Châtelard is a real border post. Back in the 1990s, it was the place to come for petrol when the French blockaded the petrol refineries and prices went through the roof. Imagine that – Switzerland being cheaper than France. Today Châtelard is little more than two petrol stations with attached shops and a railway station. It’s quiet and often closed, and the selection of tourist kipple in the shops seems unchanged from 1999. In the last couple of years, BP has taken over one of the petrol stations with its modern look and cleared out a lot of the ‘souvenirs’, which is a shame. It is no busier, though. Aptly, a dinosaur stands by the road. They have a T-Rex! It awkwardly celebrates both the Tour de France visit and the fossils found in the mountains nearby.
The closed customs offices still sit there and confuse those passing through. A sign says STOP in large letters, so many do. On some occasions, you can still find a Swiss customs agent or returner filling out an import or tax form like the good citizen they are, but on the French side it is generally abandoned, and late in the day in September there are no signs of life here or anywhere along the road.
The drive from the border to the Col des Montets goes up the Barberine gorge to Vallorcine, an outpost of the Chamonix commune, and a sprawling selection of chalets and farms ending at Le Buet, where a railway tunnel starts. Buet has a large car park and is a nice spot for a walk. In autumn the sound of stags rutting can sometimes be heard in the distance.