289. Rapid

Near Zermatt, The Matterhorn, Switzerland

The two gondolas
from the camp

Today we thought that we would head into Genevia for the day as we leave on Sunday the thirtieth. While making a cup of tea I glanced at my phone, as one does and saw that it was Saturday the thirtieth and we needed to be out by eleven. This was quite an ask as usually, the afternoon before I de-rig and load Teasel onto the roof of the disco and load all the bikes onto the Giantavan then on the day of departure get cracking with the pack up at about eight thirty. This usually means that we depart at a bit after midday.

What a flap, crikey, not fun. Luckily, the people booked for our site had not appeared by the time we departed, boat loaded, at about ten past twelve. Louis was charming and very disappointed that we were leaving which was lovely. I met his son and with there help had virtually thrown Teasel onto the roof rack in haste. Lois was very complimentary about my boat loading system.

Lake Geneva

It was a thirty degree day by the time we were ready to depart and I had the portable fridge with drinks plugged into the boot of the Disco. Jumped into the Disco and the battery was flat. The perfect addition to a stressful morning. Luckily I have a battery charger that can boost to twenty Amps so, the battery was charged to twenty five percent in five minutes and able to start the car, phew.

The Disco with its new EGR valve is again a joy to drive, pulling strongly from fifteen hundred rpm. Stopped above Lake Genevia for pizzas heated in the oven with children immediately collapsing and dying of heat on egressing the Disco, sensitive little darlings.

Unterbäch Gondola

Eischoll Gondola

Arrived at camp to be informed that I had booked from the thirtieth of July - what an idiot! I was just starting to stress as the last campsite was booked out when she said, no problem, there is plenty of room and suggested I have a look at five different sites.

There are two gondolas running from within fifty metres of the Giantavan and a huge amount of space. Ate outside and on on dusk large Rapidflying beetles arrived, clumsily, blundering around and into us. Quite fun once the children recognised that they are harmless. On dusk the mozzies arrived. Luckily we had Jacqueline with us to take the hits and we rapidly retreated into the Giantavan with its air conditioning and insect screens.

288. Pinged

Lake Annecy

T50 Torx

Shiny new disk

Let Louis know at nine that I wouldn't be taking up his kind offer for a sail in his boat as I realised that I really needed to tackle the Disco's brakes while I had the borrowed tools. Removed the front left wheel and dismantled so that I could crack the large twenty one millimetre bolts that secure the calliper carrier. I did this with his sliding ⅜ t-bar drive and my jack handles on the end of it for extra leverage and I still was only just able to crack the bolts. had to unknot my neck as each one undid. I do not yet posses the necessary T50 Torx to release the brake disk. Realised once I had the wheel back on and off the jacks that I had, yet again, failed to reconnect the brake wear sensor. Very tedious, particularly as the wheels are very heavy and a real pain to centre on the studs. Luckily the right front disk, damaged by running out of pad is lacking the locating T50 Torx bolt so I was able to change it and replace the damaged replacement pads, bought at great expense, earlier in the month. The disk had got so hot sitting in the sun that I could barely lift it into place.

After degunging in the shower I went for a swim, rigged Teasel and, as there were no other takers, went for a sail in the light five knot breeze, right across the lake and back again. Lois watched me leave and arrive and was very complimentary which was nice of him.

Jeff's is pretty much identical to this

Returning the borrowed socket set to Jeff, Roman and I were shown around his Winnebago powered by a V10 ford engine, now running LPG. Very nice but then as they say there is always a bigger boat.

Received a very apologetic WhatsApp message from Amo saying that I had incurred a speeding ticket in the borrowed workshop car - very embarrassing. It had been so late in the day when I got the call to collect the Disco that I had needed to travel at the speed limit but must of exceeded at some point. Looks like a ninety euro hit which is silly of me.

287. Remainers rejoin Europe

Lake Annecy

Rotors, pads, filters, intercooler hose,
gloves etc. from the UK

Roman helped throughout

Tackled replacing the brakes on the Disco today. Removed a front wheel and discovered that there were bolts to be removed that were bigger than my ⅜ drive set included. Found this bible online that informed me that I needed a 21mm socket (bi-hex) which I do not have. While replacing the rear pads a chappie (Jeff) walking past took an interest and offered his tool set, gratefully received. Rear pads replacement went relatively well, tools left in the sun too hot to touch and Disco wheels are really difficult to fir as they are heavy and centre on the nuts, not the threads like most cars making it quite a struggle. Managed to reassemble then remember that I had not fitted the brake pad wear sensor which was tedious.

Good advice from the bible

Roman putting the borrowed tools
through their paces

Louis cancelled the four pm sail in his trailer sailer as there was more breeze than he was comfortable with and rescheduled for tomorrow at ten which is generous of him.

Decided not to tackle the front as we needed to get to Genevia airport to meet Jacqueline and Audrey returning from the UK.

Lovely when getting too hot to wander down to the wharf and go for a dip.

Fyfe and Iris ate their dinner watching England loose to Belgium in the Russian world cup while I strove to make the Giantavan semi presentable for Audrey and Jacqueline's return.

Snap by Roman

Roman spent hours on the beach and returned for dinner
complaining of a sore back from all his digging

Fruit of his labours, seven thirty pm

286. Points of Sail

Lake Annecy

Slow start this morning, the online board meeting finished at two thirty this morning for me. Looking forward to being there in person next year when I am back but very aware that all this will be just a memory.... and a blog.

Wrote up yesterdays blog this morning as I was prepping for the board meeting last night after returning from Chamonix before the meeting started. I must have been trigger happy yesterday as sorting the photos took ages, our upload rate slow and the day outside beautiful. The process was not helped by Fyfes camera clock being incorrect so the the photos were out of order with my iPhone photos.

Today was a lovely day, mostly yarning with fellow campers and with my Mum for a bit this morning. Meet Lois, a lovely French chap with the twenty two foot trailer-sailer tied to to the camp jetty. We are planning to take it out for a spin tomorrow as he doesn't feel so confident sailing any more when his adult children aren't present. We have employed a two pronged approach to meeting people at this camp. Fiddling around with Teasel seems to induce conversation and the other, much more successful technique is Roman, whom every body seems to know.

Given the chance, I think I would live here, somewhere around the Lake Annecy, the beautiful lake to swim and sail, the possibility of paragliding and ski-ing at Chamonix for the other six months - paradise. Two weeks ago when Paul (Holyport mate) said the same I was surprised but the location has now seduced me completely.

Had a swim in the lake with the kids then another sail across the lake this afternoon with Iris who is getting quite keen on sailing (sans rigging errors). When we got to the other side the wind really built so we turned for home scooting along in a broad reach which was very nice in such temperatures, both water and air. While sailing across, close reaching, I had lee helm leading me to think that I needed to rake the mast next time I rigged. Had just decided this action when, near the lee shore, the helm almost got overwhelmed in a big gust and I finally noticed the rudder had popped half up moving the centre of effort - duffer, might as well drown. Into irons, secured the rudder and continued with the neutral helm which I had established the first time I tuned the boat. I really am impressed how beautifully the Mirror dinghy sails given the chance and a sometimes competent skipper.

Lois appeared with a camera while Iris and I were departing and took the following snaps.

Slip is the right word, it is downright treacherous

Lois' trailer sailer in foreground

Getting out towards the breeze.

285. Cog and Cable

Chamonix

Today was the day to visit Chamonix as I was keen that the tops be clear for our visit. Having discovered that a rail pass then discounts the gondolas if traveled the same day we needed to be away in good time so was pleased when we departed at nine having waited for the supermarket to open at eight thirty.

Alison and Simon

It was Alison, our Welsh neighbour's birthday today so the children were frantically making cards before we left meaning she also got to endure our singing Happy Birthday which she took in good heart.

Arriving Chamonix, the main road into town was closed and we had a frustrating time as the GPS kept navigating us back to the main road which was closed. Finally made it in to find the public car park that we used previously closed for lane repainting. In the end chanced a free park in a lane near the station so that saved much and made up a bit for the time lost.

From the village

Fyfe

The two targets for the day were Le Brévent (Aiguille du Midi closed till July 6 for maintenance unfortunately) and the Montenvers-mer de Glace cog railway. 

Montenvers-mer de Glace 

Purchasing our tickets for the railway I asked for a family pass (two adults and two children) for one hundred euros. She asked how old Iris was to which Iris replied fourteen. The lady said that as Iris was a child I had to buy one adult and three children for one hundred and thirty euro. I responded by passing over my credit card with a pained look. 

Obligatory selfie at the station - the four remainers

It really is steep, 11% - 22% gradient

Iris got us the seat behind the driver

Pulling nearly eight hundred Amps 

The line is five km and rises eight hundred and seventy one metres 

Traveling 14 to 21 kph during the 20 minute journey

Train in background, gondola down to the glacier (halfway down now due to the glaciers retreat) 

Eight cars are in pairs and the lift stops for egress 

Top station at 1,913m

Many climbers with ropes, helmets and ice axes on the train

The station (and tat shop of course) 

The lift now only takes you halfway down to the glacier

Fifteen years ago the glacier was up to here

Three years ago it was here

Glacier above the caves covered with white cloth

Its a long climb up to the lift.
Many people struggling on this hot day

The ice caves carved out by water are impressive

Some ice sculptures

Descending 

Le Brévent

Accessed by first a Gondola (1,000 metre climb) then a fast 45kph cable car (500m climb in one span) this was a must do. On purchasing the tickets it was only another forty euro with the train discount. After paying I mentioned the family pass to the seller and she said "thats not right" and re-ticketed giving me back thirty five euro in cash making it only an additional five euro. very pleasing.

Ro supervising the gondola operator.

Wizzing up, ski runs turn onto grassy fields here

Snow

Chamonix a long way below

Train and Disco

One coming up, one going down 

5,000ft above the village things were ten degrees colder

My cap backwards to use Fyfe's camera

Cog railway line zig-zagging up the hill

Snow fight....

.... my hands are freezing

Mt Blanc

Two panoramas

Half way down, admiring Mt Blanc
Could have stayed here hours

Roman loved this little vernacular

Paraponters climbing away from us

Parapont harness at the bottom

Back at the station to collect the car Roman found this cog drive 

Arrived back at camp to find neighbours very pleased with themselves. They had hired a boat whereupon Simon had proposed, Alison sporting a large rock which the children declared to be much bigger than Mummy's to Alison and Simon's embarrassment. 

Holyport UK

Picnic lunch in Cliveden woods earlier to hide from this ridiculous heat.
Amelia and Audrey

Not sure if you can see in the photo,
but Audrey and Holly are dealing with the heatwave by setting up a garden hose shower.
However it's just a smite too cold to walk under unprotected!