Thursday 5th September 2013

A beautiful clear day forecast today so we are using our guest card to do the biggie!! Aiguille de Midi. A 2-stage chair-lift that will take us up to 3842m and our first view of  Mont Blanc at 4810m.

                                       Another view of the mountains from Chamonix

                        At the middle station about to head up to the point in the distance. Aiguille du Midi.

                                   This is the top station looking down from the viewing platform.We had to walk over a walk-way from one slab of rock to another to take a lift inside the rock to get up to the viewing platform. Not a place for the faint-hearted or those with vertigo (like me).But you could not describe the views. It was like being on top of the world.

                                                         At last!! Mont Blanc. The owner of the apartment where we are staying, is a guide who leads teams up to the top of Mont Blanc. I think he has climbed it 168 times.

If you enlarge this photo, you will see some specks in the snow in the 'v'. These are tents, would you believe??!!

Enlarge this one and you will be able to see all the people walking along this ridge. And they are not just out for a stroll. These are serious guys ( and gals). No margin for error in this world. Any mistake and it is very quickly and steeply down, as you can tell from this photo.

Part of the experience of the Aiguille de Midi was a theatre and some displays. I took some photos of photos and some of the explanations of what the crazies of this world get up to.

                                  Can you believe anyone would be mad enough to do this?

This is Highlining. Rope is strung across 2 peaks and then they walk across it. They are however, secured to the rope. Why would you ???

                                                 The photo below is of Baselining.

These are just some of the things they do here. Rock-climbing, base jumping and some of the other stuff all seem a bit tame after looking at these extreme sports.

         This is the walk-way from one rock to another. I can't believe that I actually did it!!

Absolutely awesome experience!! But we can't stay here all day. We are to catch the chair-lift back to the middle station and do a hike along another section of the Grand Balcony Nord to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace (glacier) and then catch a special train back down to Chamonix.

                                       Looking back to the Aiguille du Midi top station.

                   If you enlarge this photo you can see the tower on the top where we walked out.

           After an easy hike of about 2 hours we arrived at Montenvers for a look at the glacier.

A cable car takes you down to just above the glacier where you can walk down about 400 steps and into an ice cave. The catch is you have to then walk back up those 400 steps.We decided not to do this as we had just done enough walking without doing any more. Took the lift down and back up after a short look around.
Some facts about this glacier: Longest glacier in France at about 7km. It is approximately 200m deep.In it's upper parts it moves at approx. 120m per year and near Montenvers at the lower end approx 90m per year or about 1cm per hour. It moves by it's own weight.

It looks dirty and it is. Dirt and debris is deposited which sometimes makes it difficult to even believe the glacier is actually there.

                                         All ice for 200m down!! Here you can see part of the depth of this glacier. The blue is a sheet on the ground for visitors at the entrance to the ice cave.

                                             Views to the upper reaches of the glacier

WOW!! What a terrific day!! Not sure if we will be able to better today on this holiday. But we will see.