formidable, challenge.
Courmayeur below, from Rifugio Bertone |
64x digital magnification: our camper at the parking lot a few hundred meters south of the town center; it's the only camper parking in high season, which is now |
Aiguille Noire and Monte Bianco from Rifugio Bertone |
Breakfast next morning: a bowl of strong coffee and assorted sweet and grainy things |
In the dortoir; we had the far, corner bunks, left; 40 euro per person, including dinner and breakfast |
Dining room |
A couple miles across the Val Ferret, the Italian side of Monte Bianco |
Left, top of Le Geant, right, the Grande Jorasses |
Val Ferret, looking toward the pass to Switzerland |
The trail goes ever on, but we didn't this time |
Rifugio Bertone, one of the better settings on the Tour |
Vicki before The Disputed Rock, near where the trail rises out of Courmayeur; she won that bet |
Swiss Rest Area At Sion
So after my first descent from my aborted first ascent of the Mettelhorn, I noticed my pedometer had 22,000 steps (eventually it hit 24,000 that day). Vicki and I met up again and decided all our most reasonable goals for Zermatt had been met and that it was time to move on. In fact, it was a very pleasant day, beautiful weather, great views, a good but not exhausting workout on the trails. We are glad we did Zermatt one more time.
We drove back down to Visp, hit the main highway, drove on into the sunset, and then stopped for the night at the rest area just east of Sion. Not the most interesting rest area we have encountered, but one of them...
We drove back down to Visp, hit the main highway, drove on into the sunset, and then stopped for the night at the rest area just east of Sion. Not the most interesting rest area we have encountered, but one of them...
Sion is in Rhone country and is famous for two old hill-top fortresses; the rest area was maybe 4-5 miles away |
Thus, by day |
The valley is very big-time vineyard country |
Although what the Swiss do with all these grapes is a mystery to me; it's a small country, and who drinks Dole anyway? |
Bathroom building |
Up on the second floor of the bathroom building |
Bunches and bunches |
Picnic area |
Paleolithic picnic tables; as we drove on the next day, down the road we noticed several more variations on this rest area theme, none identical in structure but certainly in theme |
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