Where We Be
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| Chamonix: Grand Balcon Nord |
On the same side of the Chamonix Valley as the
Aiguille du Midi (and Mont Blanc itself) is the
Grand Balcon Nord -- one of the premier hikes
in the area. For this hike, you'll want to take the
Aiguille du Midi cable car but only to the halfway
point -- to "Plan de l'Aiguille" midstation. (Or you
can go all the way up to the top for another look
around before descending to the midstation
and tacking on this hike -- which is what we did.)
The hike itself is about 4 miles long and trends
mostly downhill. You can do it one-way because
at the far end is Montenvers Cog Railway, which
is also included as part of your Multipass. The
cog railway brings you back down to Chamonix.
We found the hike a bit harder than advertised,
with rolling ups and downs most of the way --
and a steep downhill at the end. You'll lose
about 1,650 feet of elevation all told. That being
said, the scenery is excellent. Chamonix Valley
is spread out below you, and Mont Blanc and
the Aiguille du Midi and numerous other pointy
and pyramidal peaks are to your right or behind
you. (Some people do this hike in the other
direction, but we chose the downhill direction.)
Aiguille du Midi (and Mont Blanc itself) is the
Grand Balcon Nord -- one of the premier hikes
in the area. For this hike, you'll want to take the
Aiguille du Midi cable car but only to the halfway
point -- to "Plan de l'Aiguille" midstation. (Or you
can go all the way up to the top for another look
around before descending to the midstation
and tacking on this hike -- which is what we did.)
The hike itself is about 4 miles long and trends
mostly downhill. You can do it one-way because
at the far end is Montenvers Cog Railway, which
is also included as part of your Multipass. The
cog railway brings you back down to Chamonix.
We found the hike a bit harder than advertised,
with rolling ups and downs most of the way --
and a steep downhill at the end. You'll lose
about 1,650 feet of elevation all told. That being
said, the scenery is excellent. Chamonix Valley
is spread out below you, and Mont Blanc and
the Aiguille du Midi and numerous other pointy
and pyramidal peaks are to your right or behind
you. (Some people do this hike in the other
direction, but we chose the downhill direction.)
| The high point in the distance is the Aiguille du Midi, as seen from halfway along the Grand Balcon Nord |
| We managed to catch the reflection of the Aiguille du Midi in the lake |
| We began to hike the Grand Balcon Nord towards Montenvers -- looking back behind us periodically for the fine views in that direction |
| Fireweed added bursts of color here and there |
| We probably should have stopped! |
| It felt good to get out and do some hiking on such a pretty day |
| We paused often to look behind us -- some of the best views were in that direction |
| But the scenery ahead wasn't half bad either |
| You get a lot of bang for your buck during this 4-mile hike |
| At Signal Hill (the hike's high point), the scenery changes completely. Now your views are of Montenvers Glacier and a whole new set of peaks and waterfalls. |
| After Signal Hill we lost elevation fast. Can you see that tiny buildling down in the valley? That's where the trail leads. |
| Eventually we twisted and turned our way towards Montenvers and the Mer de Glace Glacier -- which once filled this valley |
| We opted to take the Montenvers Cog Railway back to town, saving Mer de Glace and the ice cave for another day |
| Aiguille du Midi ("Noonday Needle") from a closer angle |
| Chamonix was spread out below us, Aiguille du Midi above |
| We sipped hot coffee at the Plan de l'Aiguillle midstation café before starting our morning hike |
| Our plan was to hike to Lac Blue first, then Montenvers Mer de Glace |
| The sun was just starting to crest the mountains |
| We made it to Lac Bleu in about twenty minutes -- really more of a tarn than a lake |
| It was a perfect day for a hike |
| A small mountain refuge tempted us to stop again -- but we carried on |