• TravelerTMB (Tour du Mont Blanc) Trail

    Mer de Glace

    July 6, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Today is a tough day. Rains and later on thunderstorms are supposed to roll into the area.
    We are off to see the Mer de Glace and Ice Caves in Montenvers early in the morning and then try to make our move to Les Houches before stuff is happening...

    MONTENVERS SEA OF ​​ICE
    Montenvers - Sea of ​​Ice
    ©
    THE MONTENVERS TRAIN, A TRUE LEGEND
    Inaugurated in 1910 by the President of the Republic Armand Fallières, this little train which takes visitors from the centre of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc to the Montenvers site is a real institution.

    A RARITY TO DISCOVER
    The cogwheel trains run on slopes of more than 9%, and there are 5 of them in France. This makes the Montenvers Train a unique experience not to be missed. Climbing into one of its carriages is an extraordinary and dizzying journey. You will feel like you are going back in time in its retro-looking cars.
    The 5.1 kilometers of travel between Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and the Montenvers site take place on the mountainside. After a 20-minute climb, you will have arrived at the terminus at an altitude of 1913 meters! The view of the Drus, the Grandes Jorasses and the Grands Charmoz is breathtaking.

    A REFLECTION OF ITS TIME
    The Montenvers Train has been improved as railway technology has evolved. While the original locomotives were steam powered, they are now electric, but one thing has never changed: the rack. This gear designed to ensure the train's grip on steep tracks has remained the most suitable technique for the route!
    When it was created, the train consisted of open and closed carriages, with no distinction of class indicated on the carriages. Indeed, the wealthiest people were seated depending on the weather conditions, in the sun or sheltered from the rain!
    Quickly after its creation, the Montenvers Train became one of the main attractions of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley. Going so far as to welcome more than a million passengers per year in high season in the 1990s.

    By taking the Montenvers Train, you will rub shoulders with many mountaineers who use it to leave or return from their mountain races.
    And if you are lucky enough to chat with the driver, you will be able to learn more about the secrets of this legendary train.
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