THE Midi téléphérique lifts you from ‘chic’ Chamonix into one of the most savage but beautiful mountain wildernesses on the planet. I once overheard a member of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix explain to his clients, “nowhere are such mountains so readily reached; they have no competitors outside the Karakorum, yet you can be among them in no time at all”. Twenty minutes, to be precise.
Many will be satisfied with the view from the top station’s restaurant but, for the more intrepid, a first, more intimate encounter with the stunning world of the high mountains will be at the start of a ski descent of the Vallée Blanche. This huge glacier system flows off the ‘eternal snows’ of the Mont Blanc massif and is often described as the world’s longest blue run. That perspective may change, however, as you emerge from the station’s ice tunnel on to the notorious snow that leads to the glacier proper. The skiing isn’t that technical, but you are entering the world of the mountaineer, and as with any glacier, there are crevasses, so you shouldn’t feel bashful about joining a party led by a guide.
