Chamonix!

It's been seven years since I was last in Chamonix. I remember it from that time vividly - the little town with the mountains towering above, so steep that the highest points are always higher than you expect (even when you expect them to be high). Tanya and I went back there this weekend to visit our friend Alice who is lucky enough to be living there.

Autumn colours blending with snow, near Martigny.

The deserted train station in Vallorcine.

We caught the famous "little red train" which runs from Martigny (in Switzerland) to Chamonix (in France). At the moment there is track work going on, and just over the border into France we had to change to a bus for a short hop. The bus ride was 15 minutes long, but the wait in Vallorcine between train and bus was 45 minutes, the temperature was -6 degrees C, and the station was deserted and locked. We found and utilised the one open café in town and marvelled at the snow, which was fresh dry powder.

Chamonix is just as picturesque and wonderful as it always was and always will be. Apparently it had been snowing for the last few days, so we arrived into a town completely covered in fresh snow, with the mountains coming and going behind billowing clouds. There was still plenty of autumn colour around, which combined with the snow was exceptionally pretty.

Yellow mélèze tree and snow - a great mix.

We walked through the snow from the town up to Rochers de Mottets, which sits under the Aiguille du Dru and next to the Mer de Glace. The aiguille in question was kind enough to pop out from the clouds while we had lunch, which was nice.

The Dru appears. I call this photo "The Taming of The Dru".

It was fantastic to see Chamonix again! During the weekend we caught up with a friend and made new ones, wandered in the snow and slipped on ice, drank beers at the MBC, dreamed about mountains, learned the french names of European trees, and saw two passing chamois. It doesn't get much better than that!

First ski day of the season

Bloody vowels!