At 4810 m (15,774 ft), Mont Blanc is the highest summit of Western Europe. It is part of the French Alps and is situated near the town of Chamonix, near the border of France, Italy and Switzerland.
The Chamonix valley stretches 23km from the Col de Voza to the Col de Balme. It has a deep U shape, and separates the Aiguilles Rouges(Red Peaks) mountain range from Mont Blanc Massif. It is easily accessible from Geneva, only 80km away. It is also connected to Courmayeur in Italy by road via the tunnel under the Mont-Blanc, and Martigny in Switzerland by road and rail.
For those who are not sking or climbing the mountains, the main activites of Chamonix are 1) Mer de Glace (Ice Sea), one of the biggest glaciers in continental Europe, accessible by the Montenvers rack railway. 2) Aiguille du Midi cable car, one of the highest cable cars in the world, apart from a few in South America. It starts at 1035 m and finishes at a staggering 3842 m! It provides a unique panoramic view over the Mont-Blanc and the Alps. In fact, one can cross over to Italy from Aiguille du Midi 3) Brevent cable car, on the other side of the valley, provides the best views of the Mont-Blanc massif.
We arrived at Chamonix from Martigny in the evening of Day 08. Unfortunately, except in the early morning of Day 09, it was very cloudy and rained occasionally during our stay in Chamonix. So we did not do much except staying at the hotel (Mercure Chamonix Central which has a good view of the mountains) and walked around town. A relaxed day in contrast to the driving/sightseeing of the preceding 8 days.
The Chamonix valley stretches 23km from the Col de Voza to the Col de Balme. It has a deep U shape, and separates the Aiguilles Rouges(Red Peaks) mountain range from Mont Blanc Massif. It is easily accessible from Geneva, only 80km away. It is also connected to Courmayeur in Italy by road via the tunnel under the Mont-Blanc, and Martigny in Switzerland by road and rail.
For those who are not sking or climbing the mountains, the main activites of Chamonix are 1) Mer de Glace (Ice Sea), one of the biggest glaciers in continental Europe, accessible by the Montenvers rack railway. 2) Aiguille du Midi cable car, one of the highest cable cars in the world, apart from a few in South America. It starts at 1035 m and finishes at a staggering 3842 m! It provides a unique panoramic view over the Mont-Blanc and the Alps. In fact, one can cross over to Italy from Aiguille du Midi 3) Brevent cable car, on the other side of the valley, provides the best views of the Mont-Blanc massif.
We arrived at Chamonix from Martigny in the evening of Day 08. Unfortunately, except in the early morning of Day 09, it was very cloudy and rained occasionally during our stay in Chamonix. So we did not do much except staying at the hotel (Mercure Chamonix Central which has a good view of the mountains) and walked around town. A relaxed day in contrast to the driving/sightseeing of the preceding 8 days.
1. Statue of Horace Benedict de Saussure heart of the town. In 1760, Saussure offered a large reward to anyone who could find the way up Mount Blanc. This culminated in the first ascent of Mont Blanc on 7 Aug 1786
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2. Saussure looking at the Mount Blanc Massif
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3. View of the Mount Blanc Massif from Chamonix
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4. Glacier des Boosons and Dome Du Gouter
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5. Panorama view of the Mount Blanc Massif- From left to right - Mont Blanc (4,808m), Dome du Gouter (4,304m), Aig du Gouter (3,817m). Mont Blanc appear 'shorter' when seen from the town
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6. Clouds forming over the mountains
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7. Aiguilles de Chamonix
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8. The Aiguille Du Midi
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9. Eglise St Michel at the foot of the Aiguilles Rouges
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10. Tulips and Mont Blanc
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11. A beautiful poster of the Aiguilles Rouges
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