Word of the day - Off-piste
There were three options today - a high route, a middle route involving a series of ladders and a low route in the event of bad weather. We wanted to do option #2.
Started the day from Argentiere - Peter thought he could find a short cut from our hotel to the main TMB trail from Tre le Champ but after an hour of climbing we realized that we would have to back track all the way to Tre le Champ to get back to the main trail and over to do the famous ladder section. We set off from there again at 10:30 for a long climb up to the sheer rock face where serious climbers were doing their thing. We began the ladder section - a series of metal ladders, foots steps, stairs and railings designed to help get over this vertical section of the TMB - not for the faint of heart especially when carrying 10 kg backpacks. Upon arriving at the day`s high point - La Flegere, we were starving but had to have a very quick lunch as we had to hike to Plan Praz, 2 hours away, to catch the last cable car down to Chamonix at 5pm. We set off at 2:45 with little time to spare. The trail was flat for the most part and we were making good time until Peter decided to follow 2 Spanish guys who seemed to be taking a short cut. It was a good idea until we ended up in a large boulder field - very difficult to manoeuvre. With the time quickly passing by, panic set in - if we missed the cable car, it would be a 2 to 3 hour hike down to
Chamonix. Not a good time to be going ¨off-piste¨! - unless you want your wife to be ¨pissed off¨!
Finally extricated ourselves from the area and made the cable car with 5 minutes to spare. Chamonix is a beautiful little town and we walked to our Hotel Gustavia. We walked around the pedestrian streets and met up with the Irish lads, as planned, at Chambre Neuf bar/restaurant. John and Lynne joined us for a nightcap.
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| Nearing Aiguilette d'Argentiere |
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| The start of the ladder section. There were about a dozen sets of ladders, metal steps, chains, railings and footholds. |
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| Overlooking Chamonix Valley |
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| Chamonix with view of Bossons Glacier in background |
