Aug 2023 - Ascent from Le Planay. Visible from the Sallanches Valley, Mont Joly is a real observatory on the Mont Blanc Massif as well as the surrounding massifs, such as the Aravis Range and the Vanoise Massif. Gemma saw the forecast temperature and the height gain and decided on a relaxing day at the hotel! It was an hour's drive to the start point in the gorgeous hamlet of Le Planay. That's only 22 miles though as the road up and over the Col des Aravis is a twisty delight. Great walk in ridiculous heat; definitely up a notch from the last walk. I drank 3 litres of water and sweated buckets. The combination of gentle and steep sections made the walk tolerable, and there were some gorgeous hillside settlements. Glorious views all around and some great folk out and about.