Do you feel that when you reach a new place it becomes your favourite? I have this feeling every time I visit a new place in the Alps, without forgetting the previous ones. This one was not new, but an old friend, and it is still one of my favourites…
Charming places
Chamonix Montblanc has a special charm. First, for having the most famous and charismatic mountain of the French Alps, as well as the highest of all the Alps, 4805 meters. Secondly, for having a very picturesque and well-kept village in the valley. Third, because of the Montblanc massif and its little brother just opposite, where the ski and snowboard resorts are located.
One of the additional advantages of this valley is that the core of the valley is just over 1.000 meters above sea level. This means that, while snow falls in abundance on the mountain peaks – skiable or not – the streets are usually – almost – clear of snow. And yes, we are talking about an urban center because the once small mountain village has become a mini-city that stretches along the valley, with some interruptions, but which returns in the form of extensions, around the ski resorts.
The snow undoubtedly adds a touch of charm to the alpine streets, but it becomes a headache when you want to enter with any vehicle. It is best not to enter with your vehicle if it is not necessary, as the streets in the center are narrow and there are few parking spaces available. There is a large car park at the entrance to the village, on the other side of the main road. There is also a specific car park for buses and motorhomes. An additional underground car park is available in the more modern part of the town, where the streets are wider and more car friendly, recommended if you are staying in this area, recognizable by some modern flat towers, which frankly do not fit in with the landscape.
Despite the flood of tourists and skiers, the center of Chamonix Montblanc is holding up well with its traditional charm. There are no little wooden houses, but monumental buildings. Many of them are still very well maintained and it is a pleasure to stroll through the pedestrian streets, cross the railway line or the river over the various bridges. The main pedestrian street and those that cross the river are usually the busiest and the ones with the multitude of restaurants and shops, usually of mountain and sports brands, and souvenirs of all kinds related to the mountain that gives its name to the place. The nightlife area is concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the street des Moulins. There is always somewhere to discover…
The church square, which also holds the tourist office and the mountain house, is also a must-see. The latter is of particular interest f we want professional advice on mountain guides and a trekking map of the area, for 7 euros. Yes, there are still paper maps available, and this is a large, detailed one, well worth carrying in your backpack. Plus, you don’t need special instructions to unfold and refold it – why don’t they make all maps like this?
From the church and up the road, after a good hill to warm up our legs, we reach the Brevent resort: the only ski area accessible from the village on foot. The other resorts are well served by shuttle buses. It is common to see skiers with their skis on their shoulders walking through the streets in search of their means of transport. It is also common to see them, still with their boots on, extending their day until dinner time in any of the bars in the center. You must try the hot wine or the hot apple juice with cinnamon, both typical Alpine dishes, ideal for cold days 😉.
Hitting the slopes?
Brevent is a relatively small resort compared to the scale of these mountains. However, it is linked to neighbouring Flégère, which is also accessible from the village of the same name. Its great attraction is undoubtedly to be able to see the whole Montblanc massif in front of us. It is worth the climb just to enjoy this panorama. In addition, there are quite a few slopes of various levels to follow and also some very interesting off-piste tracks. Remember to hire a mountain guide for routes further away than usual, for your safety.
For much of the season, you will need to book a table if you want to enjoy the restaurants located in the resort. Reservations must be made by credit card, to “avoid last minute cancellations”. Sandwiches and pizzas are also available after a short queue. An interesting option is to go down with the PlanPraz cabin, at the base of the station at 2.000 meters, back to the village for lunch. It will probably take the same amount of time and offer a much wider choice. The risk is that we will be too lazy to go back up, or that we will start drinking hot wine earlier than planned.
The most sybarites will want to go up to the high point of Brevent, at an altitude of 2.525 meters, to enjoy its panoramic restaurant. The best views of the Montblanc accompanied by a great gastronomic experience, or simply a beer to remember…
The neighbouring areas of Domaine de Balme, Vormaine, Les Houches, Grands Montets and Megève are of a similar size, but all together they form a large ski area. The main drawback is that these mountains are so steep that they cannot be linked at the top, but must be accessed from lower altitudes. If we decide to use the shuttles as transport, it is advisable to plan which one we need and their schedules. We don’t want to get stuck with our skis or board late in the day far from our accommodation. We will need a lot of hot wine to walk back…
However, it is not these resorts, nor the charm of the village, nor the hot wine, that have brought us here… Without a doubt, what makes this alpine corner unique is the Montblanc.
Going up the highest mountain in the Alps
If we are talking about climbing, we can start preparing our ropes and ice axe. This mountain is a climber’s paradise, although the preferred routes for experts are on the Italian side, as it is much steeper. For the less experienced, the Aiguille du Midi viewpoint was built at 3,842 meters, which allows us to look at Montblanc face to face. To get here, we need to take the cable car of the same name based in Chamonix.
If it is high season, it is best to buy our ticket in advance. Just enough advance, because we should check the weather forecast to make sure we don’t waste the 72 euros it costs. As with most summits, viewpoints and cable cars, a cloudy day will mean that you will only see a white cloud that invades your field of vision. We need a day with good weather and, if possible, completely clear to enjoy not only the view of Montblanc and the surrounding mountains, but also the panoramic view of the glacier, the needles, the valley and the massif on the other side of it.
From early in the morning, tourists and skiers/snowboarders queue up to gain access to the cabin in numbered turns. Remember that l’Agulle du Midi is the starting point of the famous “Vallée Blanche”, a 22-kilometre-long skiable glacier. Here, cameras and smartphones mingle with harnesses, mountain skis and splitboards in a harmony rarely seen in the high mountains.
In fact, two cable cars are needed to reach the viewpoint. The transfer can be converted into a pleasant break on the terrace of the adjacent restaurant. No problem if we skip it, we will find another one at the top. Exhibitions on the construction of this beautiful enclave and themes related to the high mountains enliven the breaks between the different viewpoints.
It is difficult to find a favourite spot up here. However, several rival each other, for example, the view of the glacier and the needles from where the Vallée Blanche starts, or the one with the view of Chamonix and Brevent in front of it. For most of us, the magnetism of Montblanc wins the day.
If you are still hungry for more, in summer you can also access the Panoramique Montblanc cable car from here, which connects with the Helbronner peak, a twin viewpoint on the Italian side, near the Courmayer resort. This massif sets the natural border between France and Italy. The rivalry over which country has the summit of Montblanc is still in the air, since a French cartographer – whose name I don’t want to remember – included it entirely on the French side, despite the fact that the international treaty of 1860 divided it between the two countries.
The highest and most pointed peaks, characteristic of this granite massif, are known as needles (aiguille in French). Their sharp shape allows us to see their original rock combined with the snow. In contrast, Montblanc and its adjacent peaks are more rounded, allowing the snow to settle placidly, giving them their characteristic uniform and eternal white colour.
La Vallée Blanche
From an opening dug in the ice, skiers and snowboarders work their way down a narrow path to the start of the slope a few hundred metres below, a concentration point to begin the descent, with the glacier as a backdrop. Although crampons are compulsory, the ropes that accompany the initial descent as a handrail through a narrow pass guarantee excellent safety. It should be remembered that this route is not marked, controlled, tracked or prepared in any way, nor does it have any additional safety measures. We must take extreme precautions and assume our own responsibility. In these cases, a mountain guide is our best ally. Although following the traces is usually a good orientation, if it is our first time, it is better to hire a guide, as well as going in a group. There are different variants of the descent and not all of them have the same conditions and level.
The route, 22 kilometers long, takes its name from the glacier that descends from the Col du Midi. In the same way as a river, different glaciers converge between the mountain valleys, creating new, larger glaciers, in this case until they reach the Mer de Glace, the most renowned of these mountains. The last stretch can be done as far as the village itself, but only in good snow, otherwise it will be like a hard snow slope with bumps or stones. Its great length and the 2.800 meters of difference in altitude if we reach the village, make this descent a challenge not suitable for everyone. The greatest difficulty lies not in the steepness of the slope, but in the hidden dangers of the glacier, mainly the crevasses. For this reason, it has become standard to wear a harness, which would facilitate rescue in the event of an accidental fall.
Between two and four hours of descent, depending on our fitness and the stops we make, culminate in the climb up the stairs to Montenvers station, the end of the line from Chamonix to the Mer de Glace.
La Mer de Glace
One of the vintage touches around here is the railway that runs through Chamonix and its central station, reminding us that it was many years ago that the mountaineers arrived here. From this station, you can take the rack railway to the Montenvers station.
To access the glacier, you have to go down via a cabin to the old end of the glacier’s tongue. Over the years, the scarcity of ice has led to the construction of stairs attached to the rock wall until the current level was reached. Various markings indicate the ice levels in different years, so that we can imagine how the ice has receded over time. A renovation project is planned for 2025, where a new cabin will lead from the Montenvers station to the end of the current tongue, the usual end of the Vallée Blanche. Let’s hope that they have taken into account global warming forecasts and will not have to relocate it before the next thaw.
From the resort, we can descend the almost 400 steps – remember, you have to climb them afterwards – while cheering on the skiers and snowboarders who shoulder their equipment after the descent of the Vallée Blanche. Once at the bottom, a visit to the cave carved out of the glacier itself is a must, in the form of an “ice house”, which allows you to appreciate its icy structure from the inside. This construction has to be frequently rebuilt due to the natural movement of the glacier down the mountain.
The four seasons
Although the snow is the starring and is perpetual on the peaks and glaciers, when it disappears from the lower altitudes it is the ideal time to discover what the snow hides during the winter. Countless trails run through the valley and the mountains. From Les Houches (1.010m), via Chamonix (1.037m) to the Refuge the Loriaz (2.020m) the options are endless for a single summer. Don’t miss the next chapter in this series.
