Chamonix (30th July)

We've found a coffee shop, somewhere were we wouldn't normally good if we were in Britain. However a coffee shop provides a much needed resource whilst living in the van (other than coffee)... it provides power. It gives me time to write down my thoughts about how the trip has been going so far as well. If I don't do this I've found that the experience is just so much that I have real trouble distilling out what I want to really remember when I come to write up one of these blog when I'm back home. I guess if I do it at the time then it'll be fresh in my mind.

Today is a good day. We woke up early this morning to sunshine and our first clear view down the valley. We vanned up in Argentiere last night at a small car park just out of the town centre (if you can call it a town). It had another valuable resource, a toilet (and a bloody nice toilet at that). Our morning has been spent breakfasting on French pastry (and the ever present muesli), drinking coffee, cleaning out and tidying up the van and drying everything that had got wet (which when I tell you about the day before, you'll understand). We've then been round Chamonix looking for sunglasses and a hat to replace the ones Finney has left in my kitchen. Then it was time for the coffee shop.

[A guy has just come up to us asking about the wifi, seeing as I'm sat here with a laptop. I retorted with “do we just look that English?” to which he replied (in a strong Irish accent) “no, I actually thought you were American, because of your hat”... I think the hat might have to go.]

I always find it really hard to write something interesting about the drive down but this is probably due to the fact that there isn't really anything to write about. This time was a little different. We would have hit traffic on the M25 but we got off to avoid it. The diversion cost us as much time as it would have sitting in traffic and consequently we missed our ferry. Our first night was vanned up on Dover promenade, awaiting a 0700 ferry. The ferry was caught with no problem at all but on the drive down we got lost. Not lost on the main journey, but every single time we pulled off the road to find something like a super market etc we just ended up hopelessly lost. I'm not going to lie, there were a few frustrating moments and some severely grumpy people in the van for a short while. It didn't matter though as after a very long drive we pulled up in Chamonix, in torrential rain.

Our first night in France was actually spent in the Aiguille du Midi cable car car park as theres a hole in the fence hence free parking. Needless to say everything managed to get wet, including the bouldering pad that was stored under the vehicle. We woke up late he next day which was just as well as the weather hadn't abated. I don't we left the vehicle very much that day, just drove round, explored, checked the weather and sat around drinking wine and playing travel connect 4. I'm currently winner something like 25 games to 6. All the sitting around did give me time to actually sharpen up the ice screws.

But today the weather is good, and should be for the next few days. We planned to go climbing on the Triangle, on Mont Blanc Du Tacul. Either Contamine-Mazeaud (AD+) or Contamine-Grisolle (AD+, II), after taking the last cable car up this evening and biving out below the route so we can start climbing early. It's a plan at least.

I seem to be really hung up on “doing it right”. I think the “right” way to climb this is to go up on the first telecabine (early morning) and walk in here. That puts a lot of pressure on us time wise, where as biving and accepting that we'll be carrying a little bit more weight means we can start earlier, climb slightly slower and safer and ideally have a much much better experience. That's the plan anyway.

We've started recording “van diaries” whislt we're away. There are so many thoughts and feelings that go through your mind and I always find it hard to actually set myself the time to write things down in words. Just being able to record it all on video makes life easier. The plan is to record them all and then we'll watch them once we're back. This way neither of us can watch what the other has said. I think it'll be interesting to say the least.

(Generic touristy photo of us standing in front of some mountains)