MORNING LIST
The rain is falling desperately on the city? So much the better, it’s snowing in the mountains! All the massifs, even at medium altitude, were covered in early December with a nice white coat. Now is the time to plan for winter hikes. No need to equip your vehicle with snow tires or chains, the train is open to you!
Walking in the snow, and even in the snow, as a family, as a couple or alone, does not necessarily require the rental of specific equipment. The adventure costs only the train ticket. On the other hand, equip yourself with sturdy waterproof and non-slip shoes, and pack an insulated hot tea bottle.
After this beautiful winter day, you will take a nap during the return trip, dreaming of a good meal to taste, raclette, tartiflette or Burgundy fondue, well deserved …
Volvic, white calm and change of scenery
Volvic station (Puy-de-Dôme) does not directly serve the famous spa town, but is located on a plateau, at the foot of a “stone of Volvic” quarry, which was used to build religious buildings. At an altitude of 750 meters, at the foot of the Puys mountain range, the place is an ideal starting point for a winter hike.
The path that progresses through the trees towards the Puy de la Nugère, 200 meters higher, offers an immediate change of scenery. “After ten minutes, you already feel far from everything, especially when walking on the snow”, tells Etienne Boudot, inhabitant of Chamalières, who tried the walk last February. Once you have reached this first objective, you can walk around the small crater, with its perfect shape, or continue your way to the Puy de Jumes, at 1,100 meters above sea level, from which there is a beautiful panorama of the mountains of Auvergne.
Clermont-Ferrand-Volvic. Seven trains a day in each direction. About 30 minutes.
Argentière, pine forests and other needles
After Chamonix (Haute-Savoie), the Mont-Blanc Express, the legendary red and white train, continues on its way to Switzerland. You have to descend to Argentière, 1,200 meters above sea level, where, at the beginning of December, a good meter of fresh snow was already accumulating.
From the station, you can easily reach the left bank of the Arve, a tributary of the Rhône which is still only a torrent here. Soon, the walk continues on the right bank, in the middle of the pines, “On a trail that can be practiced in winter, well shod, or on snowshoes if it has snowed a lot”, we specify at the Argentière Tourist Office. Seen from the bottom of the valley, the Mont-Blanc massif is impressive. Further on, on a promontory, the chalets of the hamlet of La Joux benefit from an unexpected panorama of the Aiguilles de Chamonix. This is where you take the train back, unless you continue, if there is any hot tea in the gourd, to Tines station.
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