When I worked in Switzerland 1988-89 I used to work a lot of hours and days in a row but normally when I had days off it was usually a few days in a row which enabled me to go further afield and tour.
One of the places that I wanted to see was Chamonix France. Home of the first Winter Olympics in 1924 it is also the home of the Aiguille du Midi. This is part of one of the highest mountain ranges in the Alps including Mont Blanc. The cable car that takes you to the top of this 12,605 foot (3842 metres ) is in two sections. I remember the ground temperature was in the low 20's but when I got to the top it had dropped to the low single digit.
The cable car taking you up to the top was introduced in 1955. When they started filling that cable car I couldn't believe all the people it could carry. I mean we were 40 people crammed in that big telepherique and when it started it was a jolt. You had to hold on to the hand supports to keep you from falling over.
Then it was crazy steep the ascent. It still is the steepest vertical ascent in the world. When we arrived at the first stage some people chose that to disembark and check the view but I took the second one to head straight to the top.
When we arrived at the summit the view was amazing! In the summer there is even a cable car that takes you to Italy from France traveling from peak to peak. It actually saves time by skipping the drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel.
I wanted to see more of Chamonix so I declined the ride to Italy. I went on a one day off so time was not my friend.
I loved Chamonix and the cable car ride. It was amazing! Below is a picture of Chamonix and a webcam of the view from the summit. Check it out!
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| Chamonix France |
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