Hiking: Lacs des Chéserys, France

Leaving Lac Blanc, I began to hike down to the intersection of la Flégère and Lacs desChéserys where most people descended to the former. I took the latter in an attempt to see the other three lakes.

It was refreshing to lose the crowd and find solitude in nature.

That is, if you know where you were going…

Clearly I didn’t. Because the sign disappeared and soon I found myself descending towards the valley, instead of circumventing along the ridge.

Fortunately I ran into two Norwagian women equipped with a trail map. As it turned out the trail I was on was actually another (longer and less travelled) route to la Flégère,

which is not to say that it is not scenic. But that’s not where I wanted to go.

Long storty short, I ended up taking a long detour and some steep climbs.

which totally added about an hour to the short 20 minute hike 😦

Let’s just say it was a good workout.

The lakes were alright.

There were some stupid people swimming in it, despite the warning 😡.

I stopped by another waterfall

And thought that I spotted something???

So I did!

Excitement aside, it was almost 3:30PM, the last lift down was at five. Without much delay I started my descent – Up in the mountains, you never know what would come between you and your lift 😛

With a sense of urgency, I half-walked and half-hopped the steep trail down

And got to the lift station barely 10 minutes before closing.

But NOT without obstacles!

Fortunately he was well-behaved and let me pass in a gentlemently manner.

I took the bus back to Chamonix, had dinner at Le Comptoir des Alpes, which I had a reservation for.

The food were: Gorgonzola mousse with apple gelée, red mullet with aubergine caviar and grilled courgette, hazelnut soufflé with hazelnut ice cream. Interesting they served the fish and the accompaniment separately. The Fish was very tender, just four small pieces. Soufflé was featherlight. It took me 20 minutes to get attention from the staff. I left unsatiated.

Come to think of it, this might be proper choice of a restaurant had I sat idle all day, definitely NOT after a 18km/11 miles, 3300ft elevation gain/loss hike. A burger or a regional specialty such as tartiflette, filled with cheese, potato, onions and lard, would have been more appropriate.

Lesson learned!

Note:

What to bring on this hike?

Sunglasses, Hat, Sunscreen SPF 50+, gloves (to cover the hands, if so desired) – I wore long sleeve sun-protective fabric shirt and adjustable pants.

Lightweight windbreaker jacket – for chilling out by the lake, especially when the sun went into hiding.

A pair of good hiking shoes with hiking socks.

Trekking poles – they can be handy, especitally on the steep descend with a lot of loose rocks.

Food – Fruit (banana & apple), Nuts & seeds, energy bars in addition to any other real food of preference.

Plenty of water – I carried a 2.5L hydration reservoir such as this in my backpack and had the nozzle right by my face so that I can replenish as often as I wanted. Remember when you feel thirsty, it’s already too late. For long hikes, it’s important to stay nourished and hydrated.

Last but not least, remember to warm up, before and after the hike!

Coming up next: Easy day in the French Alps – the summit of Le Brévent