Les Houches, France Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler Our European Adventure 2018
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- Sep 28, 2018, 5:00pm
- ☀️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 3,100 ft
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Servoz 45.938774, 6.76888645°56’20” N 6°46’8” E
Day 150
Housesitting in Servoz
September 28, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
We are caring for Maisie, a sweet black lab, this weekend. Servoz is a lovely little town with great views of Mont Blanc, and we can even see it from Maisie's front yard!

Here are some views around the village, as well as Mont Blanc at sunset. We get to see this every evening--lucky us!Read more
Traveler Poor Maisie! She ate something she shouldn't have, and had diarrhea the night before our sit, so had to go to the vet. She is doing much better now.
10/1/18Reply
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Traveler Where the Heart is
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- Mar 28, 2017
- ⛅ 48 °F
- Altitude: 3,353 ft
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Les Bossons Lac des Gaillands 45.907539, 6.84348945°54’27” N 6°50’37” E
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Day 152
French Alps
March 28, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
After driving through the Mount Blanc tunnel (11 kilometers long), we emerged into France. The Alps were very imposing. We would have gotten more photos, but most of the time the sun was in the way.

You may wonder why there are no photos of the drive from Aosta to the Mont Blanc tunnel. Because much of the road was through tunnels with only small gaps between them.Read more
Annanaomi Sams I don't think my heart would let me drive on. This is too beautiful to see and then leave.
3/29/17Reply
Annanaomi Sams Have we/I become overly demanding re: pictures? Probably... These are beyond words. I am grateful for each one! Thank you!
3/29/17Reply
Annanaomi Sams Do you feel like you are in heaven?
3/29/17Reply
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Lennart Hoengenaert Chamonix 2019
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- Jun 30, 2019, 10:23am
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 2,424 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Le Brévent 45.933632, 6.83786945°56’1” N 6°50’16” E
Day 2
Voie Frison Roche
June 30, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Slecht geslapen! De kudde koeien bleef maar rondlopen en het geluid van hun bellen was verschrikkelijk. Ook de hitte en de helling waarop we lagen waren niet fantastisch, we gleden van ons matje en moesten ieder uur we weer wat omhoog kruipen.

Na een croissantje en een chocoladekoek rijden we terug naar Chamonix voor onze eerste klimdag. Het is er super druk aangezien er vandaag ook een marathon is. Na even zoeken raken we onze auto kwijt en wandelen we naar de lift. We hebben onze zinnen gezet op een super klassieker, de goed behaakte route voie Frison Roche op de Brévent. Eenmaal boven is de route eenvoudig te bereiken, we vertrekken door een sneeuwveldje en dalen vervolgens een steile couloir af die naar de inklim leidt. Onze route loopt eigenlijk vlak onder de lift en komt bijna letterlijk op het bijhorende terras uit. We dalen nog wat verder af tot we een grote groep mensen zien staat… er zijn nog 5 cordéés voor ons. We wachten in de schaduw en genieten van het uitzicht. We staan op ongeveer 2300m en het is rond 10u al bakken in de zon. Na een uurtje is het aan ons. Dimitri vertrekt voor de eerste touwlengte, een eenvoudige 5b met één pas 6a, ideaal om wat te wennen aan de rots en het klimmen met rugzak. Aan de relais is het steeds druk, we moeten wachten op een groep Duitsers voor ons, achter ons zit dan weer een Franse gidse met haar Amerikaans client. Toffe mensen en leuk om mee te babbelen. De route gaat verder via 5b en 5c om dan uiteindelijk in een langere 6a te komen. Ik ga het terrein verkennen en krijg na enkele minuten iets in m’n oog. Heel vervelend zo midden in de route! Uiteindelijk ga ik verder en klim ik via een steile hoekversnijding met barst naar omhoog. Pittig stukje, maar daarna is er een mooie standplaats met relais. Dimitri komt vlotjes achter en is in geen tijd bij mij.

De laatste lengte is de mooiste, een 30 meter lange barst tot aan de top. Het is een prachtige 5c! Dimitri klimt voor, hoewel ik hem ook graag had gedaan, gun ik het hem volledig. We gaan nog genoeg kunnen klimmen deze week.

Boven op de top eten we wat brood met kaas en nadien dalen we weer af naar de vallei. Op de camping halen we er de kaarten bij en beginnen we plannen te maken voor de volgende dagen. We willen graag onze tent opzetten aan Lac Blanc en van daaruit een paar dagen klimmen.Read more
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Traveler A&K Adventure 2019
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- Jul 30, 2019
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 996 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Les Houches 45.897369, 6.81574345°53’51” N 6°48’57” E
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Day 26
D26 - TMB Les Houches to Le Brevent
July 30, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
TOP 3 Highlights:

1. Back on your bike - As today was essentially our first day climbing real elevation since being sick, we were pretty determined to make it to our destination. We agreed to lighten the load as we were returning to Les Houches, so we only took food, water and essentials in my (Katey) smaller pack, and at 7.30am we stashed all our remaining things in the spare cupboard downstairs and set off at speedy pace. We both noticed that it took us a bit longer to find our rhythm but it’s hard to find complaint on a beautiful morning in the French alps. Les Houches is at 1008m elevation and our goal was to reach the cable car station at Le Brevent at 2525m. Ouch. Despite the seemingly never ending ascent, we really enjoyed the hike up and down, and even fitted in some time to go rogue off the beaten track....we may have scared a few sheep.

2. Coffee at high heights - We stopped for a mid morning cawfee at Refuge Bellachat, and quite happily took our time as the view panned across the Mont Blanc massif. The fact that there were two little pug dogs running around the deck didn’t hurt either! It’s so nice to see so many people bringing their dogs along for the adventure - whether it be for the day or several.

3. ‘Ring my beeeeelllll’ - on our way up, we reached Statue du Christ-Roi (Christ the King) at precisely 8.00am. We took our steps towards the beast, when all of a sudden there was a deafening sound of church bells. Further investigation saw that it was in fact one bell, taller than both of us, inside a structure nearby. It was an unexpected and moving moment that made us pause and give thanks for our health and continuation of our ‘tour’.
The statue is a 25m concrete statue erected above the town of Les Houches in 1933-4 by the locals.Read more
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Traveler Our European Adventure 2018
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- Sep 25, 2018, 1:00pm
- ☀️ 63 °F
- Altitude: 2,740 ft
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Servoz 45.932395, 6.76985345°55’57” N 6°46’11” E
Day 147
Gorges de la Diosaz
September 25, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
A natural gorge with a suspended walkway inside led us along and over the beautiful cascades for about 1.6 miles round trip. The path, constructed in 1875, is well maintained, with signposts along the way explaining the history, geology, plants and animals.

A dam controls the water flow, and right now it is quite low. The highest flow is in June and July when the snow is melting, and of course after a storm.Read more
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TMB then Spain and Portugal
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- Sep 13, 2022, 8:20am
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 2,276 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Le Brévent 45.926556, 6.83364245°55’36” N 6°50’1” E
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Day 13
Le Champex
September 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Some pics not all taken by me but of the group at places we are trekking.
Traveler garden gnomes a plenty!
9/15/22Reply
Traveler Love hearing Gem’s laugh!
9/15/22Reply
Traveler Nice of you to ask him along
9/15/22Reply
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Traveler A&K Adventure 2019
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- Jul 29, 2019, 8:30pm
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 987 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Les Houches 45.896027, 6.80584345°53’46” N 6°48’21” E
Day 25
D25 - TMB Les Houches
July 29, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
TOP Highlights from the past three days:

1. Stepping off the bus in Chamonix - After a terror of a night in Courmayeur, I (Anthony) was not at all myself having received what we can only describe as a very toxic dose of food poisoning. Kate was also unwell so we made a quick decision to cancel the following two days of walking - quick yet difficult and disappointing decision. These two days were forecast to be, and subsequently were, very wet. When the rain comes down here in the alps, it buckets. So really, it’s a double win that we became so unwell! Right?

2. Public benches and lemon water - Given we survived the short bus trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel without puking, it was an absolute pain when we found we had to wait 3 hours for check-in to our respite accomodation. However, things turned around when I slept resting on Kate’s comfy thigh lying on a public bench in the middle of town (and didn’t even wake to a small boy apparently poking my shoe). Then, when finding fresh lemon water in the hotel lobby, I instantly felt it was the right place to be!

3. Watching a French kids movie - Even with our limited French language skills, we were able to enjoy the highlights, lowlights, scary, sad and happy bits of Sammy 2. Adorable, it’s like a French ‘Finding Nemo’, but with slightly sinister moments.
Particularly liked the song that went ‘let’s quit the BS and depressing stuff...’ Something for everyone!

4. Monopoly Deal card game - This was one thing we deliberated over when doing our final pack in Orsières, and it turned out to be a bit of a life saver for us biding time. It truly is the game of champions! Who wants to play?!

5. Chamonix - Having the opportunity for us to stop and slow down in a famous and somewhat charming resort town, with a raging river that cuts its way through the centre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people with ‘all the gear and no idea’ - at least I’m not carrying new crampons, helmet and an ice axe.

6. Getting our glow on - As we sit here at our final last minute booking that has saved us, in a little hotel aptly named Le Saint Antoine, we watch the glorious Alpen Glow. A classic alpine sunset, which alights the glacial capped peaks that surround the Mont Blanc massif, taunting us with the colour resembling a peach Melba. Ironically, this was the desert house special that despite our improvement, our bellies would not allow.Read more
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Traveler 2020 Frankreich
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- Jul 23, 2020, 5:55pm
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 1,020 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Les Bossons Lac des Gaillands 45.915638, 6.84945°54’56” N 6°50’56” E
Rückweg
July 23, 2020 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Wir flüchten vor schlecht Wetter in den Bergen und besuchen als letzte Station die schöne Stadt Bern. Der Campingplatz liegt nah beim Zentrum direkt an der Aare und lädt zum Schwimmen ein. Einigen - welche nicht namentlich genannt werden wollen - ist‘s zu kalt... Weicheier...Read more
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Traveler 2020 Frankreich
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- Jul 22, 2020, 7:45pm
- 🌧 17 °C
- Altitude: 1,027 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Les Bossons Lac des Gaillands 45.915611, 6.84869545°54’56” N 6°50’55” E
Der Tiefpunkt
July 22, 2020 in France ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Rückweg. Scheiss Wetter. Regen. Gorges du Nan - Route barrée, grrrh Mist, alles doof. Wir ziehen uns am Rummy hoch und an uns gegenseitig.

Das Überzelt hat endlich seine Berufung als Moped-Pariser gefunden. Jahrelang unbenutzt im Dunkeln nur mitgeschleppt, fragte es sich - warum, wofür? 42?

Naaa ok, der Morgen toll durch die Vercors-Berge getingelt. Kann man sich nicht genug satt sehen!Read more
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Traveler Frankreich - Hexatrek
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- Jul 6, 2023, 3:52pm
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 1,409 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Les Houches Les Chavants 45.886667, 6.7745°53’12” N 6°46’12” E
Day 60
GR5, 6. Juli, Auberge de Bionnassy
July 6, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Heute ging es erstmal bergab. So um die 1200 hm.
Natürlich geht es dann wieder bergauf.
Das Treiben im Tal wirkt schon fast ein wenig befremdlich und halt eben laut.
Also Einkaufen und nix wie weg.
Heute bleibe ich in einer Unterkunft. Bin schon gespannt was es zu Essen gibt.Read more
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