Les Houches to Les Contamines

4 September – Les Houches (1007 meters or 3300 feet) to Les Contamines (1164 meter or 3820 feet) : 13.47 km

To save the 800 meters climb we planned to take the cable car up to Bellevue (1800 meters or 5900 feet) and start hiking from there. We checked and the cable car started operating at 08:00 so there we were waiting. Turns out the people working there also come at 08:00 and begin checking equipment. At about 09:00 we boarded the car and up we went!

Walking from the Bellevue cable car to Col de Voza we saw the Mont Blanc tram coming up another slope. It uses a rack and cog arrangement to climb the steeper sections. When it was built in 1907 the original plan was to have it go to the mountain top. The story goes that practicalities got in the way so the line topped out at 2372 meters or 7800 feet.

Ferda found some goats to give some attention to – both enjoyed it.

From Col de Voza it was mostly downhill to Les Contamines. The topography makes this a damp section so lots of flowers and greenery. 

At one point we saw a lama and donkey alongside the trail.

There are many houses with beautiful flowers all around. Many people were cutting and stacking wood in preparation for the winter.

Just below Bionassay there was a sign post to our destination but it was handmade – not official. As it seemed to go in the right direction we took the turn off and it was the right route. Directly after that there was an old village church – a small old building but still in use.

When we walked in to Les Contamines a sign to our accommodation was directly ahead of us – at the end on the trail. It was in a 600 year old farm house that used to be a combination house/barn. Made up nicely and named as La Ferme de Bon Papa. (http://www.gites-de-france-haute-savoie.com/fiche-hebergement-85601.html?OPE=WSMBT&ORI=WSMBT)