The day dawned with clear skies and we headed for the Beaufortain. We stopped off to buy some fresh bread in Beaufort and some great pate from the butchers; a real professional with pride in his product. We managed to drive up to the Plan Villard and then followed the path up through some open woods amongst dwarf rhodedendron and myrtille. The views to the north over Areche increased as we gained height and Mont Blanc’s bulk was soon evident. We stopped for a drink and snack at the Chalet du Lac. The next section took us up to the Pas de l’Ane and the final scrambly ridge. Snow was evident on the north-facing slopes below. A final scramble took us to the summit cross and the only other person we met on the mountain.
Autumn Colours in the Beaufortain
We decided to make the most of the continued good weather and headed for the Beaufortain. Leaving my house we headed for La Grande Journee. On the drive up on narrow winding roads the colours of the trees were stunning and I couldn’t resist stopping to try to capture the colours on my camera. You can see some of them in the photos. We parked up at the end of the forest and headed along a track made for the alpagistes. After a short distance we headed off on a path heading for the Lac de Soulflet. The original intention wasn’t necessarily to reach the summit but the weather was wonderful and there was enough daylight despite the change from summer to winter time. We passed the lake and headed on towards the summit with a few patches of fresh snow. Reaching the ridge the shaded north-facing slopes were much more snow-covered but the ridge was clear and after about 10 minutes we reached the summit, alone. On the descent we stopped several times to take in the views and the changing light. A final sighting of a large chamois was a nice ending to the day.
Winter in the Beaufortain
The winter is just making it’s appearance in the Beaufortain massif in Savoie. The snow has arrived very late but despite this I’ve enjoyed a couple of days out with Mairead from Scotland. The first day we drove over the Col du Pre and walked from there above the Lac de Roselend towards the Col du Coin. The thin covering of snow posed problems as it wasn’t deep enough to use snowshoes but succeeded in covering a few sheets of ice; so care was necessary. Today we’ve been above the village of Areches and below the Legette du Mont Mirantin enjoying more snow near the Lac du Clou and the snow draped trees above. There were a number of cross-bills feeding in the tops of the pine trees.
Les Saisies and Didier’s Chalet
Snow, snow – at last winter has arrived with heavy snowfalls today. To make sure of the best snow we headed to Les Saisies (1600m) but not to walk in the ski resort. We set off on a gently rising trail through the towering pine trees with snow coming down fast and furiously. Higher up the path turned a corner and we traversed across a more open area towards a chalet that I’ve passed before. Arriving in front of the chalet, well away from any road access we were greeted by a man I now know as Didier. I thought the chalet was a mountain cafe/buvette but in fact it’s Didier’s home (he’s originally from Megeve) and a retired carpenter. He invited us in for a drink and offered us a “vin chaud” in large savoyard bowls. His little 3 month old collie pup greeted us too with his sharp little puppy teeth! The interior of the chalet showed off Didier’s woodworking skills. After having enjoyed this unexpected hospitality it was out into the snow again. The snowfall slackened off for a while and we zig-zagged up to the top of the Chard du Beurre before a descent back to the car near Les Saisies.
Beauty – The Beaufortain and Lac de Roselend – Snowshoeing
A day when one is lost for words to describe the beauty of the mountains.
The day dawned with cloudless blue skies and a sharp frost.? We set off from the hamlet of Boudin, in the Beaufortain, just above the village of Areches.? The smell of cows in the cowsheds mixed with that of wood smoke from fires in the tightly packed houses nestling on the slopes.
We gained height on our snowshoes with the crunch of the snow crystals and a surface of hoar frost like feathers.? Our path zig-zagged gradually towards the Col du Pre (1703m).? Eventually the sun’s warmth warmed our hands on our ski poles.? The views expanded with the altitude looking towards the Legette de Mirantin and La Grande Journee.
As we approached the Col Mont Blanc appeared, clear against the sky, not a cloud in site.? Contouring the slopes we came to a number of small chalet d’alpage and we had a great picnic with our backs to the wall on a wooden bench in the sunshine.
Below us the Lac de Roselend’s waters spread out with above the Pierra Menta and Col du Parazon.? What a great way to spend the day breathing in the fresh air, reflecting on nature’s beauty.
Heavy snow at the Lac de la Girotte – Beaufortain, Savoie
A brilliant day out with heavy snow falling lying as powder as we gained height. We left Areche and dropped down to Beaufort before taking the narrow twisting road past Haute Luce to park at Belleville. Here we followed a steadily rising path passing rustic chalets and snow-draped pine trees. Higher up we passed the chalet de la Colombe that in summer provides refreshments. The snow continued to fall heavily but we kept walking past snow-laden trees zig-zagging up until eventually the increasing wind told us that we were on the spur over-looking the lake. We found a sheltered spot for lunch before a wonderful descent in the powder snow on a path that threaded its way down through the forest to rejoin our uphill route by the chalet de la Colombe.
