Geoff Jones

Inveterate dabbler in business, travel, gadgets & life

Author: Geoff

Day 15 GR5 Montgen?vre to Ch?teau Queyras

This was a very long day. I ended up walking over 23 miles and 4000ft of ascent in over 10 hours out on the trail.

Started off with the descent into Briançon making me thankful I hadnt attempted it the previous night as it took nearly 2 hours and i guess it would have taken ages to find a hotel. Its quite a fascinating place with heavy fortifications and impressive citadels perched high on the mountains.
I stocked up with cheese, fruit, bread and the essential mars bars. At Shopi who dont seem to be doing free plastic bags anymore.

Proceeded to make the mistake of trying to walk up the Ayes gorge along a path which petered out to nothing, once i had scrambled around a couple of car wrecks I reliazed there must be a road up there! Crawled up the mossy gorge side to find the track was more of a racetrack for proud dads and there kids in 4x4s on their way to Chalets des Ayes (so many I thought it must be a town). At 4pm I eventually arrived at Brunissard where I should have stayed! But I continued on to Cháteau Queyras compounding my stupidty by trying to contour around the mountain through thick woods and the most horrendous scree slope ever (a good thousand feet drop – and perfectly smooth). My left knee then decided it was time to pack up….

I arrived at Queyras at 6.30pm to find a ghost village. Eventually I discovered a returning family who told me the nearest hotel was at Aiguilles. The look of horror on my face when she said it was over 10km away, must have won the day as she offered to drive me there. So full marks to Sophies mum and the Hotel Bellevue for saving the day.

Sent from Geoff’s Treo650 on 07971428715

GR5 Days 13 and 14

Chris left me an email in his usual very positive tone reminding me that we had only one day of rain on the PW.

So I left Modane yesterday to find that my head quickly becoming enveloped in thick cloud and dampness. However, arriving at Col de la Vallée Étroite at 8000ft I was confronted by horizontal rain like out of a Hollywood B movie. Two hours later and much thunder and lightening I arrived, like the proverbial drowned rat at the refuge. The kit held up well although the martini by the hot log stove cheered me more.

Today it was more of the same although for some reason it was more siling it down (siling is what happens when water goes through a colinder) I arrived at Plampinet at 11.30 which seemed much to early to stop, even in pouring rain. So I ascended another 3500 feet to Col de la Lauze, past a truly scary looking shepherd (only person I saw out today) to find the sun starting to peep through. Which cheered me up no end.

I pounded down to Montgenérve but in my haste and love of pistes I came down not only in the wrong town but in the wrong country! Arriving at Chaviéres in Italy. So I had to ascend, somewhat crestfallen, the N94 for half an hour or so. To reach, yet another French ski resort, Montgenévre.

So in 14 days away i’ve covered 213miles or about 57% of the total. According to Martin Collins book today should have taken 10.5 hours but in fact took me only 8.5 hours. I’ feeling incredibly fit probably as fit as I was in the sixties when George and I went walking with Fred Heardman on Bleaklow.

So Nice is looking closer all the time and the sunset tonight indicates probably good weather tomorrow.

Ellee I’m pleased that Ian Dale ranks your blog so highly. I’m sure come the next election you will be hitting the mainstream news with www.elleeseymour.com

Many thanks for all the emails amd texts all very much appreciated.

By the way all these emails appear on my blog at www.geoffjones.com/blogger.html where you can comment etc.
Cheers and love
Geoff
and Em I WILL be home before end of month. Xxxxxxxxxx

Sent from Geoff’s Treo650

Days 11 & 12 on GR5

Today the weather broke and I walked in rain all day to Modane , 17 miles in less than 6 hours with only one stop. The going was easy on the GR5E with only about 500ft or so of climbs all day from Lanslevillard.

I kept reasonably dry, the Scarpa boots kept my feet really dry (obviously made the right choice, especially since they are George & Jacqui’s favourites too) The RAB Bergen jacket ‘Dry Inside’ tm. Didnt quite live up to its hype with both arms getting wet and the pocket contents (goodbye FFRP guide) getting soaked. I wouldnt count today as extreme either, being valley and forest walking.

The trip yesterday from Val D’Isére to the highest point on the GR5, Col D’Iséran at 9068ft was excellent (a 3200ft climb) I took the easy GR5E route from Bonneval-Sur-Arc down to Lanslevillard (great for cyclists, Phillip).

Body holding up well, all blisters gone and only a burning right heel, which a splodge of Nurofen max. Strength gel (thanks Pennine Way Chris) seems to have worked. Interestingly I can feel my heart working harder once I get over 2500m so maybe the Inca trail is not for me…

Caren no luck yet, although a couple I met a couple of days ago said I wouldnt stand a chance if I continued to roll two walking days into one!

Peter, pleased the new hip is working well. I remember Middleton well from the Pennine Way 6 months ago.

Tomorrow its back to the hard core GR5 with a 4500ft climb out of Modane followed by a 2500ft drop to the refuge, no more hotels for a while…

Think I’m about half way now. 175 miles in 11 walking days, so the 22 days on the sign near La Chappele seems feasible.
Cheers and love
Geoff
and for Emily (if you are getting these missives) xxxxxxxxxxx

Day 10 on the GR5

Made it to Val D’Isére today on my 9th walking day from St Gingolph on Lake Geneva. The new Scarpa boots I bought in Chamonix en-route are great, my heel blisters caused by the Raichle boots I bought in Cambridge have now disappeared.

The vertical ascents on this route are amazing. My prediction is it will be equivalent to 3 or so Everests by the time I reach Nice. Today it was a straight climb of 3600ft after breakfast followed by another 700ft from Tignes to here.

I’ve now walked about 140miles or around 37% of the journey in 9 walking days. So maybe i will walk it in 22 days as the sign said.

Tonight its deluxe comfort in a REAL hotel (The Hótel Le Relais du Ski -only one open in thus huge resort) with soap and towels, instead of a refuge with their communal dorms and single tepid shower! Question is will I wake up to do the 3200ft climb to the highest point on the GR5 and escape this valley first thing tomorrow.

Interestingly I have now met three sets of folks from Kendal on this trip.

Philip you are welcome to try it on a bike but the fixed ladders on a couple of the rock faces may represent a challenge as would the 2 foot wide ledge for about a mile with a vertical drop of around a thousand feet and dont forget the boulder fields as well 🙂

The weather is great with rain and thunderstorms only at night. Lets hope it stays that way.

Many thanks for all your texts it is appreciated especially since I havent seen another walker all day!

Cheers and Love
Geoff
and especially for Emily
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx