Guestbook

We completed our famous "Tour des Muverans" at the end of last week, and we're delighted we did! In the end, here are our stages: * departure from Belgium on the evening of 24 September, my husband preferring to ride at night * Wednesday 25: rest, ride to Montreux, then up to Pont de Nant, dinner and 1st night there, TB * Thursday 26/9: vallon de Nant (rain), Col des Martinets (cloudy but dry, saw a hare), Col des Perris blancs (red deer, ibex), descent to the Cabane de La Tourche, dinner and 2nd night, with a beautiful sunset and a magnificent view of both Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc Massif * Friday 27 (French Community Day, Belgian public holiday): very windy, very cool but dry and quite sunny, La Rionda, Col du Demècre and Fenestral (herd of chamois), dinner and 3rd night, TB, very warm welcome, magnificent renovation; marmots seen *Saturday 28, the longest day (Sorniot closed during the week, Dorbon full): Petit pré (fox), Cabane Rambert (ibex) then Dorbon (2 chamois) and on to Derborence (stag bellow) and the Refuge du Lac, sunny; dinner with 10 other guests and 4th night; good but less friendly welcome, more "touristy". * Sunday 29 : towards Anzeindaz then La Vare (a little problem with the signposts, I'll come back to that); my husband is too tired and doesn't feel up to going as far as Plan Névé, so we ask Gérald if we can stay at La Vare, ok despite the closure, TB beer fondue supper and 5th night, evening in the sun (a lammergeier flew over us); very interesting conversation with him and Lydie, about their respective jobs, life on the alps but also winter, etc; very rustic but we really enjoyed it! They were preparing the desalp, tidying up the tables, and we helped load the henhouse and the hens onto the pick-up... * Monday 30 September: we headed back down to Pont de Nant, bought some cheese and squash there, then did some shopping in Bex and returned home, where we found the Belgian rain again... We were very lucky with the weather, saw lots of animals every day, saw some more flowers (especially milkweed and hairy gentian), met some nice people and had an adventure that we'll be doing again elsewhere or nearby, to see the mountains again in autumn. I have one small regret, as I had dreamt of seeing Plan Névé again, but I'll be back... It was better to be safe and have a good-humoured husband. Strange markings just before climbing to the Pas de Cheville, at the "Grenier", which confused us, as well as 2 other hikers who questioned us: a red-white cross that we haven't seen anywhere else? There are few signposts between Derborence and Anzeindaz compared with the rest of the Tour. The route is very well maintained, and hats off to all those who work on it! Yellow signs shortening the walking time, for example at the foot of Rambert, 3h30 to Derborence! Photo if you like... Perhaps one more comment: we had booked with Lui in August, and a simple text message on 24/9 told us that, through no fault of his own, he couldn't see us, that it was closed. That was a bit harsh as it was the day of our departure. We looked around: Ovronnaz? bof, no desire to go down. Fenestral was just what we needed, even if we had to pay the next day to get to Derborence! 2 people told us that this happens from time to time in August. We won't be relying on it again. Many, many thanks for the advice and hard work behind this website! Christine... Collapse