Where We Be
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| Chamonix: Panoramic Mont Blanc |
We highly recommend splurging on this one ride
that's not included as part of your Multipass. It
will run you an extra €43 round-trip (as of 2026)
but is so worth it. The Panoramic Mont Blanc is a
natural extension of your journey to the top of
the Aiguille du Midi. In fact, you have to ride to
the top in order to do it at all, since the gondola
begins at the Aiguille and ends at (or rather
above) the Italian town of Courmayeur. That's
right -- you begin in France and end in Italy!
The journey between the two is nothing short of
spectactular. You'll dangle hundreds of feet
over Mont Blanc's massive glaciers, eventually
arriving at Pointe Helbronner in Courmayeur.
Here, a series of observation terraces offers
excellent views of the surrounding mountains. If
you were to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc itself,
Courmayeur would represent the halfway point
of your journey -- or you can visit it in a single
day with the help of the Panoramic gondola.
The Italian side of Mont Blanc feels surprisingly
different than the French side -- greener and
warmer. On the day we went, it was T-shirt
weather! We stripped off layers and basked in
the warmth of the Italian sun before journeying
back to France.
that's not included as part of your Multipass. It
will run you an extra €43 round-trip (as of 2026)
but is so worth it. The Panoramic Mont Blanc is a
natural extension of your journey to the top of
the Aiguille du Midi. In fact, you have to ride to
the top in order to do it at all, since the gondola
begins at the Aiguille and ends at (or rather
above) the Italian town of Courmayeur. That's
right -- you begin in France and end in Italy!
The journey between the two is nothing short of
spectactular. You'll dangle hundreds of feet
over Mont Blanc's massive glaciers, eventually
arriving at Pointe Helbronner in Courmayeur.
Here, a series of observation terraces offers
excellent views of the surrounding mountains. If
you were to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc itself,
Courmayeur would represent the halfway point
of your journey -- or you can visit it in a single
day with the help of the Panoramic gondola.
The Italian side of Mont Blanc feels surprisingly
different than the French side -- greener and
warmer. On the day we went, it was T-shirt
weather! We stripped off layers and basked in
the warmth of the Italian sun before journeying
back to France.
| Your own personal gondola transports you from France to Italy and back in truly spectacular fashion |
| Pavilion midstation features the Saussurea Alpine Botanical Garden, the highest botanical garden in Europe (home to 900+ species) |
| Suddenly it's summer! |
| We start shedding layers as we explore the midstation -- and before long we're down to t-shirts |
| The Italian side feels far more relaxed than the French side. It features lounge chairs and a casual vibe that is fun to experience. |
| We peer down into Courmayeur but decide to forego visiting the town itself. The wind is starting to pick up and the attendant suggests it might be wise to head back. |
| We reboard our private gondola for the ride home. At one point we wave at the people in the three gondolas across from us, and they wave back with great enthusiasm. Fun! |
| This time our open-window views are facing the Mont Blanc massif, so more photos ensue |
| Simply glorious! |
| Far below us we can see specks of people, small as ants, roped together and crossing the glacier. Can you see them? There are five altogether. |
| This is one journey we'll never forget |
| Almost home -- the Aiguille du Midi is straight ahead |
| This enormous crevasse appears to have collapsed in on itself |
| Two alpinists stand near their tent on a seemingly endless ice field |
| Can you see the mountain climbers on the cliff face? Zooming in, I count at least nine of them. |
| These three find the narrowest of perches before venturing higher |
| Ah, Chamonix! How green and refreshing after all that snow and ice. |
| The 3-mile aerial tramway takes about 30 minutes each way and is heavily weather-dependent -- so if you get an especially nice day, be sure to jump on it |
| As we made our way to the gondola, we saw intrepid alpinists about to head out onto the glacier from the Aiguille du Midi |
| Our journey begins! |
| Immediately we're greeted with stunning views |
| "So glad we're doing this!" |
| Periodically we see groups of three gondolas returning in the other direction |
| An impassable jumble of snow and ice lies below us |
| It's hard to get perspective -- hard to grasp the size of these gaping crevasses in the ice |
| It feels like we're looking down on a monstrously large modernist painting |
| For 30 minutes it's just you and the ice and the mountains and the wind |
| This "ice highway" is part of the Glacier du Geant ("Glacier of the Giant"), which feeds into the Mer de Glace |
| We're startled to see a sprinkling of colorful tents on the snow |
| At the extreme left you can see the tents -- and the cross-country ski tracks to get to them |
| We arrive at Pointe Hellbronner in Italy and clamber out of our gondola for a look around |
| We take the Skyway Monte Bianco down to the Pavilion midstation. This (and the second gondola down to Courmayeur) is explicitly included with the Mont Blanc Multipass (i.e., once you’ve paid separately for the Panoramic Mont Blanc). |
| The scenery at Pointe Helbrunner is beautiful in a wintry way -- but that's all about to change |
