Local, Climbing and Skiiing Info

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 length of 6.5km, total ascent of 150m, total descent of 540m and should take around 2.5 hours to complete.

Starting from Plan d’Aiguille, the walking route follows a northeasterly path right along the Grand Balcon Nord or the northern balcony path. And because the grand balcon nord walking trail hovers around the 2000 meters above sea level mark, the trail is very popular since it provides spectacular high level views of the surrounding landscape and is relatively easy to access for walkers of all abilities.

Marked trails leading from the cable car mid station lead you towards a section of the trail that will make you turn your head towards the sky to take in the towering, brownish-black and snow covered Chamonix Aiguilles mountains. Then, you will continue to make your way down the trail until you come upon the upper station of the Montenvers Mountain Railway.

If you are fortunate enough to experience the grand balcon walking trail in early summer, you are in for a treat. The path, while looking mostly like a rock garden, has flowering shrubs and flowers of all kinds that provide dashes of intense colors as far as the eye can see. As you continue upon your journey along the grand balcon trail, you will experience a relatively straightforward path that will snake along the mountainside for quite some time.

And as you progress along the trail, you will inevitably come across spectacular views of the Aiguilles Rouges with the Chamonix valley below. You will ultimately come to the junction of two paths in the Montenvers area of the trail. Your choices are either to head towards the Montenvers station or to take the route over Signal Forbes. Taking the Signal Forbes path would be your best bet.

This path will begin to slowly ascend over 150m in total as you hike along zigzagging trails on your way up. As you approach the crest of the trail, you are rewarded handsomely with awe-inspiring views of the Aiguille Verte. And even though walking down into Montenvers seems like a good idea, don’t do it. Why not? Because, by using a little more physical effort, you can make it up to the viewpoint of the Signal Forbes trail. This is where you can behold the spectacular views of the Mer de Glace or Sea of Ice below you.

There are always certain things you must take into consideration before deciding to walk along the grand balcon trail. For example, it can be fairly crowded in fair weather during the peak season. If you plan on taking lots of pictures, know that the afternoon is the best time in which to take photographs. Give yourself enough time to catch the last train from Montenvers Chamonix because the walk down can be tedious. Snow may also cover parts of the trail early or late in the season. And finally, when the weather is good, the cable cars have very long wait times so arrive there as early as possible.

Le Petit Balcon’s path begins surrounded by lush, green forests. It is located on the southern side of the Aiguilles Rouges, which is the chain of peaks that rise up and form Chamonix valleys northern wall. Le Petit Balcon is an absolutely stunning path indeed that meanders through tall green trees while providing grand views of the valley below. As you approach the highest location on the walking trail, it is possible to see up to the highest points of Mont Blanc Massif located on the valleys southern side. On low cloud days, it is an amazing sight to see the majestic mountain peaks protruding through the grey clouds that engulf them.

Did you know that Chamonix is known the whole world around for its cable cars and lifts that are able to bring you right up to massive glaciers and mountains? And that walks originating from cable car routes and stations are available for a lot of the year. Of course, with so many lifts and cable cars to choose from, it can be quite confusing to know which cable car routes are best suited to walkers and hikers. Well, the Brevent, Le Tour/Le Balme and the Plan d’Aiguille are quite sufficient for walkers and hikers. Also, the Montenvers offers an interesting walk to the Plan d’Aiguille while Flegere and the Index provide individuals with the opportunity to participate in a beautiful and popular walk to Lac Blanc.

Now as far as weather in the Alps is concerned, you need to be prepared and mindful the whole year around. In fact, summer storms can become so violent so quickly that you are often caught off guard with no place to hide. And quite commonly, rock climbers, hikers and walkers experience what seems like an almost instantaneous covering of snow on their hiking or climbing trails making conditions too hazardous to continue on in. There are also electrical storms that began originally as convection clouds over the plains area of the Chamonix valley. As these storms intensify, you can audibly hear static electricity and buzzing noises all around you. Lightning strikes can occur when the electrical storms hit. And remember that all of this terrifying weather phenomenon can easily happen on what starts out as a pleasant weather day.