The Alps - Breathtaking Hikes, and Cheesy Delights
Now I wasn’t planning on going to Morzine, or in fact anywhere near the Alps, but that’s the joy of vanlife, you can just chop and change and go where the wind blows you, or in this case a friend from social media who strongly persuaded me to come visit her for a couple of days! We’d never met in person, so it was strange arranging to meet outside a food store at the bottom of a mountain road to follow her to her house. I hoped I’d recognise her and she me – although that’s easy with a big yellow van!
Sam and I had been chatting on Facebook for a while and it was so great to finally meet up in person and get to know each other better. We drove up the stunning winding road to her home in the quaint mountain hamlet of L’Ebcrenaz, had a cuppa and got chatting. Later we went on a little drive around the area to Les Gets and checked out the epic views that she was lucky to have in her backyard. As the night drew in and the Alpine glow descended on the mountains casting them in a pastel pink light, we laughed and chatted like old friends, before I crashed out thinking about all the adventures from my trip so far.
Chocolate croissants and coffee were the staple for breakfast, as again, I was in France (!), before a gorgeous hike with a lovely bunch of ladies, guided by the amazing Vivien from ‘Days Away Adventures’, through the woods behind Sam’s and up on to Mont Chéry, overlooking Les Gets, with Mont Blanc peaking above the mountains beyond. Here we all perched as Kim, our art instructor, passed around paper, pencils and pens, so we could capture the pretty vista in front. Vivien provided the all important tea and cake to keep us sustained as we sketched and chatted looking at the spectacle in front of us.
After our sketching and snacks, we plodded on down the hill for even more views and a lunch stop before we hiked back towards the start point, where we bid farewell to new chums and planned for further adventures in the coming days. If you’re ever in the area of Les Gets or Morzine and want a hike and eat delicious cheese, get creative, learn about the flora and fauna or want to get up into the mountains proper with great qualified guides, then I can’t recommend Vivien and her husband enough.
After too much cake and sun, Sam and I headed into Morzine for a delicious dinner of pan fried duck and creamy dauphinoise potatoes, and wine (obvs), before heading back for a quiet night to reflect on a fabulous day.
Feeling spritely after our previous day’s adventures we set off once more, packs loaded and walking boots tied, up La Cote-d’Arbroz to Col Ratti. As we hiked up through the alpages past the cows, we saw birds of prey flying around a nearby outcrop hunting for its lunch and met yet another friendly Steve the Stoat who found us rather amusing. At the summit, the views led your eye towards Geneva and were breathtaking.
We sat at the Col watching the sheep and their mountain dog protectors, as the light changed and afternoon pushed towards evening. One of the sheep dogs had decided to abandon his post and was a regular visitor to the hamlet where he persuaded everyone to feed him left overs from the restaurant and give him lots of love. So, as we headed back down, we had a doggy guide for company but he abandoned us at the restaurant as he knew there would be good snacks available. By the way, the farmer was very aware of his cheeky dog and his lack of commitment to his duties up the mountain!
The next day I kitted up and headed out on my bike to take in some of the trails around Mont Chéry and the top of Les Gets. The going was tough despite the ebike but the views were worth the slog. I enjoyed some techy climbs, flowing descents and lots of ‘weeeee’s... I can’t wait to go back here to explore more and do some of the downhill runs and trails.
It was pushing on a week and I was still in the area – I had fallen in love with the place, and the next hike didn’t help with my love affair.
Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval, sits at the end of the Giffre Valley. The Cirque du Fer à Cheval looks like a horseshoe and acts as a natural amphitheater to the Gods. This is an outdoor enthusiasts dream location; whether hiking, biking, horse riding, or in the winter, skiing and ice climbing; the trails weave through alpine meadows and forests.
Suspension bridges cross deep fast flowing icy rivers, and the cliffs are adorned by waterfalls, including the Cascade du Rouget, ‘Queen of the Alps’. It’s almost too difficult to explain this place in words as it’s so overwhelming to your senses and so very vast; the 700m high cliffs cast a deep shadow across the valley and the rock looks silver in the sunlight, beyond the towering mountain peaks reach up to 3000m high.
The main trail takes you through the woods, crossing plenty of icy rivers by foot or over suspension bridges laden with warning signs that they aren’t to have more than 3 people on at a time, before you exit into a rocky bowl surrounded by waterfalls, cliffs and a steep track up to a cave, where groups were gathered to have a rest from the heat of the day. We dipped our toes in the cold water on the way back down, enjoying the sensation and feeling the swelling of hot feet slowly reducing once more before we made the final push around the circuit and back to the car.
On the drive back towards Les Gets we stopped at Vonnes. They have a wonderful outdoor swimming lake next to a woodland high ropes course and a pretty park. It was busy with locals enjoying the cooling water and activities on the lake, and we enjoyed a swim followed by a yummy ice cream before the final drive back to Sam’s. A perfect day.
Another day and another adventure; as I headed out with Vivien and a lovely group of ladies, to La Cote-d’Arbroz on a pretty circular walk through the woods to an alpage farm, where the girls were coming in for their evening milking with the use of a mobile milking parlour. Here we gobbled up cured meats, bread and the most delicious cheeses made by the farm, all washed down with some local wines. I tried to adopt a calf but wasn’t sure I’d get her back to the UK or if vanlife would be suitable for a growing cow! But the walk, company and food were amazing and so I arranged to head out the next day with Vivien and co again.
Our next hike was near Montriond, where we walked up to La Lécherette and to the Cascade des Brochaux. The weather was against us, so we trooped over cute bridges to take refuge in the gondola station and enjoy tea and cake until the worst of the weather had passed. The lifts weren’t able to run due to the weather, so we started the mooch back down the valley through Les Lindarets, known for its cute goats who roam the streets and can be found literally everywhere within this traditional hamlet in the mountains. The hike continued downhill to Montriond past pretty glens and waterfalls and towering woodlands. At the bottom the rain stopped and the sun came out, so we whipped out our art stuff to try and capture the day on paper; before the drive back.
I was really enjoying sketching and painting en plein air. The views and light were so inspiring and having someone giving you a bit of a push and encouragement really helped to build my confidence with my sketching and using other mediums in my art. You could sit in the same spot and create a different piece of work every time you picked up your pencils and brushes. I'll definitely be back with my easel to create some more pieces; maybe a little art show will be needed!
Alas, my final day in the area came around, and so Sam and I chilled for our last evening together reminiscing over the adventures we’d had on my trip, despite the fact I was never even going there and now found it hard to leave. After saying cheerio early the next day, I started my drive towards the South Coast and the Mediterranean...
Thank you as always for reading; I hope you enjoyed adventuring to the stunning area around Morzine. See you next week in the Pyrenees...
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