Anything else

18/11/12

So, I found myself in Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc today. I'd planned at establishing myself in a base there, looking at perhaps three days in the same campsite. Think of that, eh, a campsite, showers and all sorts. I had some expectations of the place. I knew it sounded a bit little Britainish and that it was likely to have many familiar sounds around me, and that there would undoubtedly be dishevelled climbers floating about the place. I was hopeful of perhaps finding someone to pair up with or a group to join up with. But I'll be honest, I really hated the place. It was like Blackpool meets Ambleside, horrific amounts of folk, all dressed in new looking pristine clothing. My slightly ragged Mountain Equipment jacket was a little out of place. No scruffy climbers evident, just people enjoying the sunshine, the views, the coffee and the wine. Perhaps the scruffy climbers were out on the hill.

There were a couple of things which made me run away from the place.

The Vegas style thing it had going on.

Sunday tourist offices and accommodation bureaus all shut – French campsites have different set up to UK ones. Quite often campervan sites are different to tent and caravan ones and it's not straight forward going. Also, it's out of season so finding on the off chance an open one was going to be difficult.

The Vegas style thing it had going on.

The car parking – oh my word how expensive is that.

The Vegas style thing it had going on.

The lack of roads – looking for possible road rides was for once actually as hard as looking for possible mountain bike rides. I have bought a map though.

The Vegas style thing it had going on.

But oddly it was in fact the crowded nature of the place, but also the nature of the crowds. For the first time since starting my travels I felt lonely. I mean, I've been alone which is fine, but to actually feel lonely was kind of difficult for me, and it was because genuinely the place was filled with people in pairs, in groups and in families. I actually took a deep breath and checked I was being logical not emotional by spending time trying to identify anyone else there as an individual. It made me feel alone, and that was horrid somehow. Mind you, I know you do chose your feelings, and perhaps I chose that one, but still, it is what it is, and I ran away.

But I haven't run far, just to a nearby village. I still plan on visiting the tourist information, the mountain guides places, seeing what my options are. The weather, it seems should be with us until maybe Thursday this week (I checked on the closed mountain guides office door). And I'll do some proper work on planning bike rides too, as a back up option …

Hey ho. I miss e-mail and internet at times like tonight, sat in the car park for a ski station, nobody else about.