
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.