Tuesday 5/7/19 – Part 3 – As I said, I kept the best for last. I took the Aiguille du Midi (pronounced ay-gwee doo mee-dee) lift, which they say is the most spectacular mountain lift in Europe. The experience was really incredible. You pack on to this gondola with tons of people, mostly skiers and mountain climbers with all their gear and soar up over the trees. You stop and change gondolas at Plan de l’Aiguille which is at 7,578 feet. Then when you get out at the top there are several gift shops, cafeterias, view terraces, and many nooks and crannies to explore. One of the cool things I did was follow the skiers and mountain climbers over to the “ice tunnel” where they make their exit and descend the mountain. It was funny to chat with them as they readied all their gear and started to make their descent. The skiers usually make a 13 mile run over to the Mer de Glace that I spoke about in entry 2. Crazy!
It seemed surreal to be up that high and staring right at Mont Blanc. More than 2,000 people scale Mont Blanc each year. A long but not technically challenging climb (so they say!), the summit was first conquered in 1786, more than 170 years before the lift was built.
Again, I’ll let the incredible pictures do the talking. See if you can spot some of the skiers that look like little ants in some of the pics. And yes, it was C-O-L-D up there!! Enjoy!
Jeff
PS: This is my last day in Annecy/Chamonix and it too was a great segment of this trip. Tomorrow I leave for Nice on the French Riviera (I know, I know, it’s a rough life but somebody has to do it! Lol)
The Wandering Italian 