An amazing day for hiking and flying...but more of that as you read further...at the start of the day we had a clear goal...climb all the way to the top of the Dent De Crolles (referred to from now on as simply the Dent). 2 1/2 hours straight up (almost) and then an 1 1/2 straight down...for sure..
On the car climb to the starting point, we had top pass by one of our favorite picnic spots...St. Hiliare du Touvet...simply the most amazing parasail launching point in France... You can sit with your Orangina, Baguette, Prosciutto, Fromage, and Salami...make a few sandwiches, and watch this scene literally unfold before your eyes...
If their chute doesn't open properly after first dragging it about 5 feet, someone yells "Arret"...which should mean "stop you idiot before you plunge to your death". The tangled chute then falls back to the astroturf, hopefully, before you've made it to the edge of this 3000 foot cliff. If your chute does open properly...you go another 30 feet or so and drop off the edge, waiting for your eventual and continual updraft to launch you into the floating stage...which is much more enjoyable than the falling stage...
Little did we know, as the men stretched out prior to our major climb, that the parasailers would not be the craziest thing we would see this day...which of our men look the readiest???
Why Ben only in this shot...well let's just say there was a fork in the road below us. When we reached the fork we had 2 choices...1 was a shorter distance, a shorter time estimate, and likely a number of spots where I would have said "no mas" and sat down to cry my eyes out from...let's call it, intense fear...As a result, Ben joined me on the alternate path...a bit longer, a bit less treacherous (we thought) and thankfully...no weeping. When he and I arrived past the 4 spots on the cliff side where we needed anchored cables to help us climb, we thought the accomplishment was spectacular, as was the view.
The view back down into Grenoble, on this picture clear day, was awesome...across the valley are the mountains called the Belledonne, which you have seen in previous photos from our guest bedroom, but not quite from this height (2000 meters, or just over 6000 feet).
We finally met up with Peggy and Dan, when at once they both lovingly said, "You guys would never had made it if you came our way!"...referring to me specifically...and Ben immediately rejoiced that we made the right choice...
Atop the Dent, was a white cross, marginally visible from the valley floor, and the greatest site upon arriving at this peak.
Illustrating what some of their path entailed, we see this re-creation, aimed at convincing us that there would have been tears had I chosen to go their way:)))
Our family at the foot of the Cross...nuf said!
It was just about at this moment....that 3 guys in super hero outfits (Batman, Red Man and Black and White Man) started to unpack their Wing Suits...
We got very curious, as did everyone else who had made the climb up that afternoon, as the practiced wing flapping techniques right, and I mean right, by the side of this 6000 foot cliff. If you look closely, Red Man has a camera on his helmet...and we thought...NO WAY!!!
WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They just leaped off with these silly Halloween Costumes, just like the ones we wore when we were 5!!!...This was AMAZING!!!!
It takes them 1 minute to reach the same area where the parasailers launched from, and only then did they open their own parasails...in mid air, so they could safely land in the valley. Ummmm, not something I will be doing any time soon....Danny on the other hand? He wanted to show us his fearlessness, and so climbed to the top of this Cross, just 5-10 feet from the cliff's edge.
We all took OUR route back down, and Dan explored the very cold cave we passed dug into the cliffside...
When we reached the point of decision (me and Ben making the correct one), the brave soldiers posed by their choice of shorter, steeper and down right crazy....
For dinner we went back into the hills for a lovely location (meal was so so), and we invited Dan's Host, Chris Mackanic, and his roommate from Brazil, Rafael to join us...they're the ones whose legs aren't shaking...
We also asked our Host, Grace Willson to join us, and after we took the first photo, we realized that sitting at a table with an outdoor view on the second longest day of the year would be a good idea. The so so dinner was aided by our restaurant owner, who I had last seen 21 years ago, offering us some special Chartruese...gratuite...which we all enjoyed...
With the Dent and the Flying circuses behind us, tomorrow will be a relaxing, non walking day, around Grenoble...so Dan can have all his energy for the biggest, loudest, latest partying of the year in the streets of Grenoble to celebrate summer's longest day...this will be his going away party as we depart tomorrow for Provence and Carcassonne...au revoir for now...and blessings!
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