8/13 Les Houches to Les Contamines

There are two approaches to this segment - the regular GR5 and the variant which goes higher and longer. I had walked the variant in 2006 with my daughter on the Tour De Mont Blanc and we had taken the lift from Les Houches to gain the elevation at the start. Having done the variant we decided to go the regular route. We caught the inexpensive bus from Chamonix to Les Houches. It's a short ride and with scenery along the way I was startled to see us almost at the stop - I punched the stop request and we jumped off ..... Leaving my trekking poles on the bus.... My walking style has become reliant on these things - Tammy hates them - when she gets hers out you know it's sketchy! Les Houches is a nice little town- with the bus a good alternative to Chamonix and probably cheaper. It has several gear shops - we entered on, found a good set of Leki poles and headed down the road till a sigh turned us up hill. Straight up it seems! There is something about rest days that seem to make it harder once you start up as if consecutive days is without a break is strangely less difficult. Whatever! WR were feeling it today and we motored up the Col de Voze @ 5300ft. The cog railway train was there which was great as I'd not seen it before. Steeply down thru the hamlet of Bionnassay - at one time the base camp town for claiming MB- and then a sequence of small such named hamlets none of which had food. We finally stopped for a snack where I discovered that I had forgotten the cheese in the minibar fridge back in Chamonix . . Definitely a bad day in the memory department. There are many streams running off MB and you generally descend steeply at times to cross a bridge then climb back out - which we did twice today. Onwards the route crosses the highway and goes a ways up the hillside but mostly runs up valley eventually along a glacial river. We passed a barn with a sign indicating it was the birthplace of the discoverer of Neptune! Day hikers and long distance tour MB walkers were out in droves including a group with donkeys and children. Stepping aside to let them pass Tammy - for the second time on the trip was knocked off the trail by a passing donkey! We sat in sunshine by the icy water and soaked our feet awhile. Then we walked the rest of the way to reach Les Contamines. The place had doubled in size since I'd seen it in 2006. The hotel we'd stayed at the - the Grizzly - had burned and is now replaced by ski apartments. We purged our packs- again - and sent another box home. I picked up the topo guides for the rest of the trip but I really should send them home too. All in all an easy day - only 10 miles 3445 ft up and 2935 ft down - bigger day awaits tomorrow !