With Sarahjane and Adam over for the weekend it was time to dig out the walking boots. Making use of the last few open lifts in the valley we decided to head up to Planpraz on the Brevent lift and walk up to the Lacs Noirs to gain some stunning views of the Mont Blanc Massif and the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve.
After a stop for lunch we continued the traverse over to the much more touristy Lac Blanc. With its easy access from the Index Chair Lift and Refuge, its a popular stopping spot for walkers and definetly lacked a remote mountain feel. From here it was a plod down to the Flegere lift and a well deserved drink at Rhodendrums hotel in Les Praz and then to MBC for a birthday beer and burgers all round.
On Saturday we headed over to the Emosson dam, we had all previously climbed the long road up to the dam on bikes so it was a pleasant change to be in a car!! Parking at the dam we negotiated (slowly for some!) the hanging walkways before traversing over to the Loriaz refuge with some stunning views into the Swiss alps. From the refuge the steep climb up to Col de la Terrasse loomed large. The 600m climb went on and on before the sting in the tale a steep little climb onto the terasse where a large group of kids slightly ruined the mountain ambiance!! However we found a quiet enough spot for a well earned lunch. The descent back to Emosson dam via the Gorge de la Veudale was much more gentle and at times wondered whether it would make for a brilliant descent on the bike... think in the end there would be too many walking sections though.
After two long hikes a "lazy" sunday was in order. With the pool closed in Chamonix we headed to Lake Passy and a very pleasant swim to ease the aching muscles. We then headed to Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval to visit the waterfalls that I had heard about... definetly worth a visit!!
More photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulwestwatson/
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