More walks, more cycling… although our cycling has been at a rather more sedate pace than the Tour de France cyclists, who passed through Bourg on the 25th of July, preceded by the bizarre caravan of fruit shaped cars that heralds the race!
Inspired by the professional cyclists (or perhaps by the motorised fruit!), we took a trip up and over the Col de Petit St Bernard, a route we have done several times before, but this time dropping down the other side to Italy and to the resort of La Thuile. We stayed a night at the lovely Hotel Miramonti right in the centre of town, and managed to negate any fitness benefits from the cycle, by enjoying a large lunch in a mountain restaurant on the descent, then a surprise tapas (complete with cured meats hung from a miniature clothes line; very strange), followed by a huge evening meal at the Cafe Pepita restaurant – one of our favourite winter lunch destinations.
The trip to La Thuile marked the start of a long period of settled, sunny and hot weather, so we have had plenty of opportunities to get outside. Most of the time we have been walking, exploring routes both familiar and new. Up in Val d’Isère we tried a new route around Mont Roup. This is usually a winter destination for us: a ski tour made easier by using the lift system to access the circular route. This time we had to walk up from the valley floor, complete a circuit around the mountain and return to the bottom: 14.7 km and 750m ascent, all at high altitude.
A walk at the end of July to the Archeboc refuge prompted us to explore an extension of that just a few days later, walking again to the Archeboc before climbing to the Col du Montseti, and dropping down the other side to the Ruitor hut (just in time for a cold beer), before returning to the start in a long and beautiful circular trip. In all, we walked nearly 15 km, climbing some 766m.
We are hoping to do some more ambitious walks and cycles, involving overnight stays in hotels or refuges. Unfortunately, it being peak holiday season, every time we have tried to book a place to stay, there has been no room at the inn! That has not stopped us doing day trips, and we managed an ascent of the Col de l’Isèran by bike from Val d’Isère – the highest paved col in Europe! Finally, in the last two days we have walked up to the Col de la Sauce in the Roseland, and a long circular trip around Mont Rosset and past the Refuge de la Balme in the mountains opposite La Plagne.
