Tour du Mont Blanc - In The Can

July 12 was a day off as rain blew in and out of the Chamonix valley. We traded our base of Les Houches for a campground in Les Bosson where there are a number to choose from. We found an acceptable yet very wet grassy corner backed up to a hedgerow with the tongue of a large glacier peaking below the cloud line above us.

To escape the rain we walked over to an adjoining campground with a restaurant. It was into the evening but I guess they weren’t really open yet as a woman was mopping the floors and casually setting place mats. We took a table, ordered some cheap table wine, and fiddled with my laptop and the internet.

Around 7 pm Deb wanted to order some food but the waitress was busy with other things while taking a smoke break with some people outside in the back. Around 7:30 a few wet campers showed up. The waitress got right to helping them and seemed to treat us as if we were invisible. Around 7:45 we must have re-appeared in the waitress’s eyes as Deb was finally able to order some kind of potato casserole dish.

The kitchen was separate in the back but attached with and adjoining deck where friends and workers affiliated with the campground gathered to socialize. They ate and smoked in a casual fashion as the restaurant started to get a little busy. The waitress’s smoke breaks became brief at best.

Despite being a restaurant in a campground with semi-professional wait staff the food coming out of the kitchen and across the smoking deck might be considered fine dining in some places. I’ve seen this before in France, amazing food coming out of a place you wouldn’t really expect. All of the Fondue’s, salad’s etc. looked great. Deb’s dish turned out to be sautéed potatoes with mushrooms in a nice cream sauce sandwiched between something like pasta. The serving was large so she shared a bit. 

The following morning, July 13, was supposed to be halfway nice but it had rained all night and conditions did not appear to be improving. Despite more bad weather we really wanted to finish the last official bit of the Tour Du Mont Blanc. We debated waiting another day for better weather so we could get the views but chose to get it done and took the Planpraz lift back up to where I left off.

As the lift swept us up into the rainy clouds and to the top of a socked in ridge we wondered if we were doing the right thing but in the end the weather was quite manageable. The rain let up and clouds broke for brief periods to offer limited but atmospheric views. Atmospheric is a nice way of rephrasing bad weather to make it not seem so bad.

In less than 5 hours we found ourselves back in Les Houches via the official route. The valley cleared a bit but clouds still clung to the peaks and ridges. The hike was officially in the Can.

Monday, July 14, the weather was starting to improve but still unsettled. We decided to take advantage of a free train pass that from the campground that allowed us to ride the rails all we wanted between Servos and Vallorcine. What we didn’t realize is that it was Bastille Day. On top of that the train was having some kind of mechanical problem. Anyway, going to Vallorcine from Les Bosson and back turned out to be an exhausting all day affair with last minute cancelled busses and trains . However, the day was not a total loss with a nice crepe lunch at a small, kind of goofy, old west themed play park in Vallorcine. The Vallorcine valley was mostly clear and the sun popped out for a while. The mountain back drop is very similar to something you might see in Montana.

With one night left at the campground I needed to pay but reception is only open for 2 ½ hours in the morning and 2 ½ hours in the evening. As a camper it’s your responsibility to be there during the specific set times to pay, however, the office may open late and close early. I missed my opportunity. For better or worse I am an honest man so I needed to figure out how to pay. I needed to leave early the following morning before the office opened. There was no drop box or payment envelopes like you see in America.

By chance I figured out that the adjoining campground with restaurant owned the campground I was camped at. With a little hassle I was able to talk to someone at the restaurant and explain how I was not able to pay. A teenage girl with plenty of attitude told me I had to pay at the office when it was open. I told her I would be gone by then and I really wanted to pay that evening. This confused her so she went and got help. Another teenage girl appeared. She understood my predicament but wasn’t sure how to handle it. I asked if she had piece of paper and/or envelope. I then suggested she right down my name and site number, attach it to my payment, and pass it on to whoever was supposed to get it in the morning. Wow! We had a solution. Luckily, I had exact change.

With two weeks in the Alps and Chamonix Valley coupled by lots of foul weather camping Deb and I were ready to leave. The town of Chamonix, although very beautiful, is a bit over the top with loads of outdoor oriented tourists, baristas with attitude, and plenty of ego.

Of course the weather was perfect on the day we planned to leave, Tuesday, July 15, with a normal sunny seasonal summer forecast for the week. We parted ways around 7 am. I know Deb was anxious to get back to her boyfriend Esteban, dog Jake, and vegetable garden. When it comes to backpacking Deb is very experienced, independent, and walks with a steady pace which makes her a good hiking partner. She’s good to go.

For Deb it was back home via Geneva but for me it was a riddle as to how to get to Belgium coast at a reasonable price.