Climbing Massif de Chartreuse

Back in France, north-west of Grenoble and back in sequence.

Another day where we are blessed with extraordinarily mild weather. It's the 9th of October and should be much cooler. It's the time of year when things are usually also wetter, cloudier and more windy.

Not this year. In fact, later in the month we learn that this has been the warmest October in the south of France since reliable meteorological data started being collected. Daily maximum temperatures for the month were 8 degrees above average. An inconvenient truth? I'm perhaps getting incrementally fitter - this feels like an easier climb than the previous day's journey up to Croix de Chamrousse. It might just be that I pace myself better.

Thanks to the wonderful weather, it's remarkably still and quiet on the top of this mountain ridge. We are almost 2000 m above sea level; there is no hint of an icy breeze even though the snow-capped Mont Blanc is visible (but nevertheless quite distant):


We are able to look down into the secluded valley where the monks of Chartreuse live. These dedicated people take a vow of silence - it is very fitting to then be accommodated in this gorgeous, tranquil location:


All this silence and tranquility is probably a bit much for some. Perhaps it is why they enjoy a tipple. In fact, they distill a world-famous herb liqueur.




Bottom right of picture - the brown building with the dark roof is the entrance block to the monastery. Up the hillside in the valley, following up a tree lined road, the larger complex of white buildings capped by a dark roof in the middle-left is the monastery itself.

Back down in the Grenoble valley after the climb, I snapped this wonderful picture of the town's Bastille


All these mountains are good for defence: they give a commanding view of the approach of any sizable group who might want to do the city harm.