Under cloudy skies threatening rain, we hiked down the broad valley from the Refuge de la Balme Tarentaise (2009 m.) to Bellentre (776 m.). According to our topoguide, there is a café and a place to buy food in Bellentre. Alas, those businesses have closed (last November, according to a woman we spoke with) – another example of the "désertification" that has hit so many small French towns and villages. We would have to shop for picnic lunch supplies elsewhere.
The trail down to Bellentre was pleasant – both in the upper part of the valley and in the lower part, where we dropped below the tree-line and hiked along wooded trails. It was a different matter after Bellentre! After a short walk down to the Isère River (719 m.), we hiked up – straight up! – to Montorlin (1089 m.) and then on to Montchavin (1189 m.). A long section of that trail was brutally steep – straight up the mountain.
We were happy to arrive at our destination: the Hôtel Bellecôte in Montchavin. After six nights in refuges, we enjoy the extra amenities of a hotel. And our timing was again perfect: Five minutes after settling into our room, an intense storm swept over Montchavin – rain, hail, wind, lighting and thunder. We enjoyed watching that show from our hotel balcony, rather than from the dubious shelter of a rock or tree out on the trail!
* * *
Looking back at the refuge this morning, with Pierra Menta looming on the right, and hiking down the valley:
We descended below the tree line for the first time in several days.
Bellentre:
Closed:
Crossing the Isère River:
The trail here is a lot steeper than it looks! We camped somewhere along here in September 1989. We remember that we were unable to find a good, flat space for the tent.
Montchavin, a tourist center – particularly for winter sports:
Hôtel Bellecôte: We remember stopping here for coffee after our night camping on the slope, in the rain, back in September 1989.
A big storm rolls in.
Waves of rain flowed down the street, carrying the hail that had fallen.
Enjoyed another leg of your walk. If you can, send some of that rain our way. California is sunny, and burning up!
ReplyDelete