Le Rocher De La Laveuse 1376m

I was gonna go up Le Grand Veymont today. Even though it was back the way i came by 1.5h and it snowed quite heavily last night so the road would probably be blocked, i thought id try anyway.
Yet again i was still surprised to see a road block barring a snow laden road. It said it would be closed until the 31st of May which i thought was a bit excessive seeing as there was hardly any snow the other day.
The place that i went instead wasn't too bad. I've discovered if a mountain has 'rocher' or 'aiguille' in the name then it's gonna be a gooden cos rocher means rock and aiguille means needle. The aiguilles are gonna be steep but it means theres also gonna be climbing.
The way i went up was pretty steep. The snow made it slippy. Some parts i had to use trees to pull myself up. It was supposed to be a moyenne walk aswell. Clearly moyenne must mean something different to what i thought it meant because every moyenne walk i've been on, hasn't been moyenne at all. Although that might have something to do with me going the wrong way.

Half way up i got a glimpse of Le Grand Veymont in the distance. It's the one in the middle. This side is a gradual slope but the other side is a steep cliff. Theres a huge ridge going all the way from Grenoble, right the way down the side of Vercors national park. Wanna walk down it one day but would probably take a few days.

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At the very start of the walk there were two directions. A blue dot and red dot. I remember the description saying something about a red dot, so i went that way. I had been following a red dot for a while but then the path went right up to the bottom of a cliff then stopped. I thought this surely can't be the way for a moyenne walk. Then i saw a blue dot and realised id gone the wrong way.
I went up anyway. Wasn't too difficult, probably a grade 1 scramble.

There were some good climbing opportunities on the way up aswell.

Obviously i had to climb up a spire and stick my arms out.
I said to me brother, you haven't actually been somewhere until you've stuck your arms out and taken a photo. Thats the only way to prove you've been there.

When i got to the top there was bloody hordes of people.  Must have said bonjour at least 20 times on the way down. I saw an old woman pooing in a bush. Honestly this type of activity will have its own post because  French people love public defecation. This is what you get for goin out on a weekend.

I saw another marmot. I have rapidly lost my enthusiasm for marmots. They are just a squirrel thats too fat to climb trees. I also saw a red squirrel, which are rare in Britain so was quite exciting to see. It even made a smiley face for me in the snow with its feet. Whoever said squirrels don't have a sense of humour? Probably no one.

Vercors Plateau

Went for a moyenne walk in the Vercors region following a Visorando map. Wasn't gonna take water because my water bottle is the size of a milk churn and it's only a 3:50h walk. I decided to take water anyway in a water bottle that i found on a mountain. A Salomon ergonomic 600ml.
After about 2.5 hours into the walk i thought id look at the map and noticed the walk was actually 5:20h. Which didn't matter anyway because i'd gone completely the wrong way. Luckily i'd brought that water but oh wait it's leaking, that's why someone must have chucked it.
Saw this cool lizard.

Another spectacular wildlife photo.

I walked down a field and it looked like i had to go through someones property and there were people about. I pretended i was lost. None of them spoke English so i did my best to communicate. I was surprised at how much i understood. I showed them the map of the walk i was supposed to be on. Which was obviously useless. They basically said i have to walk round the mountain and even filled up my water. I was quite surprised at how friendly and helpful they were. Maybe it was so i would pretend i never saw the Syrian children washing their cars, maybe they're just nice, who knows.
I walked through a huge canyon, it must have a name. Made Cheddar gorge look like a crack in the pavement. There was this unusual waterfall, kinda looks artificial, made to look natural.

When i was nearly back i saw a great example of road surface diversity in France. This is it, perfectly smooth or rocky track. There is no in between.

Passerelle du Drac

It's just a bridge. But its a cool bridge.

Rocher du Vent 2360m

This is Rocher du Vent from Lac de Roselend.

Had another bad sleep due to the cold and sleeping on a slope. Got up pretty late, must have been around 8. Didn't get to the mountain car park till about 10 aswell. Actually i didn't get there at all.
When i was about 10 minutes away, there was a sign in the road saying, "road closed for winter". It's the 21st of April? I actually later found out that in the Alps, April is still winter.
There were a few cars parked by it so i thought id jus have to walk the rest again.
Another car turned up so i watched what they did. They hesitated a bit but drove through anyway. I thought id follow them. For some reason i thought i'd just be able to drive all the way up to the car park. Don't know why, based on everything thats happened this week.
Oh look more snow and about 20 other cars who all had the same idea. At least that short drive probably saved me half an hour of walking.
At this pointed i noticed my boots were still wet from yesterday. Actually they weren't wet. They were frozen. Please note for the rest of this walk, i am wearing old falling apart trainers.
Started walking up the snow covered road and there was actually a dude skiing down the road.

Probably took less than half an hour to reach the base of the mountain. But when i got there, there was no sign of any path, sign posts, foot prints, nothin.

I jus wandered over the snow. Saw a marmot again. Got close enough for a decent photo this time. I say decent, it's a lot better than my previous ones but it still looks like a rock.

I saw a refuge so jus headed towards that. On the way i saw a disused ski lift wire so i had to do a mission impossible across it.

The refuge was mainly locked again but the room i could get into was somehow full of snow.
Then i saw a sign. One way said Rocher du Vent and the other way said something different to where i was supposed to be going, so i went that way.
This mountain had regular large rocky outcrops which were good to climb up. No where near the top and the arms are already out.

After lots of messin about and losing the path loads i was nearly at the bottom of the cliff. This was a huge cliff going up the rest of the mountain. I was amazed at what i saw. It was kind of like an outdoor climbing wall. There was a big sign next to it saying something about you might die if you dont use climbing equipment.

I climbed up what looked like nearly half way and i could really feel the 'du Vent' part. Luckily there was a chicken out point. I don't think it was supposed to be that but there was no way i was climbing back down.  See if you can find me.

I carried on walking up the mountain. There was a lot more snow near the top but at least it wasn't frozen so i could walk through it. In trainers as well. Which were soaked by now but it was like 20 degrees so not cold.

That speck in the middle is me.

Id lost all sight of a path or even human foot prints. There were a lot of animal foot prints. Mainly marmots but also ibex, fox and even mouse foot prints.

I had to climb up a lot of snow to get to the top. But this was another tourist top.
I noticed i could re join the climbing bit. This was the only way to get to the actual top.

This is a panorama from the top.

On the way down i saw someone on the road at the bottom of the valley, looked like they were pointing which way i should go. Did kind of look like i was going the wrong way. Which i was. I think they were trying to direct me away from the river. My trainers were soakin so i jus walked through it anyway.
Then they walked over to me and i thought they were gonna tell me my cars on fire. Whenever i can't see my car, i always think it's on fire.
She asked me something in French and i told i was English. So she asked me again, replacing the words i knew with English words and the rest still in French. So i gave her my phone with the translate app and asked her to type it in. Which she did with the same mixture of French and English... So i translated the French bits. She just wanted to know where somewhere was. Sorry lady i can't help you.
The amount of times people have asked me where something is. Does the fact that i'm English not tell you that i'm probably not gonna know?! I don't even know where i am half the time. In between my car and a the top of the mountain.

Aiguille Croche et Mont Joly 2525m

Didn't sleep very well because i kept thinking i was gonna wake up, while sliding into the ravine. Not to mention it was -4 degrees, which I've slept in a few times but its uncomfortable. If someone said to me, "Hey dya wanna go somewhere thats -4 degrees and sleep?" I'd say no. But for some reason i keep doing it.
Id estimated the extra walking was gonna add an extra 1.5 hours to the walk, actually 1.7 because id forgot my sunglasses and had to walk back. You'd be screwed without sunglasses here. It's so sunny and the reflection off the snow is blinding.
Along the walk up the road, there were sections that had no snow on them which made it kind of annoying those odd lumps setting me back so far.
Nearer the end of the road it was just pure snow. This is actually a road believe it or not.

I was nearly at the café at the base of the mountain, which had a self service bar. That's my kinda bar!

When i got there i was surprised to see the whole thing was a ski resort. There was people skiing all over the place. Everything was covered in snow and ski slopes. Couldn't even see any kind of path.
What i could see though was Mont Blanc, the largest mountain in France. Which for some reason was kinda underwhelming.

I could see the top of Aiguille Croche so i just started heading in that direction. It looked like i could just walk up the edge of the mountain, along the side of the ski slope most of the way. The slope was a fairly shallow gradient, compared to what ive been used to and fresh snow fell last night so i didn't just slide down. I jus took a gentle plod up missing out was probably would have been another steep and winding path. for the first time the snow has actually helped! Actually flew up this part. There mayswell have been an escalator.
As i was walking up. I kinda got the feeling i wasnt supposed to be walking here. Like it was still open as a ski resort and not open to walkers. Like many of the mountains ive been up, there was no one else walking. No foot prints either. I carried on anyway.

Eventually it led to a steep grassy hill which did have a steep winding path on it. At the top of that i could see a fence, then i was quite sure i wasnt supposed to be here.
When i got to the fence there was just another ski slope and i think it was just to stop skiers careering of the edge to their death.
Also near this bit i saw.some marmots. They were alot bigger than i was expecting. Nearly as bit as a cat. But ran down their burrows before i could get a decent photo. Like most alpine creatures,  they see you first and make some kind of alarm call. Usually sounds like someone sneezing. Then they scatter like they got a clutch on a magnum.

That honestly is the best photo i could get. Not quite BBC quality i know.
After this bit of slope there was another steep winding path up a grassy hill then i was at the top.
Obligatory arms out photo.

It took less than three hours to get to the top. Even with the extra walking. I think the escalator definitely helped.
The other side of the mountain was an extremely steep face.

With a ridge going along to Mont Joly. A chuck of the middle was completely covered in frozen snow. I attempted to walk across it. Sticking to the less steep side. Me bacon buttys weren't havin it. Wouldn't have been that bad if i fell because i would have jus slid into the ski resort.

Dont know how i would have got back without walking straight through the slopes, dodging the skiiers and getting foot prints on their fresh powder.

Pointe Percée et route à Mont Joly

I'd been around Lac D'Annecy for a few days waiting for the cloud to go and i was getting sick of it. The cloud had gone so i set off for Pointe Percée. It was a bit of a mission away.
I drove through quite a few Ski resort towns. Some of the towns had Swiss flags on the sign and around the town. Maybe they are governed by Switzerland. They had really cool looking houses with a base of stone blocks and a timber second floor and a huge over hanging roof.
I was suddenly met with a huge snow drift over the road, i wasn't expecting this. There was a fair bit of snow in the area but i thought they would have cleared the roads. For some reason i thought it had been ploughed there to stop people going that way without snow chains.
I looked for another way. When i got there i was greeted with a private road sign so i couldn't go that way either. I could see Pointe Percée in the distance. It was almost completely covered in snow. Knowing how steep it is, i doubt i would have got far up anyway.

I decided to set off for the next mountain Mont Joly. It was late in the day and i wanted to get there before dark.
I drove very high into the mountains. There was a lot of snow cover and it was snowing. Occasionally there was snow on the roads which i could drive past.
Suddenly i was greeted by another large snow drift on the road. Next to a warning sign about avalanches. There was a narrow gap down the side. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to go for it.

Beyond this snow drift, there were many more snow drifts covering parts of the road accompanied by rocks and debris. I hadn't got very far before a guy stopped me and said i wont be able to get through. So i had to turn back, again. In the alps there aren't many alternative routes, or in most cases, none. If you lived here and your road is blocked, it could turn a 15 minute journey into a two hour journey by driving all the way round the mountains. That's probably why this guy was walking.
I thought i was being clever by going in between the skiiers from winter and before the walkers in summer but didnt realise there would still be this much snow.
Re-routing my journey added an extra 1.5 hours but it was a pretty straightforward drive.
Eventually I got to a very steep and uneven rocky road. You often get these that lead to a car park or café at the base of a mountain. But gps said i still have 20 mins. I knew it would take more than 20 mins up that road because your in 1st the whole way to avoid smashing up me fresh springs.
I looked on my Randonée map, which is all in French so don't read them in great detail. Which i should have cos it said i was on the wrong side of the mountain and when you are on the wrong side of the mountain in the alps, there is only two ways to get to the right side. Keep going round or go all the way back.
So i had to drive all the way back i came, adding up two hours of needless driving onto my already extended journey. This really wasn't a good day so far.
When i finally got to the other side, i was following a steep, narrow, winding road but at least there was no snow. Then there was snow!

I drove over a bit of it but i thought I'm just gonna have to walk the rest tomorrow instead of sliding into a ravine. I was tired and it was almost dark so just parked precariously at the side of the road.
I did get treated to a pretty good sunset though.

La Tournette 2351m (Day 2)

Before i started walking i did some knee exercises. These mountains take a toll on me knees, last year i was virtually crippled for a week from not looking after my knees properly. Or at all in fact. Alpine mountains in October in shorts is not a good idea.

First i went up the same steep gruelling slog to the refuge hut. Then instead of walking across the ice sheet in the centre of the plateau i went up another incredibly steep, south facing slope. This path wasn't an official path and kept disappearing. Or so i thought.. Some of it was a scramble, some of it went up steep slippery grassy slopes. I was literally gripping spiky plants so i didn't fall.

After about 2.5 hours I reached a large rocky outcrop and thought this must be the way up.

I climbed up a little way and saw a family of ibex. Which is something i was hoping to see. They were bouncing off the cliffs like it was nothin.

I thought its probably not gonna get better than that but carried on up anyway.
After about half an hour of climbing it was getting very difficult but i was sure i was close to the top, because it's only supposed to take 3 hours.

After another 20 mins i was beginning to think this was too dangerous and didn't feel completely comfortable. There were times i felt dizzy and physically sick. I just kept thinking my main priority is don't die.

As i got near the top i realised, this wasnt the top. I was no where near. It didn't even lead to the top. I could of cried. After all that death dodging, i have to do it again. Backwards.

I was on the top of a giant pinnacle surrounded by steep impassable cliff. I thought i'm gonna be stuck here. I panicked a bit but had a stale Nutella butty and thought I'm jus gonna have to climb all the way back down. If i could remember the way. Luckily i have good spatial memory and remembered every little bird poo on a rock or weird looking bush.

As i climbed down, my confidence grew and thought what was i even worrying about.

I saw a group of people on the path far down the mountain but they were going the way id gone so i thought they must know the way.
I hid in a cave and checked the map. Honestly i dont know why i didnt check this before because it would have saved me going the wrong way.
I saw on the map that you were supposed to go round the pinnacle, not up it.

The problem is all the snow hides the path and that's why i keep going the wrong way.

So i started going round the pinnacle. The path kept disappearing again. I was mainly going up steep grassy banks. I thought i've gone the wrong way, again, probably wasted another hour of energy going the wrong way. I started to walk back thinking i'm just gonna have to go home, I was running out of water and i was worried about my knees.

I walked round a corner then i saw some guy on a cliff and i knew that must be the path! Completely unrecognisable as a path, it was jus up a cliff. But this is definitely the way!

So i climbed up. He said a few things to me. Cant really remember what he said.
This path was like a narrow rocky path half way up a cliff, weaving in and out of smaller pinnacles.

Eventually i got to another steep ice sheet. But there were the four people i saw before walking along it with crampons and walking sticks. I just stood in their footprints to get across.

Then it was up some quite steep cliffs but at least the path was obvious. Then it plateaued a bit with some flat ice sheets. I was a lot higher than i was yesterday, I could see where id got up to the day before.

I carried on up a hill, few more steep rocky paths. Think id been climbing for about 5 hours by this point and my knees felt ok and didnt feel that tired.
I could see them 4 people shouting. Dunno if they were shouting at me.
I reached another steep ice sheet. This one only had shallow foot prints in it. I think it was about 14:00 now and the ice sheets had started to go slushy. Even crampons couldn't have got me across this bit without sliding to my death.

I spent a while thinking about it but id rather walk down alive. Reckon i was only about 50m from the top but still could take at least another hour
When i went back past them 4 people they said that bit was very dangerous and they were wondering if i was gonna do it or not, hat's why they were shouting.
On the way down i met some guy who had a talking baby in his backpack. I asked him when does the snow go away and he said it could be here until the start of May. I was planning on being in the Pyrenées for then. I'm still going to do all my alpine mountains but will have to accept if the ice stops me.
Also on the way down i thought i heard two jets, but they were wing-suiters flying down the mountain!
It took me 2.5 hours to get down from near the top so im thinking that 3 hours to get up was just the 'tourist top' by the refuge hut. There was a table d'orientation there and it seemed that not many people went higher than that point.
I've also really badly sunburnt my face and neck. You dont really notice how sunny it is with sunglasses on. Reflecting off all the snow aswell.

This is a panorama of Lac D'Annecy from near the top.

La Tournette 2351m (Day 1)

La Tournette is one of the 8 Ultras in France. An Ultra is a mountain which has a prominence of over 1500m.
It started like any Alpine mountain, with a long 1st gear drive up a steep rocky road. I decided the road was getting too dangerous so i parked next to an area of cliff that had collapsed above the road with a huge boulder precariously protruding from the cliff.

I started walking the rest of the way but after a few minutes, i realised id forgotten the map. I was really pissed of by this and I'm sure everyone on this side of the mountain could hear me screaming profanities.

I'd wasted too much time so i just drove up instead. The road wasn't even that bad and i'd just had my rear springs replaced anyway. I parked in the empty car park and started walking.

The first path was steep and winding up an open grassy hill. Soon turning into an even steeper rocky path but plateauing out eventually after a 2 hour slog.

There's my little car at the bottom.

At the end of this section of path there was little refuge hut, which was locked. I had a look under rocks for a key. Thought id found it but it was just a tea bag.

From here was overlooking a huge snowy plateau. Half in shade from the mountain. There was also another larger refuge hut and a disused cable car going up to it.
You can see a small part of the mountain to the left.

I walked out onto the snow, which turned out to be solid ice. The sun was still rising and half the valley was in shade.

I was unsure where to go at this point because the snow covered any signs of a path but i could see footprints so followed them. I put on my £3 Chinese crampons and walked across the ice sheet towards a rocky outcrop. At the edge of the rocky outcrop there was a huge steep ice sheet going up the side of the mountain, this was the way up. My photos were unable to capture the sheer steepness of this ice.

The crampons were near enough useless. Every few steps i started sliding down into the valley. My mate said if you're crampons cost the same as a bacon butty, then they may as well be an actual bacon butty. The ice sheet lead down to some rocks into the middle. I really didnt want to slide into that.

I looked if there was another way. I thought i might be able to climb across the bottom of the cliff and up past the ice sheet.

I went back across the rocky outcrop then up a steep grassy bank that lead up to the bottom of the cliff. Everywhere was steep. I was crawling up this grassy bank. The grass was all flattened aswell, like combed hair, making it very slippy. I think the weight of the snow must have pushed it down.

I reached the bottom of the cliff and actually managed to climb quite far across. Every so often i was wondering how easy it would be to get back. I'd got to a point where it was too dangerous, too difficult, if i tried it there was no chance i could get back and if that just lead to another ice sheet, i'd be stuck (Turns out there was more ice). So i had to carefully navigate all the way back again.

Now i was getting quite annoyed, i'd just wasted another hour and a lot of energy. The sign said it was three hours to the top. I later discovered the three hours was the 'tourist top'. Which wasn't actually the top of the mountain. A mountain had never stopped me like this before. I think i should have come later in the year when there's less snow, or bought some steak butty crampons.

Disappointed, I had started to walk back. But by this time the sun had rose high and illuminated most of the valley. I noticed the ice sheet had softened up so i could wedge my foot in it. I thought id have one more go. I missed out the rocky outcrop bit and just climbed straight up the steep ice sheet.
This thing was honestly steep. I was crawling up, jamming my feet and fingers into the ice so i didn't fall down.  I kept thinking this is dangerous, what am i doing, what if i cant get down. But the determination to get to the top kept me going.

Wish id taken a a better photo to show the magnitude of this steepness but i was too busy trying not to die.

After about half an hour, I'd got to the top of the ice sheet and there was another grassy slope. At the top of that, there was a small ridge with another ice sheet going down, ending at the top of a cliff. I thought if i fall down that then im gonna make a mess at the bottom. Unfortunately the ice has defeated me this time but at least i tried.

I climbed onto a small rocky precipice to see the view. Then i noticed another path! Back down near the refuge going up a south facing slope with no snow. I've already been climbing for four hours and it's gonna take me at least two to get back, so i'll have to do that tomorrow.

As i turned to go back, i saw four kitted out climbers with steak butty crampons and ice axes. They looked at me in amazement wondering where i'd come from.

This made it a lot easier to get back though because i could just walk in their footprints. As i got out of range of rocks and cliffs, i jus buttskied the rest of the way.

Also seen this guy on the way back. He was very receptive to the rustling of a biscuit wrapper and allowed me to take some photos.