Rest day in Chamonix and then Chamonix > Col de la Forclaz > Chippis 86km

[Originally posted Aug 4, 2014]

The last sixteen hours have been a bit of a whirlwind.  All day yesterday the weather was so-so, which prevented any decent views of the Mont Blanc Massif.  Which, in my opinion, was a bit lame.  Europe has been having very strange weather, bringing much more rain than usual to western France and the Alps and it seems wherever we have been lately.  Today we had to be on the road to continue our journey east to Istanbul (when we looked at a map tonight over dinner it seems as though we are slowly getting closer and closer) and so couldn't afford another day in Chamonix hoping the clouds would clear and Mont Blanc would reveal herself.

So at 5am I rolled off the top bunk of my hostel (it seems the only people who sleep in bunk beds these days are folks in hostels or 9 year olds) and went down the hallway to glance out the window at Mont Blanc.  Clouds.  Damn.  I guess we would just push on and maybe make the 70km detour to Zermatt (in a couple days) to see the Matterhorn.  I crawled back to my room and fell asleep.  I dreamed about being in a frantic race to see the Mont Blanc and be back on the road.   When I woke up at 6:23am Katy was asking me how the mountain looked.  I don't know, it was cloudy at 5 though.  We looked out the windows - pure blue sky.  The Mont Blanc stood above the rest of the massif.  It is always white, has a rounded top and stood out against the blue sky and other dark craggy peaks in the area.  We threw some clothes on and ran down the street to the Telepherique of the Aiguille du Midi.  The cable car took us up to 3842 meters and allowed a clear view of the massif and Mont Blanc - the tallest mountain in Western Europe at 4810 meters.  When we arrived at the top it was breathtaking.  The valley was covered in clouds but the Alps jut through them and pointed towards the sky.  Truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Chamonix with Mont Blanc

View from Aiguille du Midi. Wow.

At 3842 meters, walk into a glass room with a couple thousand foot drop right below you. We were freaked out.

Mont Blanc - just above my head.

We arrived back at the hostel at 9:30am with enough time for a quick breakfast and then check out.  The day's ride would be long and included our first legitimate climbs - the Col de Montents and the Col de la Forclaz - the latter being 5.8% average for 7.5km.  Not bad for road biking standards, but the game changes substantially when loaded down with touring gear on a tandem.  The ride took longer than I thought, not because the pass was difficult but each time we passed a Boulangerie I thought it might be my last French Bakery for an unknown amount of time.  So we stopped.  And then we saw another one 2 km up the road. We stopped again.  And then there was another.  All in all I think Katy and I shared 6 or 7 pastries as our final farewell to the sweet deliciousness of France.  The climb was great (I really love that feeling of heart pounding, lungs running at maximum, legs burning).  The top was beautiful.  We crossed for the last time out of France and into Switzerland.

When we reached the small village of Chippis, where our WS host was staying, we stopped at a small intersection and pulled out the computer to look up the address.  At this moment a lady in her garden asked a couple questions in French, to which Katy said something like - je parler no France.  It wasn't great, but got the point across.  So the lady did what most people do, continued talking in French.  I helped Katy out a bit and said hello, we are traveling on bike, we came from Chamonix, it is beautiful here (all the easy memorizable sentences - which unfortunatley give the impression that I actually speak French) and then I heard the word "boisson" which I know to be beverages, so I quickly responded, Oui, Merci (if there is one lesson you learn when traveling on a budget is never turn down anything, ever).  Our introduction of kissing on the cheek (kiss three times in Switzerland, twice in France) was customary and then we sat down to Coca Cola Light and some treats.  After some chit chat Madame Favre asked, where are you sleeping tonight?  Unable to get the idea of WarmShowers across in French, I just pulled out my phone and showed the name and address of the WS host we would be staying with.  At this moment Madame Favre got a very strange look on her face, non, c'est non possible.  And then she started pointing at the heavens and doing the finger across the throat motion.  Hmm.  Eventually Katy figured it out that this person was (according to this lady) dead.  A very awkard conversation followed with Madame Favre speaking very fast un-understandable french insisting we sleep at her house and Katy and I trying to assure her that all would be alright.  Eventually we gave the phone number to Madame Favre and upon calling our host (I can only imagine how she introduced herself, something like this: Hello, I met two Americans on a bike who seem to be lost and say they are staying with Marc Caloz but I know this man and he is dead) got things squared away (apparently this is a popular name in these parts).

Au revoir.

Delicious French item #6 this morning. It is eating the Mont Blanc.

I have been waiting to take this photo for a couple weeks. Leaving France with baguettes, fromage, chocolat and Schweppes.

The border.

Our first legitimate Col.

After looking at a map tonight Katy and I realized we are just one day away from Italy.  So we will take the Simplon Pass tomorrow and by tomorrow night Pizza and Gelato.  Can't wait.

Some more pictures of the Alps.

Clouds. Mountains.

Uhmazing.