Travel · Chamonix-Mont-Blanc · 8 min read
A Journey Through the Alps
What would you like to do?
Six strangers, a train to Annecy, a refuge above Chamonix and a lake swim at dawn.
Day one — the lake
The group meets on the platform at Annecy station. By six they are swimming off the Pâquier.
Day two — the train up the valley
Regional trains, then a bus, then boots. The route was voted on in the planning thread.
Day three — the refuge
Shared tables, soup, a guardian who knows every peak. Somebody plays cards; everybody sleeps early.
After — back home
The group meets again in the city in October. The journey became a Cercle.
On film
Published by its creator on YouTube.
Destination filmDestination Lac Annecy — au rythme des quatre saisonsMore stories
Lyon · 6 min readA Morning in LyonFrom the Croix-Rousse market to the Rhône quays, one morning shared with strangers who stop being strangers.
Marseille · 8 min read48 Hours in MarseilleLe Panier stairs, a calanque walk with a group, and dinner in Cours Julien with the people from the trail.
Avignon · 7 min readPeople of ProvenceA composite portrait of the hosts, growers and festival volunteers who keep Provence social — drawn from the kinds of people who host on the platform.Guide download
Take this story with you
Download the French Alps Outdoor Guide — the places and activities from this story, and more.
- Lake Annecy: swim and walk
- Chamonix: glaciers and refuges
- Grenoble: the city of three massifs
- Mountain safety, briefly