Aiguille du Midi

Motivated to maximize our time in Chamonix for the day, we got an early start on the bikes after some interesting chats about Paris 2024 with Sebastien and Candice over breakfast. We sailed down from Cordon to the valley bottom, then started our climb back up, with some extra elevation gain on small side roads since cyclists aren't allowed on the freeway running through the valley. The views of Mont Blanc just kept getting better with each new vantage point. We rolled into the campground in town (with a majority of tents, given a healthy population of alpinists), did a quick tent setup, and by noon were headed to the Aiguille du Midi téléphérique. Unfortunately, while we waited to go up, the clear skies partially clouded over, so the views weren't quite as expansive, but the whole experience was nothing short of impressive. From 1038 m the téléphérique first takes you to the Plan du Midi at 2317 m, then the next one takes you to the Aiguille du Midi at 3842 m, all in under 20 minutes. And the views, when the clouds opened up, were stunning over the summit, the glacial valleys and the rest of the Mont Blanc massif. The infrastructure at the top is extensive, with platforms, tunnels, and elevators all providing different views, and restaurants serving all manner of fare. We watched climbers and skiers recreating in this high playground, aided by the access to fast travel up or down the mountain. When we'd had enough of being high, we zipped back down and wandered the streets of Chamonix on our way to visit Candice at her office for a quick hello, before heading to camp for an early night.Read more