Bonjour mes amis! Wednesday, March 2, we traveled with Jill & Craig Crabtree to Aiguille du Midi, a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. We decided to take the most thrilling and spectacular téléphérique (gondola) to the top. Approximately 75 people pile into the gondola and soar to the tip of a rock needle 12,600 feet above sea level. The town of Chamonix shrinks as trees fly by, then rocks, ice and snow until you reach the top. You take the 1st gondola half-way up then you get off and take a 2nd gondola the rest of the way up. The final ascent is straight up the rocky cliffs. This journey is not for the "faint of heart" or those with a fear of heights. You travel from 2000 feet to 12,600 feet in a matter of 20 minutes. No matter how sunny it is, it is quite cold. The temperature drops from 45 to 15 degrees in a matter of minutes. The air is also quite thin. When we got off our gondola at the top, we followed skiers who had brought their ski equipment with them. The skiers walked through an "ice cave" and then, after securing their ski equipment, exited the cave and skied down Aiguille du Midi. We met one Frenchman on our way up who was planning to spend 3 days camping as he explored Aiguille du Midi. From the observation decks you can see the Alps spread out before you. First, you see Mont Blanc, the Alps' highest point at 15,771 feet. More than 2,000 mountain climbers scale this mountain each year. There is a rusty tin-can needle which serves as a communication tower. Aiguille du Midi is Europe's tallest lift station. There were yards of tunnels which lead to a gift shop and cafeteria. The views were absolutely sensational and merely viewing these mountains was exhilarating. Enjoy the pictures. We truly felt "on top of the world"!
Mme. Wallace
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