Service Station cook up – Central France Having stayed the night near Chamonix, we spent the next day travelling the toll road to Calais. We broke the journey up with plenty of food stops. Most of which we really rather civilized, although I did get caught out in a particularly heavy downpour, just as I… Read more

You can tell a lot about a nation, By the state of their motorway service station. The Swiss, of course have got it sussed, And a stop off there, is quite a must, Their cleanliness is just first class, And outside there’s a lake and grass, Where one can rest and lounge around, And puzzle… Read more

Through the Mt Blanc tunnel this morning (after being relieved of €42.00 for the  privilege), and onto a fine day of strolling the streets of Chamonix. Sunshine, heavy showers and more outdoor gear shops than you could ever visit. A great day to be a tourist. Plenty of shopping and cafe time, then met up… Read more

After yesterday’s crack climbing, we decided to switch to some big slabs today, to get little sample of all the delights that the Valle Orco has to offer. With the weather being good lower down the valley, we set off in the sun for a calf pumping, hand sweating, slab padding day of excellent rock… Read more

Lots of sad faces in camp this morning as the forecast blue skies failed to turn up. After a misty and slightly damp breakfast we decided to head down the valley in seach of warmer temperatures (camp is at 1500m), and were duly rewarded for our efforts. We only drove a few kilometres, but the… Read more

Up into the mountains today. Took a bus ride from the campsite up to the Refuge Sovoie a 2532m. The road is closed to normal tourist traffic on Sundays to make way for a ‘sustainable travel bus service’ that has been put on. It was a pretty cool ride up some ridiculous switch-backs, but I’m… Read more