It has been quite a while since I last published. I still haven’t finished documenting my big trip in 2018! Please enjoy my report from my trip to the French Alps in August 2018:
I started Google-ing the hell out of backpacking the French Alps around Grenoble. I knew I wanted to stay at some sort of hostel or campsite that had amenities. It was mid-September and the days were still quite hot, so a pool would be lovely too. It also has to be accessible via public transportation from the center of Grenoble. I was not about to drive a car through the Alps with my limited driving experience. Through the help of Booking.com, I was able to find a camp site with private campers set up and a pool. Located in the town of Bourg D’Oisans, there was a direct bus from Grenoble. It looked like this place had everything. There were some oddities on the web site though: it said there was no public transportation access. I emailed them to be sure and they confirmed. I responded with the details of the public transportation journey that I found and they called me back and said, “Oh yes, there is a bus but you don’t want to come here without a car.” I thanked them for the suggestion and wisely chose to ignore it. What a horrible response.
When I arrived at the camp site, it was perfect. The views of the Alps were incredible. There were hiking trails that start right outside of the camp site. I did one of those. I wanted to see so much more. In the camper was a book of the most famous local sites including gorgeous mountains and lakes. I decided I absolutely must see Parc D’Ecrins. I went to reception and asked if there’s anyway I can see it without my own car. I had spent hours trying to find buses and see if it was at all possible to walk. The receptionist told me there’s absolutely no way to see it without my own car. I felt defeated and I knew I had to acknowledge that by not being an avid driver, I was limiting my European experience.
My first full day I attempted a circular walk from Rochetaille to the main town of Bourg D’Oisans following the forest path to and the dam path fro. I got about half way there before I tired out and decided it would be best to rest up so I could do a second hike later. Here are the photos from the first hike:
Here are the photos from the second hike to the closer town of Allemont:
The second day, in the reception area, I noticed that behind me was a wall advertising local businesses. I had noticed the same set of advertisements by the pool area as well. It said there was a local tour guide who takes people on walks. I asked the receptionist about it, if it was legit. She said yes. I was really confused… why wouldn’t she recommend him to me as an option to see Parc D’Ecrins and Lac Louvitelle? In any case, I called the guy, Mike, and told him my situation and he was super excited. He picked me up the next morning and we hiked together and saw this magnificent wonder you see below:
Mike ended up dropping me off in the lovely mountain town of Venosc to walk around after the hike. We both got a little break. He picked me up at the other side of town and dropped me off back at the camp site. My legs were aching and my feet were killing me but I was just so happy to be there and so thrilled that I was able to see all of these things I thought I was not going to be able to see because I did not have a car! Seriously, the night before, I spent hours on the Wifi connections trying to figure out a way to get to Lac Louvitelle. It would take me all day just to hike to Venosc. I figured I could hitchhike to Venosc but even then, I still wouldn’t be near the entrance to hiking trail. I went through such a range of emotions from the sense of defeat to the feeling of gratefulness when Mike called me back. He told me he does not usually take solo travelers for hikes because it’s not profitable for him unless he takes a group. However, he liked the sound of my voice and thought I sounded friendly and that I’d be up for a challenging hike. As we were hiking, he did note that I was an excellent hiker and that we had made our way up quicker and without as much delay as most travelers. That was definitely a proud moment for me. By this time in my trip, I had been hiking at least every other day for 8 months.
I went back to Grenoble after my mountain break. In the three sunny, blue sky days in the mountains, I caught the tail end of summer. I was greeted back in Grenoble with severe rain and cold wind. I booked a hotel room for my last night in France, rather than the hostel on the edge of town. I ordered food by delivery! This is a real treat as a backpacker. The next day, I would take the bus from Grenoble to Lyon Airport and hope on the new EasyJet flight to Tel Aviv. My 3 month visa to stay in the European Union had expired. I wanted to stay longer and see more of France but I did not want to risk playing with immigration officers. I had already been fined $75 in Grenoble for riding the tram without a ticket… I did not want to break any other rules. I just wanted to leave the EU as simply and quietly as possible so that I could return and spend another 3 months (or more) in Europe without hesitation.
I have found that in Europe, it’s not just about the natural beauty of the mountains and forests; it is the ease of access to those areas. If there is no public transportation option, there is almost always a private shuttle option. I cannot speak to the secluded ski resorts of the Dolomites in the winter where you have to take a 100 EUR taxi from Venice airport to get to the ski resorts. I am not a skier. However, I can say first hand that I was able to hike some of the most spectacular mountains of France without needing a car. I was also able to sleep by the mountains for 50 EUR/night and access the camp site without a car. This summer in Europe made me want to give camping a shot in the US. I’ve never even tried…
I leave you with pictures of the alps from the sky:
