The Tour du Mont Blanc Day 0.5

Our intention was to mosey on over to LesZooosh (Les Houches) a mere 1 hour from our previous accommodations, and camp the night ready for an early start for day one tomorrow. However, having learned the sheer ridiculousness of our first day (steep and long, two things that no one enjoys) and knowing we are a fair waap away from being in peak physical condition, we decided to begin in the afternoon today, and break the back of our beginning getting about 600m and 6km ahead of schedule.

LesZoooch was hotter than the sun when we arrived, we’d already spent a swift and head a-aching hour in Chamonix buying supplies in 30+ degree heat with a stampede of sweaty holiday makers all around us and still had to organise the completely over-the-top amount of food we’d bought. So before beginning this stressful errand we thought we’d take a small pause in the local brewery and aquire our barings.

(Beer) barings acquired, we left the brewery for the shady park opposite and proceeded to cover it in supplies. One can carry anywhere between everything and barely anything on this hike, but, because we’d chosen to camp (predominantly) and only eat dinners in the mountain huts, thus keeping cost low, this did result in a heavy rucksack. For this first stretch I calculated 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches were required before the next shop stop. Unfortunately (but inevitably also, fortunately) this included fresh bread, wheels of cheese and naturally, as this was only a 600m day, a small bottle of wine for our early camp tonight.

We lugged our overweight packs and our overweight selves, back to the car at the brewepub and drove a few kilometres up the road to the free longstay carpark. We easily found a spot after not easily finding the right car park, shouldered packs and limped off, back the way we just drove through town. It was 3.30pm.

Our turnoff was opposite the brewpub, and while almost tempted to nip back in after a sweaty schlep through town, I kept my resolve and opted for a small wee in a bush before continuing on, left, over the river and right, up the wooded road.

Our climb was mercifully, largely in the shade of a massive and pungent pine forest. It was pretty well vertical and we were dripping within a matter of minutes. Unlike the English, the French do appear to understand the delight of a ‘switchback’ (zig zag) when acending a mountain path. However these switchbacks were largely at a not so generous 5 degree angle.

We stopped at a big statue of Jesus for a sit down, then again 40 minutes later at the zoo. A zoo carved into the side of a very steep mountain, heaving with people at 6pm. Water was not bountiful and I asked the officious lady behind the zoo desk if I could get some water from the zoo cafe without paying entry to the zoo. She declined. I then reappeared looking pitiful with a tiny 500ml bottle and she allowed me to purchase a €3 bottle from the cafe. We met a hiker coming in the direction we were going who’d not seen a natural water source all day. Bum.

100m more and almost exactly at my, not relative to anything 600 and something metre marker for our day, we found a perfect flat spot , just off the vertical path, with a clearing in the trees directly in line with Mont Blanc. It was 6.15 we were tired. We ate pre-made baps, drank a bit of wine (Snakes knocked over my wine and almost incured a divorce) and retired to bed, without the tent. My favourite.

Les Houches to Parc de Merlet 3.30pm to 6.00pm 6.2km 660 up and 58 down