This large area of parkland and forest stretches from the eastern edge of Chamonix up to the Argentière valley. It's a peaceful haven for family picnics and strolls. It's a popular spot for hikers and cyclists as they continue towards Argentière and Vallorcine. You can also watch the paragliders take off and land on the parkland which surrounds Lac du Bouchet, there is also a fountain just beside the main road from which you can sample free and fresh-tasting mountain water.

From Chamonix train station go straight ahead down Avenue Michel Croz, then at the end of this road turn right onto Rue Whymper. Go straight across the roundabout. Pass the library on your right-hand side and keep going straight for about 500m and Lac du Bouchet is on your left-hand side.

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Extract from my diary... "We all moved outside into the freezing cold, and moved towards the hard ice cliff that we were to traverse, back to the Argentiere Glacier. Split board in ride-mode I followed the silhouettes of our team toward the glacier. The board crashed over ruts of ice, around rocks in what seemed a dangerous delirium as the sun poked his head from behind the crags of rock and powerful ice that was the Mont Blanc Massif.

"We got to the flats of the glacier and stopped to change into walking mode. I looked up the steeps of the Chardonnay Glacier, light twinkling off cravases in blue shards, and I could make out the thin zig-zagged randonnee path we were to follow to the col. I undid my binding, pulled off the steel pin which held my bindings onto the board, tugged at the binding which eventually slid off, split my board into two skis, hooked on the skins, added crampons, levered a binding onto each ski, and then bashed the steel pin back in..."

Check out Boardnlodge on the web who run Haute Route Trips from Chamonix to Zermatt.

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This gargantuan hanging wall of ice is one of the visually defining features of Chamonix. It's often lit up at night when it takes on a very surreal air, but the best time to see it is by day, from close up. A pleasant stroll through the woods above Les Bossons takes you to the edge of the ravine, from where you can often see huge chunks ofice falling off. Don't get too close!

Les Bossons, Chamonix

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