ELECTION SPECIAL: Européennes 2014

In France, the resurgence of the Front Nationale, which came top in the popular vote, is the story of this year's European Elections.  

The election is also notable for the success of Ipsos in predicting the outcome :-)

In the Alps, the most notable election stat is the result in Haute-Savoie, where 215,322 people voted (a 42% turnout).  This saw a near dead heat, with just 33 votes separating the UMP (48,883 votes) and FN (48,850).

Here's a round-up of what happened in Savoie, and in the Tarentaise in particular.  Savoie tends to vote for the right (see round-up from the 2012 Presidential Election here.  But there are still quite sigificant differences from town to town, as the following trip up the valley shows.

For example, the FN scores just 13% in Peisey-Nancroix, yet registers twice this level barely 20km away in Séez.  The Greens triumph in Landry (one of the few areas to have voted Hollande in round 2 of the 2012 Presidential Election).  In UMP stronghold Val d'Isere, les Verts come in a poor third:

SAVOIE: Top 3 (% of vote)

FN: 24.5

UMP: 23.2

Union de la Gauche: 12.0

Turnout 44%

Chambéry

FN: 25.7

FN: 16.2

Green: 13.8

Turnout 44%

Albertville

FN 27.0

UMP: 24.4

Union de la Gauche: 11.8

Turnout 38%

Moutiers

UMP 27.2

FN: 25.7

Union de la Gauche: 9.6

Turnout 42%

Aime (for La Plagne)

UMP: 24.4

FN: 22.5

Green: 11.3

Turnout 40%

Landry (below Peisey)

Green: 23.1

FN:17.7

UMP: 15.6

Turnout 43%

Peisey-Nancroix

UMP: 35.7

Union de la Gauche: 13.4

Modem (Bayrou et al): 13.4

(FN: 13.0)

Turnout 41%

Bourg St Maurice

UMP 27.6

FN: 22.4

Green: 13.2

Turnout 35%

Séez (La Rosiere)

FN: 27.7

UMP: 18.5

Green: 12.9

Turnout 41%

Montvalezan (La Rosiere)

UMP 38.3

FN: 28.0

Union de la Gauche: 9.7

Turnout 38%

Tignes

FN: 27.0

UMP: 25.7

Green: 16.1

Turnout 21% (absent proprietors??)

Val d'Isere

UMP: 49.0

FN: 19.7

Green: 7.3

Turnout 26%

Click here for the full results.

Away from it all:
The path from Les Arcs (Col de la Chal)
towards Peisey-Nancroix

LAKE TO COAST WALK: The GR5

This month's Alpes Magazine devotes almost the entire issue to the GR5 trail, also known as La Traversée des Alpes, an epic 607km walk from Lake Geneva to Nice.  It takes 30 to 45 days, depending on your state of fitness and how quickly you want to go. The official start is at the border village of Saint-Gingolph, which is divided into French and Swiss components.  According to one local: "The English take the London-Geneva-Lausanne leg by train, and then cross Lac Léman by boat, before staying the night in St Gingolph".

Some way down the route (stage 9 to be precise) the path reaches the Tarentaise, rising from the valley floor, under the Vanoise express and into Peisey-Vallandry territory.

This marks the gateway to the Vanoise National Park (website here).

The Tarentaise resorts are always going to struggle to attract summer visitors over and above local day-trippers, proprieteres looking to get their money's worth and cyclists/motorbikers en route for the grands cols.  But the walking, once you get away from the ski lifts, is very good:

Porte de la Vanoise (1)

Porte de la Vanoise (2)

Here's my feeble attempt at a translation of the Alpes Magazine account of the GR5 route through the Tarentaise:

"What a pleasure it is this morning to cross the Isere - still youthful and impetuous - on the descent from the Grande Aiguille Rousse.  After the bridge, the GR5 splits into two for the climb up to Peisey-Nancrois.  Which route to take?  The direct way via Montchavin?   Or the path via Landry?  Consultation of the guide-book and much scratching of heads ensues.  Montchavin is chosen.  The result: two hours of (occasionally steep) walking, until we end up at the Moulin (1264m).  We then enter the Ponturin valley through a mixed forest of oaks, maples and sycamores.  Then follows the refuge de Rosuel, gateway to the national part.  It's ideally situated below the snowcapped slopes of Mont Pourri and the dome de la Sache.  The area around the refuge is a cross-roads for walkers.  You have to say that the possibilities are endless.  There's something for everyone - the Lac de la Plagne, col de l'Entrepote, chapelle des Vernettes, lac de l'Etroit, site of the lead and silver mines.  And there's aso the via ferrata des Bettieres and organised donkey walks and horse riding.  And that's without forgetting the climb to the col du Palet which awaits us the next day.  That night, la gardinenne of the refuge fuels us up for the next day - vegetable soup, reblochon casserole with crozets and lardons.  It's just what we need given what lies ahead."  

For more on summer in Les Arcs click here.

BEST FOR BEGINNERS? Les Arcs makes the shortlist

Les Arcs has been nominated in the Chillfactore awards in the "Best Resort for Beginners" category.

It is up against Soldeu, Arinsal, Alpe d'Huez, Saas Fee and Cervinia.

Not a bad place to be, although I fear Les Arcs may be something of an outsider when pitted against these rivals.  There is little in the way of resort-level nursery slopes.  For example, the excellent area for beginners above Peisey-Vallandry involves a lift up and down.  Meanwhile the home runs to Arc 1800, 1600 and Plan Peisey are all not without their difficulties for first time skiers.  For me, Alpe d'Huez clearly has the edge, with its mega area of green-piste-gradients just above the resort.

Les Arcs is however an excellent proposition for 2nd and 3rd week skiers - easy blue runs take you from top to bottom of the Grizzly (Peisey-Vallandry), Vagere (Arc 1800) and Arcabulle (Arc 2000) lifts.  And of course we have the new beginners' zone coming soon as part of the remodelling of the Chantel - more here.

Home runs above Arc 1800