We spent the extended weekend in the spa town of Aix-les-Bains in Savoie department to escape, not the heat this time, but the wardrobe renovation in our second bedroom, currently serving as an office. We had already donated the old wardrobe to a young couple who took it down and carried away a couple of weeks earlier, so we lived out of boxes until our get-away (we still do as we got back only the day before yesterday). Here are the pictures before and after the renovation:
The temperature was quite reasonable the whole weekend; I don’t think it rose much above +30°C any single day but mostly stayed comfortably below it. We didn’t spend any time, other than driving through, in the touristy beach/spa area by the Bourget Lake, which is the deepest lake entirely in France, and depending on the season either the largest or the second largest natural lake in France. Instead we went hiking to the surrounding area.
Col du Chat par Saint-Jean de Chevelu et le Crêt de Monthoux (10.5K in 3h 33mins, D+/D- 510m)
The first hike took us to the Rhône river valley and the lakes of Chevelu. From there we climbed through the vineyards and the forest to Col du Chat at 638m (“Cat Pass”). The descent in the forest was much less impressive.
Circuit de Rochetaillée (5.65K in 2h 25mins, D+/D- 340m)
Our second hike was quite different from the first one, and as they here say rather “sportif.” The first part (Le Pas de Rochetaillée) traversed a 10-meter deep and less than 2-meter wide “gorge” like structure that was very steep. Fortunately, there was cables to aid the climb (actually, they were relatively recent additions, since they don’t show in the pictures taken a year ago). That section was only about 100 meters long, and the trail leveled soon after, only to climb steeply some more later on.
A day off
The plan was to go to the long run on Monday — the coastal path by the Lake Bourget offers an ideal environment for running — but we did not feel like running, so we started the day with a relaxed stroll in downtown Aix-les-Bains, visiting for instance the small and quite modest Japanese garden. The weather forecast had promised thunderstorms for the rest of the day, so we also skipped hiking and watched FIFA Women’s World Cup on TV, planning our last hike.
Third hike (8.45K in 2h 50mins, D+/D- 490m)
This hike did not have a clear destination — it was just a loop in the forest — so it is hard to name. However, it was a way to access La Grotte des Fées, which we did not visit, though. This was clearly the least interesting of the weekend’s hikes, and the weather was less optimal: it was nice since it was a bit cooler but we also were rained on.
