Visiting l’Aiguille du Midi, Mont Blanc

A journey to the top of Europe

If you’ve visited pretty much any ski resort in the Western or Southern Alps, chances are you’re already familiar with an omnipresent, rather bulbous peak which dominates almost every vista – a peak instantly recognizable to skiers the world over as Europe’s highest – the inimitable, stirring monolith that is Mt Blanc. The Aiguille du Midi guide by iRide continues below the booking information.

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The summit of Mt Blanc stands proud at 4,810m (15,781ft), the pinnacle of a surrounding massif which contains no less than 11 mountains above 4,000m, stretching 46km and 400km² over France, Italy and Switzerland. The summit of Mt Blanc itself lies close to the Franco-Italian border, slightly on the French side but with Southern flanks tumbling down to Italy. It is visible from Geneva to Grenoble – from Lyon to Dijon. It can be seen from the Vosges, the Jura and the Massif Centrale. It is, in short, colossal.

Sitting in the shadow of Mt Blanc’s Northern edge lies the town of Chamonix, a place of skiing lore and legend, famed globally for its hardcore off-piste, ski touring and mountaineering. The town squeezes through a long winding valley, starkly bounded either side by impossibly steep mountains ascending to the stratosphere above. In the basin looking up, you have to crane your neck skyward to see the summits – expect to feel your collar press into the back of your neck as you look toward the tops. The mountains are massive, amplified by the relatively narrow corridor in which Chamonix sits. You are instantly – and constantly – reminded this is a place of high mountain endeavour, a place not for the tame of heart. There is some serious mountaineering and off-piste to be had here.

Yet, for all the imposing mountain grandeur and daunting landscapes, Chamonix also offers passage for the less experienced to explore the vast ether above – a remarkable cable car system which emanates from the town centre to another perennially visible peak, the towering 3842m Aiguille du Midi. Translated, “Aiguille du Midi” means “Needle of the mid-day” and is so named because the sun passes above its peak at noon when viewed from the local church. Among its many and varied qualities, the Aiguille once served a massive, reliable sundial for locals in a more simplistic, pre-digital age.

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The Aiguille du Midi cable car (télépherique)

The Aiguille is the closest you can get to Mt Blanc without hiking or climbing and offers unrivalled views over the massif, the glaciers and Chamonix valley – not to mention a large chunk of the Alps and surrounding countries. Note – the word ‘countries’ not ‘countryside’. This is the top of Europe after all.

Hiking options at Plan de l’Aiguille 2317m

The cable car holds the world record for the highest vertical climb and is a two-stage, twenty minute journey originating from the valley floor at 1035m. The first leg rises sharply over dense forests before the tree-line slowly gives way to tundra and the cable car plateaus into a gentle amble to Plan de l’Aiguille at 2317m. Here visitors can optionally exit and hike to the top station of Montenvers railway, located at the foot of the Mer de Glace, surrounded by the Glacier des Bossons, Aiguille Verte, the Drus and the Aiguilles de Chamonix – all, of course, under the watchful eye of the Mt Blanc summit itself. Or, you can just be lazy and do like we did – take the second car to the summit.

The second stage of l’Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3778m

The second stage is a ridiculously steep ascent to the top station of Piton Nord at 3778m, a ride made all the more impressive by its lack of supporting pillars. A single cable lifts visitors in a seamless flight over Les Pelerins glacier up the North Face of the Aiguille du Midi to the terminus, impossibly perched on the Piton Nord.

It’s difficult to convey just how impressive this cable car is. Viewed from below it seems to hang in a void, suspended in nothingness as the cable lines merge into the distant granite face. You feel an overwhelming sense of awe as you traverse effortlessly up the Aiguille, ancient glacial flows spilling down the vertical sides below you, ears popping more than once on the climb. From the mid station to the summit is 1461m – an elevation greater than the UK’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis at 1345m – yet the cable car soars to the top station in just ten minutes.

Sufferers of vertigo beware – you may have a few uncomfortable moments

Stepping out at the top you’re faced almost immediately with a narrow supporting bridge which connects the Piton with the Aigulle itself, spanning high above the 55’ degree Cunningham Couloir. Sufferers of vertigo, take note – this is the first of many challenges you’ll encounter on this trip.

Dress appropriately for the seasons on the Aiguille du Midi

Also worth noting is the wind. 9 times out of 10, it’s Blowing a Hoolie here (technical Scots term) and you’ll also notice a marked difference in temperature from the valley floor. We went up on an unseasonably warm late February day during the equally unseasonably warm mid-season of 2017, yet still the cold was bracing. Temperatures drop 1’C per 150m and, with Chamonix at an elevation 1035m and the top of the Aiguille at 3842m, there’s a palpable chill at the summit.

A rough guide to temperatures on the Aiguille du Midi

To save you brain-strain arithmetic, this equates to a temperature change somewhere in the region of 19’ from the valley floor. And this is without factoring the effects of windchill. Be advised, wrap up warm – even in summer (-31.2’C is the coldest recorded temperature at the summit). Visitors should also take appropriate eyewear as the sun’s strength is amplified greatly at altitude and compounded by reflection off the snow and ice.

Development at the summit station of the Aiguille du Midi

Another thing that strikes you as you arrive at the summit – aside from the sheer size and vastness of the massif – is just how much development has been done on this peak. I’m sure in modern times this simply wouldn’t be allowed but, in all its wisdom, the France of old wasn’t quite as ecologically aware as it seems to be now.

Of course, this won’t come as news to anyone who’s visited any of France’s more aesthetically-challenged resorts such as Tignes, Les Menuires or La Plagne – but it’s still surprising the amount of work done up here given its proximity to Europe’s highest mountain. Nonetheless, the remorseless scale of development has a definite upside: peaks that would otherwise remain the preserve of skilled climbers and mountaineers are now accessible to the rest of us.

A feeling of being at the epicentre of the Alps

The top of the Aiguille has been pretty much hollowed out to form an intricate labyrinth of rooms and corridors that weave their way through the rocky, mainly granite peak. This in itself is impressive enough but it also allows space for multiple exhibitions, displays and viewing platforms which greatly enhance your time at the top.

The views over Mt Blanc and the valley are breath-taking – an up-close vista over age-old, splintered ice flows which have cracked to form huge crevasses as they’ve edged their way down the mountainside. It feels almost as though you’re at the epicentre of the Alps, enormous peaks spilling in all directions punctuating the horizon as far as the eye can see. There are of course other great mountain views in the Alps – I’m reminded of the outlook from Pic Blanc in Alpe d’Huez, Zermatt’s/Cervinia’s Gobba di Rollin, Stubai’s Top of the Tyrol – however none has the same aura as the view from Aiguille du Midi.

An average trip on the summit apparently lasts around three hours – though somehow we found ourselves there closer five. There is a surprising amount to do and see in the summit’s warren of tunnels, including:

Zones in the Aiguille du Midi top station

• The Altitude Zone: An exhibition on the effects of altitude and hypoxia. The station has been used in multiple experiments to study the effect of mountain sickness, pulmonary edema and humans’ ability to adapt to altitude. Above 3500m is considered very high altitude so be advised, those with heart or breathing problems are not advised to take this trip.
• The Espace Vertical: A fascinating glimpse into the history of climbing and Alpinism on the Mt Blanc massif, including displays of modern and traditional climbing equipment, an interactive 3D map and various videos. At 3777m this is the highest museum ever built.
• The History area: Learn the history of the cable car construction including a view over the massive drive wheels, whirling as they lift visitors to the summit.
• Access to the Vallée Blanche: A tunnel cut through sheer ice walls leading to the famed Ice Steps allowing climbers and skiers access to the Vallée Blanche descent and beyond. At 20km long with a vertical drop of 2700m, the Vallée Blanche is one of the most famous off-piste routes in the world. Expect to see hardened mountain types, bedecked with crampons and ice axes preparing to exit onto the glacier.
• Espace Mt Blanc: A indoor viewing gallery with breaktaking views over the Mt Blanc and brief history of notable ascents made on the mountain.
• The Pipe: A new attraction which allows full 360 passage around the summit in a tube suspended thousands of feet above the glacier.
• Télécabine Panoramic Mont-Blanc (open June to September): A 5km gondola ride linking to the Pointe Helbronner above Courmayeur on the Italian side, over the Glacier du Géant. This glacier is a huge permanent icepack which feeds the legendary Mer de Glace and Vallée Blanche.
• Lift to the summit and Terrasse 3842: An elevator cut through the pinnacle of the Aiguille which gives access to a high viewing terrace surrounding the massive TV transmitter on the summit (the iconic metal shard on the peak, visible from miles around). Note, queues are common here so factor in at least a fifteen minute wait to access (longer in summer months). The views are worth the wait.
• Le Pas dans le Vide / Step into the void (free): Accessed from Terrasse 3842, Step into the Void is a 2.5m glass box suspended from the side of the Aiguille, 1000m above the glaciers below. Vertigo sufferers should probably avoid.
• Countless viewing platforms: With 360’ access around the summit, you are spoiled for choice with views that extend far into Italy, France and Switzerland. Were it not for the cold, you could spend hours up here.
• Le 3842: One of the world’s highest restaurants serving local Savoie fare, albeit at rather inflated prices. Booking advised.
• Le Vertical Café and shop: With gifts and snacks offered at prices as lofty as its elevation.

Is a trip up the Aiguille du Midi worth the money?

A trip up the Aiguille isn’t particularly cheap – €65 per person. Then again, it offers a rare perspective over a vast glacial kingdom that, let’s face, very few of us will ever see by any other means. When you consider we were there for five hours, €65 is very reasonable for such a unique trip. You feel a tangible sense of privilege and awe, getting so close to otherwise inaccessible terrain, at an altitude so high it strips your body of oxygen. It is an exceptional experience and one I’d highly recommend if you are in any way interested in mountains. To be honest, the cable car ride alone is worth the fee.

Options to book your Aiguille du Midi trip online

We booked online and were allotted a specific ride time and advised to attend half an hour early. Even in the quieter winter months, it’s a good idea to arrive promptly as the queues were still quite large. I can only presume pre-booking and punctuality is even more important in the busier summer months. The cable car attracts nearly half a million visitors per year – so pre-booking is definitely recommended.

PRICES AND RESERVATIONS (all prices correct Jan 2020)

Online booking at http://www.montblancnaturalresort.com/en/forfait-ski/aller-retour-aiguille-du-midi/

Family pass: 201.60 € (2 adults + 2 children & 3rd, 4th and 5th of the same family are free)

One way ticket for adult: 50.50 €

Round-trip ticket for adult: 65 €

One way ticket for a child (5-14 years): 42.90 €

Round-trip ticket for a child (5-14 years): 55.30 €.

Free entry for children < 5 years.

Note: The Aiguille closes for annual maintenance in Autumn (dates are not fixed). Tickets cannot be returned, exchanged or refunded. Check the website for details before travelling to avoid disappointment.

Medical precautions for taking a trip up the Aiguille du Midi

Plan to spend an average two to three hours at the summit. Note, this is high mountain terrain and those with breathing difficulties, heart problems or other significant medical issues are not advised to take the trip. Consult your doctor if in doubt.

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