Photo : Calips / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Le téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi cable car rises from Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie, to the upper station at about 3,777 metres' altitude. A lift cut into the rock then lets you reach the summit terrace, at 3,842 metres. It is the highest cable car in France.
The trip is made in two sections: the first leads from Chamonix to the Plan de l'Aiguille, at about 2,300 metres' altitude, then the second crosses a major height difference without an intermediate pylon. Visitors find themselves in a few minutes in a high-mountain world, among glaciers and steep walls.
On the terrace, the Step into the Void, a glass cage suspended above a void of more than a thousand metres, offers a spectacular experience. The panorama extends over the Mont Blanc massif and, depending on visibility, over the Alps. The altitude requires dressing well against cold and wind, and the weather can cause closures.
