23rd - Nant Borant – Vallée des Glaciers

This day will be remembered for two things: we met there bikers on the trail (crazy bastards) and an amazing chocolate cake for lunch.

We started the day with a simple breakfast before leaving at 0800. The plan of the day was to ascend app. 1000m from the 1500 meters we started and then descend again app. 900 meters.

We ascended on snow, making process slow but with a nice variation from yesterday. We crossed Col du Croix du Bonhomme, and at some point when descending around 100 meters to Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme we crossed the border to Italy. Here we had our lunch; delicious pasta and an amazingly big piece of chocolate cake with raspberry jam. Yum!

High on sugar the next 800 meters down did not lack any energy at all, though the thighs and calves were beginning to be a little sore.

We were supposed to spend the night in Les Chapieux, but as they had run out of space we were transferred to Refuge des Mottes in Vallée des Glaciers. We were sent there by car, a pleasant piece of luxury, cutting off 5km of tomorrow, the trek’s longest day.

Yesterday my body tried convincing me going back home to my sofa. Now it seems to have understood that that isn’t an option and now just keeps moving forward. Must be a good sign. Still hard work, though.

Can't get tired of the view...

Getting ready for walking on the snow...

On our way...

Col du Bonhomme.

Biker!

Sleeping quarters.

22nd - Chamonix - Nant Borant

We started with a bus ride to Les Houches and from there a cable car to Bellevue. Here we started the trek with a gentle ascent before descending to cross a suspension bridge after which we did our first (of many) long steep ascent. This brought us to Col du Tricot from where we descended to Chalet Miage where we had our lunch.

One of the groups there stated that Tour du Mont Blanc is harder than Kilimanjaro. A slight nervousness can be felt but it makes sense – this trip is already being a challenge and we will be going on for longer than on Kili. Maybe I have underestimated this trip a little? Oh, well…

Continuing we ascended and descended once more, placing us in Les Contamines. Here we had a short break before moving on for a couple of hours to Nant Borant at our first gite (pronounced [zhiit]). A gite is basically a simple hotel which contains sleeping quarters (mostly dorms of varying sizes), a kitchen and dining room. The places are run by people, so as long as you have made the necessary reservations, things will be taken care of for you.

It will be interesting how I feel tomorrow – I fear I will be feeling worn and broken. But there is only one way and that is forward.

Considering the difficulties I am beginning to think that Russia will be a far greater challenge than first expected.

It’s not even 2100 and people are already ready for bed. That feels a little weird.

The "before"-photo. Oh, we look so happy and naiive...

Crossing the bridge.

Ah, the view.

Ah, the weiv.

First night's accommodation.

21st - Arrival in Chamonix

I crashed at my sister’s who lives close to the airport, so from getting out of bed and arriving at the hotel in Chamonix was fairly easy. I flew to Geneva from where I travelled with a taxi service that brought me straight to the door. Easy peasy.

Safely arrived at Chamonix I realized that most shops are closed in the middle of the day, giving me a good reason for having lunch and just wandering around. Ended up buying the boots, crampons and gaiters for the trip to Russia – far from everything, but at least the major things have been acquired.

We are leaving at 0800 tomorrow morning, catching a bus to start off with but expecting that the trek will be harder than just sitting in a bus…

Outside there is some kind of music festival and someone’s playing some quite loud music. Well – calling it music would be an offence to music. They are growling – loud and bad. Can’t they go somewhere else? Please?

We are 12 in the group; 6 Canadians, one Scot, one American, one Aussie, two Kiwis and me. Our guide is a Scot, too – little strange as this is the first Gap trip I am participating in where they don’t use a local resource. I assume it’s due to lack of locals, but it doesn’t really matter as he seems really cool and laid back. And he hasn’t done the trek before, either, so he’s just as excited as us. This will be interesting.

According to the plan we should have spent the night in Les Chapieux the day after tomorrow but because they have run out of room we will be getting a lift to Vallée des Glaciers, 5 km further ahead instead where they will have room for us. A little cheating, maybe, but it means that the following day which is by far the longest will be slightly shortened.

Weekend safaris in Sri Lanka

The 2^nd to the 19^th of June I went on a business trip to Sri Lanka to visit our office located in Colombo. As I was working normal hours I had the weekend by myself. I looked into any activities I could do during the down time, and fairly quickly I realized that Sri Lanka had a national park down south with quite a lot of wildlife. Apparently they have one of the highest densities of leopards in the world.

So the choice was basically made for me, so the two weekends of the 9^th – 10^th and the 16^th – 17^th I got up early Saturday, drove to Yala National Park and arrived at lunch time (I had a driver, no way I was to drive by myself in Sri Lanka. It is said that the only place worse driving than Sri Lanka is India, and that says quite a lot!), had lunch and a game drive, back to the camp where dinner was served, relaxation until the next morning where we had an early game drive, back for breakfast and ending with being brought to a pickup point where I would then be driven back to Colombo. It was two fantastic weekends to get away from the city’s intensity.

The first weekend I was alone in the camp and the second a colleague joined me after seeing the photos I had taken on the first trip and also an English couple joined us.

Apparently, while we are out on the second weekend’s morning drive, a large male leopard came straight through our camp between my tent and the next in the row. It could have been interesting if it had happened when I was still present in the camp.

Young land monitor.

Tufted gray langur.

Jungle fowl.

Water buffalo and egret. 

Kingfisher.

Wild boars and the park's only (known) albino boar.

Leopard in the dusk.

Sloth bear.

White-bellied sea eagle.

Toque macaque monkey.

Jackal.

Orange-breasted green pigeon.

Leopard.

Lizard

Small snake visiting camp.

Third and last vacation this year confirmed!

Finally I managed to get time off from work in the fall which enabled me making reservations for the last vacation I have been hoping to go on this year. Without further ado; the itinerary:

20th of October

Leaving Copenhagen to arrive in Brisbane the 21st.

21st - 27th of October

Spending time in Brisbane which, among other things, will include a visit to Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island just outside Brisbane. This resort has a wide range marine wildlife which can bee seen on the various safaris that they host.

28th of October

Depart Brisbane to go to Kathmandu.

28th of October - 11th of November

Trek in the Himalayas with the goal of reaching Everest Base Camp. The 29th we will fly to Lukla and from there walk to Phakding, where we will be spending two nights for acclimatization. The 1st of November we will push on to Tengboche and after one night we will continue to Dingboche and spend two nights here. After this we will go to Lobuche, continue to Everest Base Camp (app. 5300m) and the 6th we will end up in Pheriche. From here we will spend 3 days going to Gompa, Tengpoche, Monjo and back to Lukla. The 10th we take a flight back to Kathmandu, and the 11th the group disbands.

11th of November

Flight back home.

Second vacation, change in plan

The day after paying the last part of the price for the trip I get a mail from the travel agency claiming that the departure has been cancelled due to not reaching the minimum number of people required.

Shit, so I panic a little and have a talk with them. I call the travel agent that handles the Russian Visas and they confirm that it will be possible to get a new Visa in the weeks before departure (as I will be out of the country from now until then due to business trips and the trip to France), so that was quickly settled. I was more nervous about the possibilities of having my vacation moved at the office, but after a couple of nerve wrecking days my boss came back to me and confirmed that it could be done.

Yay!

The trip itself has not changed from the description in my previous post, instead the dates will be the 14th to the 28th of July instead.

This year's second vacation confirmed!

I have now sent the deposit for my next vacation this year, which more or less means that the trip is going to happen. The schedule will be the following:

21st of July

Departure from Copenhagen travelling to Moscow

22nd of July

Early morning flight to Mineralnye Vody

22nd of July - 2nd of August

Trekking in Caucasus and (as far as the weather permits) doing so by following this itinerary:

Starting in Adyl Su valley (2600m), climbing Mount Gumachi (3890m), staying a night in Terskol, continue on to Syltran Lake (3200m), over the Syltran pass (3400m), Mukal- og Mkiara valleys, Irik pass (3700m), down to Irik valley and back to the hotel in Terskol. After these days with plenty of walks and acclimatization, we start climbing Mt. Elbrus by moving towards Garabashi og Diesel Hut (4150m), continuing on to Pastuchova rocks (4800m) but spending the night down at Diesel Hut again before we make the final push to the summit of Mt. Elbrus (5642m) on the trip's 12th day. The 13th day (2nd of August) is used as an extra day if the weather has prevented us from climbing Elbrus the day before, otherwise it will be used for relaxation or climbing Mount Cheget (3600m).

3rd of August

Flight back to Moscow

4th of August

Morning flight back to Copenhagen

This is going to be a great trip - I hope I will have trained enough for this before departure as I have a feeling that it is going to be a tough one! But really looking forward to it. Reaching Europes's highest point will be great.