Chamonix; Aiguille du Midi, Le Brévent and Mer de Glace
Chamonix, a small French town at the foot of Mont-Blanc might lack historic buildings and cultural places, but it more than it makes up for it with the incredible beauty of its surroundings and the many outdoor activities on offer.
With a soaring mountain range, ancient glaciers and a fresh alpine vibe, it is a mecca for people who gather here from all over the world in the Winter to enjoy some of the best skiing in Europe, but also in the Summer for mountain climbing, trekking, cycling, paragliding and lots more.
We are here to enjoy some of the Summer activities on offer and there are in particularly 3 activities that have caught our eye:
- Aiguille du Midi, the highest cable car in France;
- Montenvers Mer De Glace
- Le Brévent Cable Car.
Big Bill, our motorhome is now parked at the friendly Camping Les Arolles (GPS N45.91414, E6.86564), a stone’s throw from the centre of Chamonix. From our window we can see Mont-Blanc looming over us.
Big Bill (our motorhome) enjoying the mountain views.
Chamonix is easy to explore on foot, where the heart of the town is a pedestrianized area where everyone seems to congregate. Most of the town is made up of low rising buildings, alpine looking chalets, hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops.
Pedestrian only area is the main hub of the town.
Pretty bridge with many “love” padlocks attached.
The town looked quite busy when we had a wander around on our first day. Most people were wearing face masks and certainly in the main hub it appeared to be obligatory. Many of the restaurants had outdoor sitting areas and it all looked quite busy with not a lot of social distance going on.
Mont Blanc Multi- Pass
Brian managed to get a 20 percent discount by booking the Mont Blanc multi-pass online, not an easy task, since the website is quite confusing. As I have mentioned before there are 3 main attractions that we are very keen to do, so it made sense to get the pass, making it a lot cheaper for us.
Montenvers Mer De Glace
On our first full day in town we got ready for a morning trip to the Montenvers Mer De Glace. But beforehand we needed to retrieve our multi-pass card. When booking online you can get hold of your pass by scanning the QR code sent to your phone. The machines for scanning are located just next to the information centre booth, opposite the Aiguille du Midi cable car station.
We scanned the QR code, we got from purchasing the multi-day pass online here and collected our passes.
Once we got hold of our multi-pass we walked up to the Montenvers train station, just 10 minutes away. We did not have to wait long to board the two- wagon vintage red train that took us up the mountain. The train takes about 20 minutes to climb the 1,000 metres up the Montenvers Mer de Glace attraction.
Here we disembarked the vintage red train.
The train track goes through pine forests, via tunnels cut into the rock and over viaducts. It is quite a feat of engineering. There are beautiful views to be enjoyed, and I recommend sitting on the left as you enter the carriage for the best views.
Arriving at the top (Gare Montenvers) we were at an altitude of 1,913 m. There are lovely terraces with fabulous views over the glacier, plus a restaurant, a small souvenir shop, WC facilities, a posh-looking hotel and a small crystal gallery.
There is also a very interesting “Glaciorium” featuring an exhibition dedicated to glaciology, with interactive and educational presentations all about glaciers, how they are formed and their history. It also addresses some questions related to climate change.
Beautiful views from these terraces, with Brian waving like a proper tourist in the distance
From this level there are trails that can take people down to the “Ice Cave” (La Grotte De Glace) which is carved every year and allows for a peek inside the slowly melting glacier. The hike down can take about 40 minutes.
We chose to go down via this gondola, rather than hike for 40 minutes.
But instead of hiking down we chose the lazy way going down via a gondola ride, which takes 5 minutes to descend to the terminal. From the terminal there are about 550 steps (not wheel chair accessible) to walk down into the entrance of the ice cave. So not so lazy after all!
Just another 500 steps to go.
Entrance to the man-made Ice Cave.
Inside the Ice Cave is a little chilly.
The Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is the largest glacier in France, 7km long and 200m deep. The man-made Ice Cave is carved out of the living glacier every summer since the glacier moves about 70m every year. It was fascinating to learn more about this slowly melting glacier and we learned that a glacier is a climate indicator. It is also the memory of the planet and life on Earth.
The next life lesson of the day is about “not assuming things “… on the way back up we took the gondola again and there was a French couple in with us, so trying to be friendly I made the mistake of assuming the lady spoke English and I asked her ” did you enjoy the glacier?” She answered back in English, but in a very frosty tone ” I don’t speak English, this is France”…oops and that was me told.
Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi ( Needle of the mid-day) cable-car is the highest in France, taking you up to 3842 m of altitude in just a few minutes. It is another incredible feat of engineering in this region.
It was an early morning rise for us on our second day in Chamonix. Since we wanted to beat the crowds, we got to the cable-car station at 7:45 am where there were already about 15 to 20 people queuing. The first cable-car of the day leaves at 8:10 am and we managed to squeeze inside along with another 20 to 30 people, all wearing face masks.
Aiguille du Midi cable-car station.
We reached the first stop at Plan de l’Aiguille (at 2,317m) within minutes, but we did not linger around here for long and got straight into the next cable-car. Just about 10 minutes later we arrived at Aiguille Du Midi (3842 m). But we were not at the highest point yet, a further elevator carved vertically through the rock took us up to the highest point, just below the large needle.
We stepped out into the large terrace with incredible views before us. From here you can see the Glassier des Bossons, and the awesome Mont Blanc, standing at 4,808 m, among many other high peaks. Our lungs struggled with the thin air, with any physical activity such as climbing a short flight of stairs leaving us breathless (something we have only experienced when we visited Peru in 2018).
Another great thing to do up here is to “step into the void”, a glass box that sticks out from the main building and leaves you dangling at about 1000 meters above the ground.
Stepping into “the void”.
There is usually a huge queue for this strange activity, but we had the run of the place with only one couple in front of us.
There are many different terraces, all with outstanding views of the amazing Alps and also views over Chamonix, which looked very small in the distance. We spent ages soaking up this incredible place, at times it felt like we were on the set of a James Bond movie. After a while we started to get quite cold and decided to grab a coffee and croissant at the Le Summit coffee shop to warm us up. The views from the café were beautiful, we certainly did not mind to linger there for a while.
Fabulous views all around us.
A queue of climbers looking like little ants heading for a multiday climb up to Mont Blanc, and paragliders laying out their chutes ready to glide to the valley floor
Brian with the Aiguille du Midi ( Needle of the mid-day) in the background.
We were in awe of all the climbers, looking like little ants in the distance making a slow progress towards the summit of Mont Blanc. No doubt an incredibly hard climb in such thin air.
Altogether we spent about 4 hours exploring this breathtaking place, including having lunch at the restaurant at Plan de l’Aiguille (at 2,317m). From the restaurant we could watch the cable-car going up and down the valley taking another group of climbers or tourists to their own adventure.
A meal with a view.
Another group of punters taking to the skies.
We returned home feeling quite tired and ready for a good rest, before some more exploring the following day.
Le Brévent cable-car
On our last day in town we left our campsite at around 9am and walked for about 20 minute to Le Brevent cable-car station. We used our multi-pass again to embark on the small gondola (just the two of us inside), which took us to Plan Praz standing at 1,999m.
From Plan Praz there was a much larger cable-car, although there was only a small number of people boarding it with us, all wearing face masks, it gains height fast and took us up to 2,525m in just a few minutes.
Whilst climbing up I got chatting to two very friendly girls who were both wearing climbing equipment. They lived in Chamonix, although one was Spanish and the other Argentinian. They told us that this area is great for climbers with something for everyone.
We could see the climbing walls they were heading for from the cable-car, it looked quite sunny and had great views facing the Mont Blanc mountain.
Once at the top, we said our goodbyes to them and went for a wander around the site, enjoying more fantastic views of Mont Blanc and also Aiguille du Midi on the opposite side. It was lovely to get the views from a different perspective.
From the top we could see that Plan Praz down below is a great starting point for hiking, which includes hiking to Lake Cornu and Grand Balcon Sud. We could also see many paragliders taking off.
Views from the top of Le Brévent.
Apparently from the top of Le Brévent there is a great hike that goes via a footpath to Aiguillette des Houches via the Bel-Lachat mountain hut. Unfortunately we would not be doing much hiking since Brian has been experiencing quite a lot of knee pain recently, therefore a long hike would not be on our agenda.
Coffee and cake with a view at “Le Panoramique” restaurant
But what was firmly on our agenda was cake and coffee at the fabulous “Le Panoramique” restaurant with stunning views of Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi on the other side of the valley. It was a great ending to our stay in Chamonix.
We thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights stay in Chamonix… the campsite was great, friendly, clean and set in a very convenient location for all the sites and activities. We noticed that they offer studio apartments for people who are not travelling by motorhome.
The weather behaved very well indeed and we got sunny, warm days to do our exploring. Mornings were cool though, getting warmer later on in the day. The coldest place was at the top of Aiguille du Midi, so warm clothes are a must for anyone visiting this attraction.
We left the campsite just after lunch, stopping at the Carrefour supermarket in town to fill up on diesel (cheaper in France than in Italy) and some food supplies. All stocked up we headed for the Mont Blanc tunnel and the next leg of our journey. Bella Italia awaits!!
Gilda, I am in love with this place. Stunning views and totally charming. Now on my list, including paragliding and feeling the cool air on my face high above Mont Blanc. Interesting to learn more about the past, present and sadly doubtful future of glaciers. The photos look amazing. Enjoy Italy. The Italians won’t care if you speak to them in English or basic Italian. You will feel at home there, not to mention the delicious food and ice cream. Thank you for documenting all this beauty for us here.
Val, you dare-devil…I can totally see you throwing yourself down these mountains with a paraglide. Brian was very keen, but I chickened out, maybe if you do it, I will get inspired? Or maybe not…lol. I am loving Italy already, so glad I can understand this language a lot better than French. Thank you my lovely friend for your ongoing support 🙂
Hello Brian & Gilda
Great to see you back on the road again and enjoying the fantastic mountains.
May I suggest you tour Austria, fantastic country and very friendly people.
Enjoy the ice cream in Italy!
Take care & stay safe.
Robert
Robert, thank you! We are so glad to be on the road again, travelling by motorhome. We would love to visit Austria, definitely on our list, but it might have to be at a future trip. We are now in Italy exploring the North, before heading South as the weather gets cooler. Best wishes to you 🙂
What a fantastic post, place and photos. You defiantly make us want to go there.Great shot of you at Le Brévent!
Cheers!
Thank you! It is such a stunning place with so much to do, I think you guys would love visiting it. We were really impressed with what is on offer and visiting during the shoulder season has been perfect.
What a glorious place. Your photos are sensational. About 15 years ago, we had an exchange student from a town near Chamonix. He now runs a small hotel and bistro that is reopening on the 18th.
Peggy, thank you! It is an impressive region, maybe you have to come over sometime to visit your friend (exchange student)? I hope his hotel and bistro will do well. Tourism has taken a hit here, it is usually a very busy area, but not so much at the moment.
it looks utterly brilliant. and I cant help but notice you almost had the place to yourself. I dont know about those glass lookouts where the floor is glass! That would probably just freak me out!
Andy, thank you! It has been great to visit during shoulder season, this region is very popular and it can get very busy. Aiguille du Midi in particular can get very busy, but we had it almost to ourselves. Visiting it early on in the day was a good call. I was not sure about the “step into the void” attraction, it did feel very bizarre 🙂
Hi Gilda – I’ve been trying to leave you a message on your contact ;page but it keeps saying theres an error. I’d love to interview for my blog – could you pop me an email at andyjamesb75@gmail.com ? thanks! 🙂
Andy, sorry about my contact page not working. I am having few issues, but hope to sort it soon. I will email you soon 🙂
What amazing views Gilda! I’ve seen Chamonix and Aiguille du Midi on television programmes. Would love to go there one day and that glass box looks incredible! I wouldn’t get Monsiuer up in a cable car though so would have to go up by myself! 🙂
Rosemay, we were impressed with this region. I think you would love Aiguille du Midi, but perhaps leave Monsiuer sipping a coffee in Chamonix town 🙂 Definitely not a place for people who have a fear of heights, but there are plenty of other things to do here.
In the mid 1990’s our son competed in a climbing competition in the town of Courmayeur Italy. We took a cable car up to the various altitudes of Mont Blanc. Stunning area. It sounds like you had a magnificent few days. Not exactly a friendly attitude from the French woman. Yikes. Safe travels ahead!
Sue, how fun that your son has been climbing in this beautiful region, did he do well in the competition? We passed Courmayeur on our way to Aosta, the cable-car Skyway Monte Bianco must also have been amazing, I am glad you guys enjoyed it. Mont Blanc is an awesome mountain. Off course in Canada you have some incredible mountains, so perhaps the Alps are not as impressive to you as they are to us? The French are famous for not liking being spoken to in English, but I was very surprised at her hostile response…yikes indeed. Take care and thank you for your good wishes.
A stunning part of the world. Stuff of dreams, Gilda 🙂 🙂
Jo, this region is really stunning. For many years I wanted to visit, so it was great to finally make it here. We do feel very grateful to be able to travel in such strange times, I have seen on the news that COVID rates are going up in the UK. Very sad.
What a stunning place, Gilda. Breathtaking scenery and a hiking paradise. That tunnel through the glacier – the ice cave – is super cool. I’m sure I visited the Mont Blanc as a child and drove through the tunnel multiple times, but all those tourist attractions and different ways to get to the platforms might not have been there. I don’t remember any of it, anyway. I’m definitely interested in going back. Aren’t the French nice? That attitude is something you will find all over the world. I’m generalizing, of course, but they don’t speak English in English-speaking countries either and assume/expect there that everyone speaks French.
Liesbet, it was super cool to be able to enter a glacier and to experience what it feels like inside. I can imagine you must have been in this area many times, since Belgium is not far at all. We have been meeting so many lovely Belgium folk on some of the campsites we have stayed. They are very friendly, unlike that French lady who was not friendly at all. I was quite surprised at her response, I have certainly learned my lesson of not assuming everyone speaks English…particularly if they are French.
Good to see you travelling again. Fabulous views, I like the idea of standing on that see through platform above the mountains!
We are really enjoying life on the road again. The “step into the void” box was thrilling, it felt scary and compelling at the same time. I guess you guys are getting ready for your trip to Turkey? Enjoy!
Just one word. WOW!!!! Absolutely gorgeous scenery. Nature is not really my thing, but l would absolutely love to experience this :-). I was surprised how much l enjoyed the cable car in Palm Springs so l’m sure l would like this. The view from the restaurant is stunning, and l would be content with just that :-). Safe trip. You are living the life!
Kemkem, this area is indeed a big WOW!! With French, Italian and Swiss Alpes all in close proximity. The Aiguille du Midi cable car was the highlight for us and I think you and Frederico would really enjoy it. For you guys coming from Spain it would perhaps make it for a nice road trip on the way to Italy?
I think of Chamonix as a place for skiing and winter activities. Obviously, it has plenty to offer at all seasons. I was particularly intrigued by the man-made ice cave. (maybe because that’s the closest you can get to winter in the summer time…)
Otto, I bet you are a very good skier? I have never learned to ski, something that I always regret, but maybe one day. The ice-cave inside the glacier was very interesting, although sad that the glacier is melting and slowly dying (like many other glaciers around the world, including Norway).
What an amazing place Gilda – incredible scenery, stunning views and wonderful photos! We also learnt a lot about the effects of climate change and the studying of glaciers when we visited Alaska a couple of years ago. Chamonix has been on my wish list for a long time – maybe one day we can travel there! Enjoy your next stop in Italy 🙂
Rosemay, thank you! This region is truly spectacular with so many great outdoor activities on offer, but also for people who want to just relax and breath the fresh Alpine air and be surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountain range in the world. I hope you will make it here in the near future. I have enjoyed your posts on Alaska, definitely a place that is high on my wish list. We are now back at home and halfway through our two weeks of quarantine. I will have a few blog posts about Italy coming up.
Oh wow! Catching up on your travels. Just incredible views and photos, I’m actually a little jealous!
Frank, this region of France has really impressed us. It is not everyday that we have the opportunity to gawp at the magnificent French, Italian and Swiss Alps in one sweeping view, Aiguille du Midi is definitely a must place to visit if you come to this region. You would love all the amazing hikes in this area Frank, but I think Lissette would also have fun here.
Hi, I’ve just read about your amazing experiences in Chamonix. Pictures are amazing! Could I kindly ask though, what month, weeks were you there? I’m thinking of going in September but I’d love to time it right to see the snow capped mountains, exactly as you’ve shown in your pictures. Oh and glorious sunshine too! Perfect!
Karen,
Apologies for this late reply…your comment went into my spam box and I didn’t realise. Very sorry 🙁
You will love Chamonix, it is such a stunning region with so much to do there. We visited at the beginning of September and the weather was perfect. The snow capped mountains were so beautiful, I recommend the cable car trip up to Aiguille du Midi, absolutely worth the price tag. But make sure to go up on a clear day. Also the visit to the Glacier was great. Have a fantastic time.