If I Were Going...: Back to the Mountains

The French Alps from our deck in Chamonix; Photo: Scott Stevens

For a complete change, we left the sunny, warm Riviera and headed toward the tallest mountains in France, spending the next night in Lus-La-Croix Haute and then two nights in the ski resort town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (usually shortened to Chamonix).

Chamonix; Photo: Scott Stevens

A Rural Stop

Lus-La-Croix-Haute was a last-minute add when I dropped Nice and cut our Riviera time from three to two nights. I picked it because it was halfway to Chamonix and it was in the Alps.

As we drove (the first part on the tollway and then on some narrow but still OK mountain roads), we saw ...

Another hilltop village; Photo: Scott Stevens

Some very impressive mountains

Hang gliders

And more impressive mountains

The little town of Lus-la-Croix-Haute was interesting. It reminded me of all those French towns you see in World War II movies with a central square surrounded by buildings (think Saving Private Ryan). Of course, it was peaceful and neat rather than bombed out. In fact, it was extremely peaceful with almost no activity. The grocery store was even closed for about three hours for lunch.

A quiet French town

History still hangs heavy there, however. Lus-la-Croix-Haute apparently was affected by the war because there is a statue thanking American GIs in the square.

Town square

Our accommodation outside of "town," Cottage au Trabuech, was also interesting. It was a stone outbuilding for a farm that had been, along with several others, converted into an apartment, complete with living, dining, kitchen, bath and bedroom. I find the coolest stuff on Booking.com.

Home sweet home; Photo: Scott Stevens

It was delightfully cozy with one major flaw – it smelled terribly of mildew – and one minor flaw – the heat didn’t come on until 9:00 p.m. and, even then, it was weak. Fortunately a wood-burning stove outfitted with a fair amount of wood kept the living area warm (the bedroom, not so much).

Charming

But, the rural vibe and spectacular surroundings made up for the flaws (well, a bit, I did suffer from the mildew). Since we had a full kitchen, I went to the small store in town and bought supplies for a lovely pasta dinner (instead of spaghetti sauce, I used a yummy jarred ratatouille and some of our snack cheese) with a salad made from one of the most beautiful heads of lettuce I had ever bought.

I struggled a bit with figuring out how to turn on the stove top (it turned out that I was an idiot and had accidentally child-locked it). It was until after I cooked the pasta in the microwave (yes, you can do that!) and baked the pasta dish that I figured it out. It was still a delicious meal.

The view from the cottage door was spectacular.

Stunning

And, on the way back from the store, I was able to photograph a Common Buzzard that flew over my car and landed in a (little too distant) tree.

I just happened on this beauty

I need to clear a little confusion: a Common Buzzard is a Hawk, similar to a Red-tailed Hawk and, indeed, common in Europe. The term Buzzard is often used incorrectly in the U.S. to denote a Vulture. But a Buzzard is not a Vulture.

A Common Buzzard we saw the next day

Our stay in Lus-la-Croix-Haute was brief because it was intended to be just a stopover rather than a destination. But, it was one of the prettiest spots we stopped at.

The was a pretty kitty, too

Heading to the Alps

The next morning, we headed on to Chamonix, which is in the French Alps near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy at the base of 15,771-foot-tall Mont Blanc, the highest summit in Western Europe. It is one of the oldest ski resorts in France, popular with alpinists and mountain enthusiasts.

Chamonix

The drive there was lovely, winding through the Alps on narrowish, but good, roads.

View from the road

The weather was fickle. We had rain. We had overcast. We had sun.

A nice view on the way

But, the drive was really beautiful.

I wish we had planned more time for stops

We saw (finally) a fair number of raptors. My closest encounters with raptors were compromised by bad light. We saw a number of Common Buzzards. The two I captured were both perched in medium-to-heavy rain.

This one was braving some of the heaviest rain we saw

Then, we rounded a bend to see seven (seven!) Red Kites sitting in a dead tree.

A wake of Kites

I was able to photograph six of them as they saw me and flew off.

Frenzied take-off

I wish the light had been better, but they were a sight to see.

One stayed for a closer look

The closer we got to Chamonix, the taller the mountains got and the more it started to look like what we usually think of as Switzerland. There were chalets with flowerboxes on the windows …

So pretty; Left photo: Scott Stevens

... Charming villages ...

Perched in front of a giant mountain

Cows with giant bells around their necks …

Quaint church steeples …

Quite different from the cathedrals we had been seeing

And, then, we stopped in a park in the cute little town of Beaufortain where we saw ...

A river, bridge and an antique cider press ...

Hillside chalets and a beautiful lake; Right photo: Scott Stevens

I even got two new birds there, a flock of European Serins flitting about a grove of small apple trees and a single European Greenfinch.

Left: European Greenfinch; Right: European Serins (what do you expect in Europe?)

This was one of the times on the trip that the skies were sunny.

Cows and more views of the lake

When we stopped a little later in Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, a lovely little town with abundant brilliant flowers, a Yellowjacket flew into my hair and, as I tried to brush it away, it stung me right beside my eye. I was so afraid that my face would swell up like a basketball, but it didn’t. It just hurt like hell and formed a raised red bump that finally went away after a month!

Heading on to Chamonix, the mountains became more dramatic.

Wow

Finally, we descended into the valley and wound between the mountains through a series of towns until we reached our destination. As we drove in, we thought we saw Mont Blanc, but I am not certain. We did see, however, many impressive mountains.

At first, we thought this might be Mont-Blanc, but I think not

The weather had deteriorated since we descended into the valley, ending in rain that evening. The next day was foggy, drizzly and generally awful. Such a shame because I suspect Chamonix is jaw-dropping on a clear day. It’s pretty amazing when its awful

Chamonix

A little about Chamonix …

The area's first known name, Campum Munitum, meaning fortified plain or field, showed up in the first written records of the town in 1091. By 1283 the name had been abbreviated to a similar form to the modern Chamonis. Other forms through the ages included Chamouny in 1581, Chamony in 1652, Chamouni in 1786 and Chamonix from 1793.

A delightful town

The early writings about Chamonix chronicled how it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse, near Turin. A couple of hundred years later, there was a record of their establishing a priory there. Chamonix became part of the historical land of Savoy, which ruled the area from 1416 to 1860. The priory operated for about 300 years before transferring to a nearby village.

In the 18th Century, Chamonix was primarily agricultural despite the difficulties of farming in an area with long, harsh winters.

The town is green, but only for a few months; Photo: Scott Stevens

In 1741, two Englishmen, William Windham and Richard Pococke, discovered the Glacier des Bois, which they renamed the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice).

Mer de Glace; Photo: Scott Stevens

Windham didn't look outdoorsy; Painting: J. Dagnia

When they returned to London, they wrote about Chamonix in literary gazettes, spurring a tourism boom as adventurers came to see the massive glacier, hike, climb the mountains and explore.

In 1760, Horace Bénédict de Saussure, a scientist from Geneva, offered a reward to the first person to reach the summit of Mont Blanc. In 1786, locals Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard did it. A year later, de Saussure himself reached the top, with help from Balmat. From then on, local farmers transformed themselves into part-time guides and hoteliers every summer.

Statues honoring Balmat and Paccard; Middle and right photos: Scott Stevens

Then, skiing was introduced and tourism became a year-round endeavor.

When tourists started coming to ski, the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix formed to regulate access to mountain slopes, which were communally owned. The association required all mountain guides to be local.

In 1821, the French government created laws that required guides to hold a diploma issued by a commission run by the French Alpine Club and the government.

Following the loss of its monopoly, the Compagnie re-formed as an association of local guides. In the 20th Century, many members were noted mountaineers.

Rugged terrain; Photo: Scott Stevens

Serving as the host city for the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 further raised Chamonix's profile as an international tourist destination.

1924 Winter Olympics; Photo: International Olympic Committee

During the Second World War, a Children's Home operated in Chamonix, in which several dozen Jewish children were hidden from the Nazis.

By the 1960s, agriculture had been reduced to a marginal activity; the number of tourist beds rose to around 60,000 by the end of the 20th Century, with about 5 million visitors a year.

Me, being a tourist; Photos: Scott Stevens

I had made plans to do two things on our second day there. The first day we checked into our large condo, Appart'hôtel Bellamy Chamonix, that had a full kitchen (with yellow cabinets and a red fridge), a big living area and a lovely deck with a fabulous view of the mountains.

Can't beat that!; Left photo: Scott Stevens

It also had a weird console game that we didn’t use. But, I could hear a neighbor playing theirs nonstop until 2:00 a.m.!

Appart'hôtel Bellamy Chamonix, a really nice condo; Photos: Scott Stevens

After we arrived, we walked around and enjoyed the ambiance of the cute little town.

Alpine charm; Right photo: Scott Stevens

Then, we took a drive and visited a pretty (if a bit drippy) park on the edge of town.

A beautiful park

I even saw some birds there (France had not been delivering much on the bird front).

Left: Carrion Crow, Common Raven, Eurasian Blackbird; Right: Common Chaffinch

Then, we went back to our room and settled in for the night (no, we are not party animals).

Evening view from our deck

I wish we had changed plans to do activities that afternoon because, despite it being slightly drizzly, it was much better than the next day.

Cloudy skies

Into the Sky

Our first activity was to ride the cable car to the 12,605-foot summit of the Aiguille du Midi (“Needle at Midday”).

This was actually midday, just didn't look it

We arrived on time for our ride up, but found that all departures were delayed because the drizzle that we had down below was several inches of snow and lots of ice above.

Brrrrrr; Right photo: Scott Stevens

We waited awhile and finally boarded, wishing all the time we had gone the night before.

Scott on the cable car

The cable car is based on an older system proposed in 1909, built in 1920, rebuilt in the first half of the 1950s over five summer seasons, fully modernized in 1979 and upgraded again in 2008.

Heading up

It has the highest vertical ascent of any cable car in the world, first climbing from 3,396 feet to Plan de l'Aiguille at 7,602 feet.

The only color we saw was at this stop

Plan de l'Aiguille has some trails, an observation deck and a store/café. I imagine its hopping on a busy day and during ski season. Yes, despite the extremely steep mountains, people do ski here, including some very dangerous back country ("off piste") treks.

Stop 1

But, you aren’t done there. We then got on another cable car that ascends directly, without any support pillar, to the upper station at 12,391 feet. Watch that car here.

Heading even farther up

This stop is a building embedded inside a vertical rock needle.

Stop 2; Photos: Scott Stevens

Built in the needle

I thought it looked like something from a 007 movie. When I looked it up later, I found out that it was: in The World is Not Enough in 1999.

An elevator took us from there to the top deck.

At the top

I have no one idea why anyone thought you could build something like that or how they did it.

Amazing

The full rise is 9,209 feet in maybe 20 minutes (including changing cars).

There is also access by cable car to a nearby peak on the Italian side, called Skyway Monte Bianco. Had it been clear, we would have done that, but when I saw the cars, they were heading into pea soup fog.

Not much of a view; Photo: Scott Stevens

At the summit there is a panoramic viewing platform, a snack bar, a café and a gift shop. It also has a glass skywalk called "Step into the Void" with a view 3,396 feet straight down.

"Step into the Void;" Left photo: Scott Stevens

Because you have to wear special booties and cannot take cameras in, we opted to just look at other people in it. With the fog, I am not sure the downward view was any more impactful than what we could see from the deck.

Looking straight down from teh deck; Photo: Scott Stevens

Even in summer, temperatures in the open viewing areas can fall to 14 °F and visitors “require both warm clothing and protection from very bright sunlight.” It was chilly, but not that cold and there was no sunlight.

Highly skilled extreme skiers and mountaineers can also access Aiguille du Midi, but guides are suggested. Duh!

Quite a way up; Photo: Scott Stevens

Watch the ride up here.

Despite the weather, worth it

Chamonix has many other cable cars routes used heavily by skiers and residents.

Another lift station (when the sun was out)

All Aboard

When I booked the Aiguille du Midi trip, it also included a train trip. I must admit that I was a bit confused about what it was and where it went. There wasn't much posted and the Visitor Information Center was closed. So, I asked at the Auigille du Midi cable car station and they sent us on our way.

We found out that we needed to walk a few blocks to a train station to board the Montenvers Cog Railway.

A cute red train; Right photo: Scott Stevens

The Cog Rairoad station is not the main Chamonix train station, but it is adjacent to it.

Chamonix Train Station

It was a bit tricky to find it by foot. We ended up walking through a residential area and up over a berm on a dirt path that was (thankfully) marked with a directional sign to the Montenvers Cog Railway.

Montenvers Cog Railway; Photo: Scott Stevens

The train travels three miles and 4,000 feet up a mountain to the tourist site of Montenvers.

On the train; Photos: Scott Stevens

The ride was pretty, despite the fog.

Rocks out the window

Trees and a look at Chamonix from the train

Montenvers has a hotel, café and store.

The hotel abuts the train depot

Now, I thought that we were headed to a tourist town with shops and restaurants and, quite possibly, there were some things like that around the corner. But, it appeared that all there was was the hotel and access by gondola car to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) glacier. And, it was pretty rainy and cold, so exploring wasn't appealing.

Gondola entrance; Photo: Scott Stevens

At first, I thought that was an extra attraction, but it was part of the deal (I told you I didn't have much info). We almost didn't go because of that confusion and because the area was under construction, making it a bit more confusing about where we were heading. But, we sorted it all out and headed to the gondola.

Gondola to the Mer de Glace

Once there, you can walk down some metal stairs and explore an artificial “ice grotto” carved into the side of the glacier.

Scott on the metal stairs; they were fine, but possibly scary in colder, icier weather

The grotto has to be dug out every summer since the glacier moves more than 200 feet every year. It seems like a big investment for a moving target.

Grotto entrance

Inside the grotto are tunnels and several ice sculptures ...

Ice art

... and an ice throne ...

King and queen of the ice; Right photo: Scott Stevens

The walk to and from includes about 430 steps on both sides of the gondola.

The stairs zig-zag down to the glacier; Left photo: Scott Stevens

Interesting, but not as pretty as the natural ice caves I toured in Iceland (here and here).

A bit cheesy, but fun

The Mer de Glace, a valley glacier on the northern slopes of the Mont Blanc massif, is almost five miles long and 660 feet deep. When all its tributary glaciers are taken into account, it can be regarded as the longest and largest glacier in France, and the second longest in the Alps. It is a compound valley glacier, gaining ice from snowfields that cover the heights directly north of Mont Blanc at an altitude of around 13,000 feet. It flows for a total distance of eight miles, covering an area of 12 square miles.

Inside the Mer de Glace

In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the glacier descended all the way down to the hamlet of Les Bois, where it was known as Glacier des Bois. At that time the river Arveyron emerged from the glacier under a grotto-like vault and attracted many visitors, painters and, later, photographers.

The glacier and river; Art: Glaciersclimat.com

Now, the glacier has receded past Montenvers and seems to be rapidly retreating.

Unlike many glaciers, Mer de Glace is covered in gray gravel, making it hard to discern what is ice and what is mountain. But, once inside, you know you are in a glacier.

Not a pretty glacier

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus references Mer de Glace during Victor Frankenstein's hikes into the Mount Blanc massif. Dr. Frankenstein meets his creation twice during mountaineering on the Mer de Glace. We didn't see him anywhere.