Author Topic: A week in Samoens  (Read 2163 times)

pdstsp

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A week in Samoens
« on: 19:37:02, 01/07/18 »
Afternoon all.


Just a quick highlights report of a week in the French alps.  As two years ago, three of us based ourselves in Samoens.  We hired a car and then did day walks, mainly as the number of injuries we all carry make icing a late afternoon necessity!!


Day one was supposed to be a circular walk from Les Fignons, above Sixt Fer A Cheval, but there was a huge amount of snow above aroiund 1800 metres which appeared to be degrading and was heavily undercut, so we bottled it and made it an out and back trip.  A couple of photos taken at lunch on the Col Pelouse


Looking South from Col Pelouse



And looking the other way



Day three was a short day, from the Col de la Colombiere.  The route took us up to a ridge at the Col de Belafrasse between Pointe Blanche and Pointe du Midi - it was exposed in places, a little like Striding Edge - wonderful wonderful views and inhabited by a number of Bearded Vultures and Ibex;















Day Four saw my third attempt to climb the Aouille de Crioux, which is a towering peak which dominates the skyline above Samoens.  Three years ago the effects of the previous nights wine fountain stopped me at around 1800m ( the peak is around 2200.  Two years ago heat did for us at 1950, so this year we set determined faces to the mountain and went for it.  The first few hours are easy climbing but the last 300 metres are steep, very steep, and very very hot.  WE saw nobody in seven hours of walking, and got a bravo from the buvette keeper on the way down.  View from the cross;





Dat five was a day linking a couple of peaks above Praz de Lys, a small ski resort.  Tis was our only busy day - we took in two peaks, Pointe Chavasse and Pointe Chalune. .
Ponte Chalune from Pointe Chavasse;



And in reverse;



Pointe Chalune - the peak was literelly covered in Summit Slugs - there was a party of walkers who all decided to take a long lunch, some using the cairn to rest against, and none lookijg as if they were having a good time


Summit Slugs and Mont Blanc



Summit Slugs and the Roc D'Enfer



Day six was a circular centred on the Refuge de Lanterne (Alfred Wills);


Rochers de Fiz



The week was brilliant and I know my photos do not do it justice.  A mix of exposed ridges, forest tracks with views opening out, rivers, waterfalls, peaks and passes.  Beer and wine.


If anyone is visiting the area for the first time, or wants some routes, feel free to pm me.


Paul

April

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Re: A week in Samoens
« Reply #1 on: 23:17:18, 02/07/18 »
Stunning pics pdstsp, wow  O0

Wine Fountain?  :smitten: Sounds like a great idea  ;D

I am still laughing at the first summit slug photo, she really didn't look very happy.

This place makes the Lake District look very tiny  :) Thanks for posting the pics, they are wonderful  :)
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pdstsp

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Re: A week in Samoens
« Reply #2 on: 08:49:46, 03/07/18 »
Thanks April - the scale is awesome, but the Alps and Lake District are, in my mind, just as beautiful as each other, just different.  One thing which always surprises me is the amount of climbing - we were doing roughly 1100 to 1500 metres a day, similar to a big day out in the lakes.  We were starting quite high by driving to up to car parks to avoid the trudge up from the valley!


The wine fountain is the best thing I have come across in a hotel.  We were walking the GR5 and stopped at a hotel in Samoens which catered for walking clubs - the deal was dinner bed and breakfast.  Dinner was served as a single sitting and when we arrived we were sat at a table of 8 non club members, who were all very well dressed and very posh - while we were dressed in spare walking kit.  When we asked for a wine list the waiter just pointed at this machine in the corner - the wine fountain!  The idea was to take a carafe and fill it as often as you like.  As we had walked a long way that day we were weak and filled our carafe many many times, much to the amusement/disgust of the posh people on our table.  The next day was meant to be a rest day, but the wine talk meant we agreed to try to do the Crioux, though the wine head meant the attempt was doomed.


The summit slugs were a pain - I just think the etiquette is different there - it seemed if you got to a peak you just sat on it for as long as you wanted - on one peak there was a group of six young guys and three were laid out fast asleep - it was actually quite difficult to stand on the peak due to the lack of space!


Paul


sunnydale

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Re: A week in Samoens
« Reply #3 on: 09:32:09, 03/07/18 »
ooh, looks fab! 8)
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beefy

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Re: A week in Samoens
« Reply #4 on: 09:34:33, 03/07/18 »
Absolutely brilliant pics wow what an adventure O0
Yeah that first summit slug looked miserable as [censored]  ;D


Quote
The summit slugs were a pain - I just think the etiquette is different there - it seemed if you got to a peak you just sat on it for as long as you wanted - on one peak there was a group of six young guys and three were laid out fast asleep - it was actually quite difficult to stand on the peak due to the lack of space!


Sounds like the same as the lakes to me  :D
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

pdstsp

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Re: A week in Samoens
« Reply #5 on: 12:40:03, 03/07/18 »
Thanks Sunnydale and Beefy


Certainly was my best week walking in the Alps - if only the body could survive it I'd have stayed longer!

 

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