Wild life

No, it’s not what you think; this is actually about animals, of the type you find in nature… I was up in the Massif des Bornes close to the Larrieux hut which recently closed for the season. This the kind of place that has almost no traffic in high season so now it’s absolutely deserted, if you're up there you’re probably the only one on the mountain. What’s good about this is that you end up seeing some wildlife especially since Skadi finally knows how to go into stealth mode instead of chasing them all away before I make it around the corner. So here are a few pictures of what I saw today (click to enlarge).

Small heard of Chamois (more on those below)

This is the Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) or in french Bouquetin des Alpes. This is the fattest they get, through the winter they will loose up to half their weight so if they aren't overweight now they won't make it through the winter.

Same guy wondering why all the pictures?

This is the Chamois. They are goat-antelopes that are very common in the Alps but in a lot of other European ranges as well including the Balkans, the Carpathians and the Caucasus. These guys too overeat before they more or less stop for the winter.

A nice wiew of la Tournette from "behind" as in not from the lake of Annecy.

La Crête des Grands Oct. 6 -2011

Went back to le Tour for a hike this time past Albert 1er hut (see the “Refuge Albert 1er” post on 9/25) and onwards an upwards to Crête des Grands (10,148). This is a 6,000 feet hike with a heinous last 2.000 feet in interminable steep and unstable rock fields. There is absolutely no trail and just for the fun of it, every once in a while the sub ridge will take you to some spectacular cliff out just so you have to down climb back and start over till you get a rout that actually works. By the time you’re on top and if you miss enough times first, like I did, then you’re wiped out just in time for a never ending 6,000 feet down. I did this one on this day because it was the last day in a closing weather window that would probably push this back, at least as a solo job, till next year. It worked out remarkably well as I had sun till noon (time I summitted). Then the clouds started moving in as I was going back down, and by the time I got gas in Chamonix it started raining (snowing on top)! I was expecting that to start the next day not within 30 min. of me being back, so sometimes the weather forecasting does work out pretty darn well.
Here are the pictures (click to enlarge).

On the way up towards glacier du Tour



You think they saw me?

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It is getting good now...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From the top: View into Switzerland (see Matterhorn far left)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From the top: View of the lake d'Emosson

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On the way back: Albert 1er with the glacier for backdrop

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Company for lunch at the hut (he/she is tagged)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Glacier and Aiguille du Tour on the way back

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Le Montevers Oct. 4 - 2011

Le Montevers is best translated into the back of the mount which of course fits here since we are on the “backside” of Mont Blanc overlooking the largest glacier in the massif: “La Mer de Glace”. We hiked from the village of “Les Bois” in the valley to Montevers and then onto the “Signal Forbes” from which the view spans from Mont Blanc – Chamonix - Mer de Glace.

Here are the pictures (click to enlarge).

The Montevers cog train that comes in from
Chamonix, and no, we did NOT take the train up...



More infrastructure - the hotel opposite the
train stop and overlooking the glacier.



The glacier himself...

Aiguille du Dru (12,313)