It was a short day of hiking: one hour from the Refuge de Chardonnière to the Col de Golèse (where we paused at the refuge for tea & coffee on the sunny terrace), and then an hour from the pass to a place above Samoëns called Les Allemands. Our friend Jeroen, who is spending a couple of weeks in our chalet with his family, came to meet us there and drove us to Verchaix.
It's fun to be home in our chalet, after three months on the trail! We will take a break here and resume hiking in about a week. So there will not be much news to report on this blog for awhile.
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Mary soaks up some sunshine before starting today's hike:
Looking back at the Refuge de Chardonnière after departure:
The trail going up to the Col de Golèse was pleasant and easy.
At the Col de Golèse, we met a group of people who were preparing a detailed assessment of the trail, according to numerous specific criteria. Members of a local outdoor activities association, they were friendly folks. We enjoyed chatting with them.
Looking south from the Col de Golèse. The pointed rock on the left side of the massif in the background is the Collet d'Anterne, which we'll hike around when we resume our hike.
The Refuge de Golèse:
Carroll encounters cattle on the trail:
The hike down from the Col de Golèse:
Jeroen, Paula and their children welcomed us warmly!
Jeroen's family enjoyed an outing to watch the Tour de France last week. The children collected lots of booty from the passage of the caravane!
Back in Verchaix, good going. I've been with you every camera click of the way, or almost. It's been particularly easy on my feet. I've had to turn my head and race on in cases of in-the-face hiker-friendly pies and dinners very openly pro-carb. I'll be back next week. I'm oiling my rocking chair in anticipation.
ReplyDeleteMike de Berkeley
There are some big mountains ahead, Mike. You might want to add a seatbelt to that rocking chair.
DeleteYou're right, I've checked the air-bags and suspension, but a seat belt would be wise assuming it's color coordinated. And, by the way, having my ear to the collective ground (because I fall over a lot), I can say, by popular demand, your team is being asked, when you reach the Med, to please continue the media event on to the South Pole. We may be able to get some crowd funding for new boots and for sharpening the pole tips. Caveat: No one is expecting you to walk on the water to get beyond the Med!
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