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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071
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25th March 2012
Hiking - Walking: Chamrousse Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered:
Sunday 25th Mar.2012 – Walking **** and open air swimming – sunny and
warm
We slept really well but both had cold heads this morning! We are going to
lay the fluffy fleece over the pillows tonight. The diesel heater soon had
the van up to nearly 30 degrees and we were too hot! We decided to stay in
Chamrousse another day because it is so nice here and we fancied another
walk and another swim. We had a leisurely start, ate our muesli and fruit
sitting in the sun on the bank next to the van watching the skiers go
overhead on the lift. The clocks have gone forward an hour today so it
seemed really early when the first lot went up! We were watching people
arrive at the bottom of the piste in a strange variety of clothes and
skiing styles! There are a lot of beginners here and you do feel for them,
especially coming over the bridge! We walked to the shop and got some
bread and round the one way system then had lunch in a similar fashion to
breakfast – people watching. At 2 we went and did over 40 lengths in the
pool. We even did 4 of them with the pool to ourselves! We then sat in
the sun on the sun loungers and read our books :) Had a quick cuppa
watching the stragglers come down from the last lifts then set out about 5
on another mountain hike. We decided to follow the green (we found this
didn’t mean easy!!!) nature path down to the Nordic skiing centre and up
into the mountain. It was quite a treacherous path actually and our legs
kept disappearing down into soft snow even on the path! Snow shoes and
poles are required; I see another visit to eBay when we get home :) It was
very beautiful though and at one point you could see down into the next
valley – a sheer drop! The path then came down very steeply onto the
Nordic ski area (where you are not supposed to walk) and Mag’s leg went
down right to her hip and she could not get her leg out! Whatever she did
made it worse – just like quick sand. Her boot was wedged completely :(
and I had to come back up and chip away the snow around her boot with the
leg of my tripod and she was finally was freed! It was quite scary for her
actually :( We then got a bit lost because the path was getting worse and
the only way to avoid it was to walk round the freshly pisted Nordic cross
country ski path. We had no choice really so did that for a while and then
found the path back. Lots of birds about at this point so watched them for
a while. By this time our feet were squelching in our boots and were
freezing :( Got back to the van and Mag put her feet on hot water bottle
and they soon warmed up. Had a picky tea – what was left in the fridge
basically because we were starving! Were entertained during tea and
evening by the piste bashers mending the piste on the bridge right next to
us. Very interesting to see them bring down huge piles of snow from
somewhere and make a massive stack before spreading it all over the wider
piste at the bottom near the lift which is getting a bit patchy. A great
day – we are exhausted!!!
Monday 26th Mar.2012 – travelling and walking – warm and sunny :)
Top night in the cold, fleecy pillow cover worked a treat :) As yesterday
watched ski life above Chamrousse 1700 while having breakfast. A ski
instructor took his ski off to adjust binding on the lift and it fell off
in car park near our van!!! I picked it up and took it to the lift – he
had broken the tip :( Packed the van up and headed off at about midday,
sent first postcards from Chamrousse 1650, the mountain road down was
lovely. Took the picturesque road towards Gap, stopped at Lac de Laffrey
for lunch, did a big shop at Casino in la Mure arriving at Corps at about 5
and parked at the Nautique Centre on the banks of the nearly empty Lac du
Sautet and decided to stay the night. Had a cuppa and cake and laid in the
sun for an hour reading – so’ooooooooooooooooo warm :) Then at 6:30
went for a walk up and down the Lac as the sun was setting over the
mountains, even with no water the Lac is pretty and surrounded by snowy
mountains and the banks are covered in wood washed down from the mountains
worn really smooth. Then back to the van for reduced price burgers and
tarteflette and a delicious beer – called ‘Force 4’ - that’s why I
bought it made by Kronenbourg.
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