In my opinion, mountains are beautiful at any time of the year and have always attracted me. At different times in my life, I was fond of rock climbing, hiking and mountain skiing.
With the advent of the Bavarian mountain hound and the Breton Espagnol in our family, a passion for hunting was added to the hobby of the mountains. Both hunting for animals and feather hunting with a hunt dog. It is quite logical that sooner or later I had to come up with the idea to try myself in mountain hunting, relying on the support and knowledge of the dearest person to me - my husband Artyom, who is a member of the Mountain Hunters Club (MHC) since the founding of the club.
France was not chosen by chance as the country for this debut. First of all, where else but in the romantic land of Dumas and Saint-Saëns can we celebrate our little family holiday - our wedding anniversary! The best wines, excellent cuisine with Provencal herbs and exquisite cheeses - all this charm is at your service in France. As for hunting, Artyom thought that for me my first experience here would not be the most difficult. And at the same time, he planned to close a couple of items on the list of trophies of the (MHC) - to get Chartreuse and Vercors chamois.
And so at the end of November 2021, having been vaccinated and having safely passed all the coronavirus barriers, we found ourselves in Uriages-les-Bains. This resort town, founded at the time of the Roman Empire, is comfortably located in the foothills of the alpine massif of Chartreuse in southeastern France, literally a dozen kilometers from Grenoble. Women's audience, of course, will immediately remember the world-famous medical cosmetics based on thermal water, produced in this region. Although, to tell the truth, the Chartreuse mountains with their picturesque gorges, fogs and frequently changing weather, stretching from Grenoble in the north to Lake Bourget in the south, are better known for the tart and thick herbal liqueur of the same name, which for 500 years and until now has been made by monks of the Cartesian order. And mountain hunters from all over the world are attracted by the possibility of catching a trophy of the chamois subspecies of the same name here.
In the evening in the lobby of the luxurious Grand Hotel & Spa Uriage we met the organizer and guide, Philippe Simon (Natureservices - Hunting services in France). During a short discussion about the upcoming hunt and the necessary mountain outfit for this time of year, I was quietly glad that thanks to my husband's experience I had everything I needed in my bag, including a waterproof but well ventilated suit and my favorite mountain boots which I had seen in various countries and continents. Everyone who has ever stormed a mountain peak knows how important proper clothing is, and comfortable, fixing footwear is vital.
My husband and I did not get to enjoy all the delights and opportunities of the world-famous hotel and its chateau architecture. The next morning Philippe arrived well before dawn, and we set out into the mountains, planning a short stop in a small hunting lodge at the beginning of the planned ascent for coffee and croissants (what can we do without them in France) and a test shooting. It is worth saying that we agreed in advance that we would rent carbines with optics because it was too tiresome to travel with our own weapons in the middle of the pandemic. Artyom chose BlaserR8 caliber 7mmRemMag, and I got a lightweight Sauer in the same caliber.
The stop didn't take long-the carbines were well aimed. After checking our outfit once again and completing our final preparations, we returned to the car.
Philip and his assistant Lilan Tefani warned us that we would drive as far as the heavy snow would allow. The first turn of the serpentine showed that we would have to walk the whole way. The car got bogged down in the white and fluffy snow so that we had to leave it. We got out of the cabin into the fresh air, and the guide waved his hand somewhere under the clouds with the words, "That way!"
The first steps up the steep slope immediately reanimated all my climbing skills. Under the snow that had begun to melt in the sun, slippery rocks were exposed. We had to check every step and in some places to hold on to bushes and ledges with our hands. The relatively low altitude of 1300 meters above sea level at the start of the ascent made itself felt. Trying not to give in to uncertainty and with the strong desire not to let my husband down, I waited stubbornly for my second breath to open.
After a while I found my rhythm, it became easier to move, and at short stops I enjoyed the view of the rocks and pine-covered ledges, the panorama of the sunlit valley far below. The weather was favorable, and the visibility was excellent.
During one of our stops, Philip discovered a group of chamois a few hundred meters away. For these animals it is quite difficult, and sometimes impossible, to determine gender identity. The male representatives of this glorious family have only slightly thicker horns - that's all the difference when looking at the animals from a long distance. And they do not let get close to them. Though trophy clubs accept trophies of both sexes, Artyom was going to get the male. It's good that an experienced guide, as Philip was, it took him little time to determine correctly: these were females with offspring. After admiring the peacefully grazing animals through the binoculars, we moved on.
After three hours of ascent, we overcame the pass and descended into a huge mountain circus. Philip whispered, apparently imbued with the grandeur of the surrounding nature, solemnly saying: "Welcome to paradise!"
It was a real pleasure to walk along the plateau after a difficult vertical assault. After about half an hour our guide made a warning sign. We stopped. As it turned out, he noticed a chamois about three hundred meters ahead, raised his binoculars to his eyes and began to scrutinize the animal. After a short pause, Philip nodded: we could shoot.
Artyom pulled the shutter, and the three of us and the guide were able to shorten the distance by a few dozen meters. Having taken a comfortable shooting position, my husband was forced to wait as the animal had time to hide in the bushes. Having hidden behind a big stone, about half an hour we were waiting for the horned animal to appear in the open place. At last it happened, and with the first shot Artyom got a fine trophy of Chartreuse chamois.
A strong wind came up, and Philippe suggested we eat and rest in his chalet, which was quite close by. Satisfied with the start of the hunt, but already quite tired, we gladly agreed.
The first question we had was how in the absence of roads did they deliver all the necessary materials and things for building and equipping a minimum living here? Philippe proudly told us that everything, including several cases of the excellent Chateau Laffite, was delivered by helicopter. Well, what can you do, if the French can't imagine minimal comfort without good wine.
We had a light snack and melted into the warmth of the stove.
Probably many of us know how hard it is to pull ourselves out of the warm comfort and coziness back into the snow and cold. But there is such a word - must!
The sky was blanketed with leaden clouds and heavy flakes of snow fell on Chartreuse, making the surrounding landscape all the more fabulous. I was sure that the chamois would probably sleep peacefully under the trees during such natural elements, and we probably wouldn't see them again. At least not today. Especially since the winter day is short, and there was not much daylight time available... But! But there is such a word - must!
A couple of hours of ineffectual searching knee-deep in snow at 1750 meters above sea level sadly confirmed my doubts about the successful outcome of the first day's hunting. The visibility was getting worse and worse, my hopes were dwindling not with each passing hour, but with each passing minute.
Suddenly Philip's assistant saw something. We grabbed our binoculars. Philip confirmed that he also saw a group of chamois and that there was a male among the animals that we could shoot. The distance is about 400 meters. I understood, venerable "rangefinders" consider such a distance, if not "childish", then quite comfortable. But for me, even a shot at three hundred meters is still a big question. Especially at an angle and in unpredictable mountain winds.
Of course, we decided to get closer. We managed to get over another 100 meters. We couldn't go any further. Chamois are very cautious and fearful animals. It's very rare that we get the opportunity to shoot from a short distance. Besides it was still snowing! I frantically tried to see the target through the binoculars, and then through the rifle scope, cleaning the optics from sticking snow. But all I could see were blurry silhouettes of animals.
Artyom looked inquiringly: "Will you shoot? 280 meters." Immediately my heart raced. I had no experience shooting in such conditions. Philip, who knew the ballistics of the cartridge well, helped me calculate the corrections for the distance and angle. I made a few clicks with the correction mechanism on the optic. All that remained was to take good aim. It was not easy to do this because of the fog and snowfall. In addition, my hands were freezing from the wet snow, but I tried not to pay attention to this.
It's now or never! There would be no other chance, because the darkness was rapidly approaching.
The shot ... I managed to notice through the optics, which was quickly covered with snow the scattering animals . I could not see whether the shot had been a success or not. If the animal was wounded, I could not get it today, and it would not be taken by me, and I could not consider it my trophy for sure. An unpleasant aftertaste would be assured for me at every sight of a medallion with horns or a stuffed animal. I gathered my strength and will into a fist and began to climb another hundred meters upward, trying to steady my breath after the shot. Having reached the place first, Philip suddenly began to wave his hand for me to hurry up. Leaning already completely exhausted on a stone, through binoculars I saw a horned male standing motionless with a wound to the left and below the shoulder blade. So the hit had been to the abdomen. Another shot summed up his ordeal, and Philip's firm handshake brought me back to reality.
My first mountain hunt happened!Our small group slowly began to move toward the blessing warmth of the hospitable chalet in the heart of the plateau. Thanks to this modest dwelling, we had the opportunity to hunt until the very end of the short winter day and not have to think about having to go down in complete darkness.
Ahead of us awaited dinner, sirloin steaks, wine, laughter, jokes, and, as usual, hunting stories.
In the morning, almost at dawn, I barely managed to open the front door. It had snowed a lot during the night. I began to prepare mentally for the difficult descent down. In the meantime, standing on the porch of the little shelter lost among the mountains, I admired the greatness of the mountains and the melting stars in the lightening sky.
Suddenly, about thirty meters away, I saw a chamois. The little goat stood motionless, gazing intently at the man on the porch. I laughed to myself, remembering yesterday's hours-long search. Hunting must be hard work! An easily taken trophy you forget at once and hardly realize its value.
The next day we had to move to another mountain range, where we had to search with a Hanoverian hound until dark to find the Vercors chamois, which Artyom finally got after all. And a couple of days later on the way to the airport I was looking at pictures, reliving again and again the excitement of the past days and my first mountain hunt. Artyom, seeing my delight, suggested: "How about you write a little report and join the MCH?" Why not, as they say. Having in my "luggage" a mouflon got in the Czech Republic several years ago, I even found myself not in the last place in the club's rating. Besides I got an incentive to come back to France to hospitable Philippe for my trophy of Vercors chamois. So to be continued. I know that for sure.
