As you ascend towards the heavens past the Chamonix Aiguilles while riding in a cable car that whisks you hurriedly towards the summit of the Aiguille du Midi, you are consumed by the breathtaking views of the Alps and the valley below. As you exit the cable car, you will notice that this location, Plan d’Aiguille, is the half way station for the cable car as well as the starting area for your walking route - Grand Balcon Nord. It has a total ...

Distance: 12km Time: 5–51⁄2hrs Start altitude: 1251m High point: Col de Balme, 2204m Height gain: 953m Height loss: 925m Map: LS 5003 Mont Blanc–Grand Combin 1:50,000 or LS 282T Martigny 1:50,000 Accommodation: Le Tour (1hr 30mins) – hotel, gîte; Col de Balme (3hrs) – refuge; Le Peuty (5hrs 15mins) – gîte, camping; Trient – dortoirs Transport options: Bus (Argentière–Le Tour); Gondola and chairlift (Le ...

Chamonix to Zermatt, Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. What pictures these names conjure in the minds of those of us who love mountains! The two greatest mountaineering centres in the world – one overshadowed by the highest massif in Western Europe and the other by the most famous, if not the most elegant and most instantly recognised, of all mountains. Chamonix to Zermatt, Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn – recipe for a visual feast! To ...