Skiing and Summer holidays Grand Massif and Les Carroz

After a sucessful early ski holiday in 2008 we decided to repeat the timings in 2009.
Arriving in Les Carroz d’Araches on Saturday December 12th, there was a few inches of
snow in the village which had arrived that day. Flaine had seen similar dumps of snow with the resort  opening on December 12th.

On Monday 14th December we skied in Flaine, with fantastic  conditions, a sunny cold day with clear views of Mont Blanc.    

An estimated 100 cm of snow at 2200 m and 20 cm at 1600m was sufficient for a good day of skiing. Disappointingly, there were only 3 ski lifts open; the
small beginners lift at 1600m, the large DMC telecabine providing access to the top of Flaine and the Col de Plate chair lift accessible agt the bottom of the Serpentine/Crystal ski runs.

The ski runs were in great condition with plenty of snow cover until reaching the village at 1600m where some stones had been churned up. 

Snow continued to fall in the village of Les Carroz from Monday Dec 14th,  with a centimetre or so every day until Friday 18 December when heavy snow continued to fall all day, leaving at least 10 cm in Les Carroz village and continuing to the upper slopes at 2200m.
The snow cannons have been active all week, with sub zero temperatures (typically -10 degs C during he daytime) throughout. The good snow base built up in November and the blown snow, plus this recent fall
should make for excellent sking over the Chrstmas period.

During our holiday in the Grand Massif in August 2009 we decided to go a little bit further afield and took a day out to Lake Geneva, driving via the D902 through Les Gets, Morzine, St Jean D’Aulps, and onto the lake near Thonon- Les- Bains. Stopping in the tourist centre (near the casino) in Evian Les Bains we picked up ‘What to do brochures’ and selected Chateau de Chillon which is located on Lake Geneva at the eastern end of the lake, some 3 km from Montreux.

St Gingolph restaurant on Lake Geneva

We stopped in a lovely restaurant in St Gingolph, right on the lake near to where the ferry does its hops around the lakeside villages and then drove through the French Swiss border to the Chateau. The drive on the N112 is scenic past farmland and then the chateau rises from out of the lake. Modern infrastructures also catch ones eye with the A9 auto route passing North of the lake, and suspended some hundreds of feet above.

Chateau Chillon rising from Lake Geneva

The chateau is famous owing to the imagination of writers and poets who have set works and stories involving the chateau. Lord Byron visited the chateau with Percy Shelley in 1816.  Byron was so inspired by the story of the monk Francois de Bonivard who was held captive in an underground prison dungeon from 1530 to 1536 and wrote the poem “The prisoner of Bonivard”. You can see Byron’s name etched into one of the pillars in the prison dungeon.

After looking at Le Mole (in the Haut Savoie region of FRance) covered in snow when skiing in the Grand Massif i had decided that it was going to be walked when an opportunity arose. It was a hot summers day in August 2009; 27 degs in the valley when the decision was made to walk Le Mole.

Driving from Les Carroz D’Araches, after 30 minutes and driving through Marignier and the village of Bovere i parked the car at an altitude of 1160 m. The sign below shows the well marked route with the peak at 1863 m,  estimated at 2 hr 20 mins walking.

After an hour of walking the first major significant viewpoint was Le Petit Mole at 1534 m altitude with a cross marking the location.

Continuing the climb for another 30 minutes I was unclear of the route to take to the summit. With a thunderstlorm on the way i took more photos and abandoned the walk in the interests of safety.

Not to be detered an attempt was made a few days later. On this occassion, driving through Marignier i approached the mountain via the village of Ossat and parked  at an altitude of 1298 m as shown by the signs at Parking des Granges.

The estrmate to the summit from this side of the mountain was 1 hr 20 minutes.

I set off on another very warm summer morning with my walking companion. The ascent was via a narrow path, the summit and cross can be seen in the photos.

The final ascent from about 1600 m was on a narrow steep ridge, which would not be easy to traverse in wet or windy conditions. The views at the summit were spectacular, views on the valley cities of Cluses, Bonneville, montain views of Mont Blanc and the Aravis range and Lake Geneva.

The snow levels in the Grand Massif during winter season 2008-2009 were excellent and surpassed levels seen over the past 5 years. At Flaine opening mid December 08 the snow cover was fantastic; a picture taken skiing in Flaine on Dec 14 2008.

Having skied regularly in the Grand Massif since 2001 it was great to be able to do runs like Cascade from Flaine to Sixt fer Cheval and I was able to do a run that I had never previously done as it appears rarely open. This is the the red Grand Chaudron piste which is accessed from the Veret drag lift off the blue piste called Tourmaline; which is one of the main runs down into Flaine from Les Carroz. The snow was in perfect condition in late March and with fantstic views it is worth doing. With further large snowfalls in the third week of March and weather remaining cold the snow was excellent. Attached is a photo of the Timolets run going back to Les Carroz d’Araches at 1150 m altitude.

During some beautiful weather in June 2008 I did a walk lasting a few hours, starting near the sports hall and tennis courts and then descending a few hundred metres into Araches-la-Frasse before making the ascent back to the village of Les Carroz d’araches.

Some of the photos taken on the walk with GPS co-ordinates at the location at which the photograph was taken are show below. I’ve also created a Google KMZ file so if you have Google Earth installed on your PC then clicking here Les Carroz walk as Google kmz file will display all the locations and photogaphs overlaid on the satellite imagery. Double clicking on the camera icon will display the photograph.

As an enthusiast in watching the Tour de France we visited Les Carroz for a summer holiday in July 2006. Did the telcabine to the top of Flaine to discover snow still at the top.

View at the summit of Flaine

A walk down to the village at 1600m with a picnic half way down was a fantastic way to spend a day. The scenery was spectacular with snow covered mountains and wild flowers.

Wild flowers as decending to 1600m

The circus came to town in Les Carroz but we did not see Papa Lazaroux!

Circus in Les Carroz, Grand Massif

A wonderful sunny day with temperatures at 20 C was the setting for our walk from the cirque at Sixt fer Cheval; up past waterfalls, alongside the fast flowing streams that feed the Giffre river.

Walk at Sixt fer Cheval

Spectacular waterfalls seen on the walk

Watched the Tour de France as it sped past July 2006 mountain stages

The atmosphere was wonderful. We made it a day out with collapsible chairs, picnic and wine. All around the locals and tourists were chatting and excitement built-up as we awaited the Pelaton. It was this stage 17 from St Jean de Maurienne to Morzine (200 km) that Floyd Landis broke ahead finished stage winner but was later disqualified.

Next time the Tour is anywhere near the Grand Massif I’ll be arranging a vacation.

Surprise visitors whilst having breakfast on the balcony; a lesuire flight of a hot air balloon narrowly missed the roof of a nearby chalet and landed below the apartment.

Hot air balloon in Les Carroz

Some walking, good food and wine and the Tour de France, a fantastic way to complete a week of mountain activities, relaxation and socialising.

The snow in the Grand Massif was excellent so we decided to ski from Les Carroz to Flaine and then try the 14 km Cascade ski run, if open. Catching the Grand Platieres (DMC) telecabine takes the skier from 1600 m to 2500 m; where there is a great view of the Mont Blanc chain and the mighty mountain itself.

The Cascade run was open. These are photos of the scenery as we made our way from the top of Flaine to Sixt fer Cheval at the bottom of the ski run.

Exiting the telecabine at the top of Flaine, Grand Massif

Flaine based Cascade ski run to Sixt fer Cheval

Top of cascade ski run, Grand Massif

Perfect conditions on the ski slope Cascade

The white Sea

Approachng treeline from Flaine to Sixt fer Cheval

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View through trees on lower slopes approaching Sixt fer Cheval

Bottom of Sixt fer Cheval

At the bottom of the run is a small restaurant that serves snacks and drinks where one can wait for the free bus that takes skiers back to Samoens and Morillon to continue skiing.