After a night of catching up on much needed z's, we spent the day in Chamonix yesterday. The town was full of energy as several of the races of the UTMB were finishing throughout the day. Just watching the accomplishments and emotions of the runners and their families brought tears to my eyes - amazing!! Tami's daughter, Jess, arrived from London about noon. Chamonix, known as the mountaineering centre of Europe, is in a beautiful setting with great views of Mont Blanc and other mountains in close proximity. Lots of gondolas and some railways running up the sides. Many, many para gliders in the skies all around the town. We rode about 1000m up a railway to Montenvers and visited an amazing ice cave cut into a glacier. The rest of the day we played tourist, shopped, ate (well) and watched the racers.
Today we donned our packs. Since my knee is still tender, Tami offered to be my Sherpa and take some of the heavier stuff out of my pack. Thanks Tami! Nine km and just 250m of elevation gain took us to Argentiere which is essentially a suburb in the Chamonix valley. Our hike was mostly in the forest, never too far removed from the main road through the valley. We caught occasional views of the mountains throughout the short hike. Great weather, easy hike and a wonderful hotel/chalet at the end of the day. Jess caught a bus back to Geneva this afternoon so we're down to 3.
Wow, that looks like an awesome place to stay! And the weather looks like it does here - sunny and warm!!
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