DAY 28: Friday June 29th - Refuge Plan May to Les Contamines: 22.3k, 9hrs: Blue Hazy skies, hot, 18°C to 30°C
A warm start up to Col de la Sauce
Col de la Sauce 2307metres
Yep, we're at the Col
Crete des Gittes is hair-raising
The ridge - 300m drop either side
Don't look down
Ridge path separates grass & shale
Then its gets hairier and scarier
But it's beautiful and exhilarating
You go first - I'll follow
The mountain ridge we crossed
And you thought we were crazy??
After the adrenalin rush another Col - Col de la Croix de Bonhomme 2433 metres - the GR5 joins TMB
The climb is worth it - stunning
3rd Col today - Col de Bonhomme - (2329metres) - in 2009, to avoid a cold wind, we hid behind this hut
It's Queen street on the tMB
Many snow drifts on way down
It's 12k down the valley
Same place as 2005 & 2009 on TMB
It's so hot I'll chance cows up top
At last - after 9hrs, Les Contamnes
Gai Soleil Hotel - home for tonight
Time to do washing before a drink
Today was an adrenalin rush. We had 3 cols to climb - the Cold de la Sauce at 2307 metres, Col de la Croix de Bonhomme 2433 metres, and the Col du Bonhomme at 2329 metres. As well as the cols, we walked a tightrope along the Cretes des Gittes. This is a 2k path along the ridge on a mountain with a 300 metres sheer drop on either side. It was also another milestone - Our GR5 joined the Tour de Mont Blanc.
Our day started at 6am - one up all up. We pack - doesn't take long as we've not unpacked much. Breakfast is semi stale bread and jam, but I bring out my tube of vegemite - I've carted it for a month and barely used it. The tea is really hot - that's what's important. The Refuge is in the Beaufortaine region where they have Beaufort Cheese and dried sausage and luckily they sell some. Beaufort cheese is made from the milk of Tarentaise cows who graze exclusively on gasses of the high Alps. So I buy a slice of cheese and 2 dried sausages - Ian reluctantly volunteers to carry the haul.
It's 7.30am when we're out of the refuge and on our way up a climb towards the Col de la Sauce at 2307 metres - no time for a cup of coffee - we have a hairy ridge to climb then two more Cols. The guide book warns against doing the Crete des Gittes, a narrow ridge walk, in high winds - that's a euphemism for it's dangerous at anytime. It looks daunting and the first part is steep as we climb up to the ridge. We get onto the ridge and the next 2k is a balancing act along a path with sheer drops on either side - shale to the left - grass to the right. We lean to the right - death by grass is preferable, and the wind is coming at us from the right so good tactics. Moving on slowly, every step is with eyes at the feet - not down the valleys - but at least the goat track is 2 feet wide - there's a few inches of leeway. The scenery is stunning if you dare look up to enjoy it. We are the only ones on the ridge, no other walkers in sight. At one point, the track narrows and crosses an extremely steep snowdrift - too risky, so we choose to go even higher over the ridge - in looking back at photos - a very good decision.
It's a long 2k and we've been 3hrs without a break. Finally we see the refuge at the Croix de la Bonhomme - we're almost across the ridge. It's an easy walk down and up to the refuge situated right at th Col de la Croix de Bonhomme (2433 metres) - significant because this is where the GR5 meets the Tour de Mont Blanc. Time for a well earned coffee. Ian is not quite complaining about the weight of the cheese and sausage - more making it known that it was enough for a week not just a few days. So I volunteer to carry the 1kg of cheese from here on. To be honest, I asked for a slice not a slab of cheese. How was I to know they cut it in slabs across the round cheese, not a triangular slice from the centre. The day has already heated to 28°C, so we keep the cheese cold by collecting plates of snow from the nearby snow drifts.
The 1hr trip between the next 2 cols is riddled with snow drifts and TMB walkers going in both direction - it's a bit like Queen Street. The last 2 times we have been here, there were very few snow drifts and most walkers were headed in the traditional anti-clockwise direction. But this time, we decided to go against tradition (and because we've done it anti clockwise twice before), and do it clockwise. We're surprised at the number of walkers doing it this way too.
The snow and walkers make the trek slow. We arrive at the Col de Bonhomme (2329 metres) at 12.30 but we still have a very long 12 k walk down the valley - as I've said before, down is even harder than up with your toes jammed in the ends of your shoes - as painful as doing pirouettes continuously for 4 hrs. More snow drifts - but as soon as we're past the snow it's time to stop for a second morning tea by the fast flowing torrent - there's cool air buffeted off the water to keep us cool as there's no shade. The temperature has now hit 30°C.
Down and down. It's not long before we're on a part of the track where we've had our photo taken in 2005 and 2009 - and there's a French couple sitting on the seat just waiting to be asked to play photographer. On again. We're looking for a place to stop for lunch. Finally the track enters the forests and we spy a flat rock beside a stream. Ian eats huge hunks of Beaufort cheese just in case he has to carry it tomorrow. It's a welcome break from the heat and time to fill our water bottles before moving on. We can see Les Contamines in the distance - but we've learned that seeing and getting there are two different things - it will be another 3 hrs before we arrive.
At least it's a bit cooler trekking down through the forests. The path follows and old Roman road with the arranged stones still in place. Across a Roman Bridge then down some more and finally onto the flat - then there's a sign - 40 mins to Les Contamines. It's a long walk beside the river, a really beautiful walk but we're tired and hot after almost 9hrs and just want to get to our Hotel Gai Soleil. At almost 4.30pm, we arrive in Les Contamines. The streets are familiar and it's not long before we've met Mme Mamoud - one of 2 sisters in their seventies who run the hotel - it's been in the family for almost 200 years. Up to our room, and in no time we are showered and have our washing done.
Time to blog and check emails and weather. The Meteo France is predicting storms for the next few days - not surprising after the really hot weather today. Just when we planned to lighten our bags even more by leaving stuff at the hotel, as we'll be back here in 10 days time. A beer, a cold white wine and we're ready for dinner.
The dining affair is like a 1930's guest house for the gentry. And we're not the gentry. We turn up in trekking gear and sneakers - clean from 2 nights ago. The other diners are dressed in their Sunday best. Dinner is served with aplomb. Hot hot soup. Quiche with green lettuce. Then pork medallions with the creamiest mushroom risotto, all served on a flaming hot plate. Then we're asked if we want fruit or cheese. We're all cheesed out today so it's the fruit - and it's the juiciest fruit we've had for years.
We're stuffed again - that's the problem with eating until 9 at night. A walk downtown settles the dinner - but the village is dead as a door nail. And it's Friday night. We eye up the sports stores to visit in the morning.
A rest day will be welcome - it was a long hot day today. Guess what's for lunch tomorrow - Beaufort cheese - about half a kilo each should get rid of it all.