Epic Alpine Adventure
Images: Glacial cave in the Mer de Glace; Exit onto the Aiguille du Midi; Paraglider above Chamonix.
Epic Adventures in Chamonix
Days 10-12 of tour
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Walking in a glacier
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Looking from the Aiguille du Midi at Mont Blanc
- Watching paragliders land
- Chatting with tourmates and soaking up the sun
How many miles I walked
Wednesday (Day 10): 5.31
Thursday (Day 11): 7.67
Fun moment: Epic dinner of fondue and grilled meats with the group to wrap up our tour.
Glacial Pace
We wound up, down and around some more of the Alps. This time we traveled through some Rhone region vineyards (!!) before descending into Chamonix. I was thinking about going to the glacial cave, at Montenvers, and Cary suggested I may have enough time to make it. I was in my hotel room unpacking a little after 1 p.m. when she texted me.
"Just wanted you to know that I checked and last gondola to glacier stops @3 and last train at 4:30."
No further encouragement needed. A little by the seat of my pants, I made it to the glacier.
The gray in the pictures at the right is all glacier, with dirt mixed in. You can see this in the cave opening (second row). Also look for the blue ribbon in each of the pictures; that's the entrance to the cave.
The path is labeled with the year the glacier was at that level as you traipse down the metal stairs. It seemed to accelerate as I went past 1990, 2005, and finally 2015. We will have to adjust our definition of glacial pace.
This excursion was another one of those best-in-life adventures. I hadn't been to a glacier before. And I have Cary to thank that I made it with time to spare. Great guides make your vacation easier and bigger!
Images:
From the platform outside the gift shop and train station; The sweep of the Mer de Glace, which goes all the way to Mont Blanc; the entrance to the glacial cave; a view down from the edge of the glacier about 15 years ago; why ice is blue (hint, light reflection); and inside the glacial cave.
Find Robin's Phone
Photos from my tourmate Beth
We'd gathered outdoors for another happy hour. We were chatting away when I felt my phone slip out of my pocket. I got up to retrieve it, and realized it has fallen between the cracks in the decking. Yikes! The Hotel l'Arve team acted quickly, along with a few of my tourmates. Thanks to all who helped or kept me laughing. It turns out a phone can be too thin!
Attitude at Altitude
Mont Blanc from the Aiguille du Midi
Here was another excursion I had been waiting for - Mont Blanc. I confess this was as much about the fountain pen brand as it was about the info in the RS guide.
As you can see, the weather was beautiful for our visit. We arrived at the gondola just as the wait times expanded. We all packed into the car more tightly than the Paris metro at rush hour. That is until we swung over a trestle that changed our ascent angle. We swung, and the people in the front of the car fell over from the momentum! (The gondola is enclosed. No one was harmed in the making of this story.) It was a little tense as we eased our way into the first station, and everyone was prepared for a giant swing on the the second lift. (A swing that did not come.)
At the top, you could see for miles. We caught a glimpse of the Matterhorn. I was fascinated by the hikers/mountaineers. You can see them trekking through the snow (second row). At the top of the page, the opening in the snow is where they leave the safety of the observation station.
I had to limit the pictures I posted here. I took several hundred, enjoying the cold and fresh mountain air. The shortness-of-breath came quickly, after about 30 minutes. I found my tourmates and we regrouped at the stop on the way down for tea and hot chocolate. The last pictures are from this stop. (bottom row)
This is some pretty epic scenery, made even more stunning by the brilliant sunshine. (Though I'm not sure why a line of fountain pens borrowed its name.) It was beautiful day to just sit and enjoy it. And on vacation, what else should you do?
Images: Looking down to Chamonix from the Aiguille du Midi; Gondolas traverse the Mer de Glace to Italy; Same gondolas, with people climbing down the mountain; fun signage; slightly off the beaten path on Plan de l'Aiguille.
One Last Beautiful Morning
Just about every tour account that I've read from a Rick Steves tour talks about how hard it is to go home. I had another morning in Chamonix before leaving for Geneva and my plane home. I lingered over breakfast - saying safe travels, we had a blast and other things that substituted for goodbye.
In just 12 days, I'd found more than two dozen people I could walk with, swap stories with, and even sit silently through breakfast with. And I am grateful.
After a while, though, I did have to leave and repack my suitcase. My shuttle to Geneva wasn't until 2 p.m., though, so I caught some more pictures from around Chamonix. Enjoy the beautiful day!
Images
World War memorial
Bridge over the river Arve
Le Monchu - site of our farewell dinner
Another hour watching the paragliders land.
