Autrans-Méaudre en Vercors

In Which the Mountains Get A Shaking (and we LOVE it)

Somehow, we managed to navigate our way back through the storm to our Gite in Les Gonnets. With the rain sheeting down and the darkness almost impenetrable it was very difficult to see where we were going on these unfamiliar mountain roads. It was a relief when we finally found our place for the night and were able to settle down in a nice cosy bed.

No sooner had our heads hit the pillows when the region was rocked by a series of loud explosions which reverberated around the surrounding mountains for at least 20 seconds. Maggie sat up and said "What was that ?". "I think it must have been a plane" was my sleepy reply. A couple of minutes later the explosions repeated and I realised that we were in the middle of a spectacular alpine thunderstorm. In these surroundings such storms take on a whole new dimension where you can feel the vibrations right through your body. Several times I had experienced similar storms in the Himalayas, and they are experiences I will never forget. I threw the windows and shutters open so that we could get a better view of the spectacle. For the next hour or so we were treated to a mighty free pyrotechnics display. Every minute or so the sky would blaze with lightning and then the mighty thunder would follow soon after. How much better than watching TV !!!

Finally, the storm passed, and we were able to settle back into a deep sleep. This morning, over breakfast, the owner and his wife showed us pictures of this house taken last October when the snows arrived early. The pictures showed everything in sight buried under a good 2 metres of snow. Apparently the snow did not melt until May this year. That’s what I call a real winter.

Today we are going to have a quiet day exploring the local ski fields and small villages. Tomorrow will be another big day when we head off to climb the famous Alpe d'Huez, scene of so many famous cycling exploits in the Tour de France.Read more