Ever since two English explorers, William Windham and Richard Pocock, first discovered the Mer de Glace (“Sea of Ice”) in 1741, it has become one of the world’s most visited natural sites and is a huge draw of visitors to the Chamonix Valley. The area became accessible by mule from 1802, but it was the opening of the Montenvers Train in 1908 that really opened the site up to the masses.
The Montenvers Train
Montenvers Train
Departing from its own station just behind the main gare SNCF in town, the little red Montenvers Train is almost as familiar a sight in Chamonix as Mont Blanc itself. The construction of this famous rack and pinion railway required 118000m3 of earth and rock to be excavated and then cleared from the area by a team of mules. When it opened in 1908, the 5141m journey took 55minutes and covered an altitude gain of 871m, making it the steepest rack and pinion train in Europe. When the line was electrified in 1953, the journey time was more than halved to just 20 minutes, which is how long it still takes today.
There are 6 self-propelling electric rail cars and three diesel locomotives that travel between 14-20km/h. Each train can hold 160 – 200 people and since 1993 when it started operating in the winter, it is often standing room only as the thousands of Vallée Blanche skiers make their way back to town.
At the top, the station has a café, a souvenir shop and spectacular views over the surrounding peaks and down onto the Mer de Glace; a vista that more than one million people flock to see each year. Celebrating its centenary in 2008, the occasion will be marked by a number of events, evening soirees and operatic performances, as well as a permanent exhibition and accompanying book. You can find out more about the celebrations on the Compagnie du Mont Blanc's own website.
(Photo Credit: Compagnie du Mont Blanc)
Montenvers Train Timetable
MONTENVERS TRAIN TIMETABLE
Date
First Departure from Chamonix
Frequency
Last Return from Montenvers
Ice Caves Info
15th May – 3rd July 2009
8.30am
Hourly until 10am then every 30 minutes until 5pm
5.30pm
Last descent to caves: 4pm Last ascent to Montenvers: 5pm
4th July – 23rd August 2009
8.00am
Every 30 minutes until 10am then every 20 minutes until 6pm
6.30pm
Last descent to caves: 5pm Last ascent to Montenvers: 6pm
24th August - 11th October 2009
8.30am
Hourly until 10am then every 30 minutes until 5pm
5.30pm
Last descent to caves: 4pm Last ascent to Montenvers: 5pm
12th - 23rd October 2009
-
Train is closed
-
Closed
24th October – 8th November 2009
10.00am
Hourly
4.30pm
Closed
9th November – 18th December 2009
10.00am
To Montenvers: 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm To Chamonix: 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm
4.30pm
Closed
19th December 2009 - 30th April 2010
9am
To Montenvers: 9am then every hour until 4pm To Chamonix: 10am and 10.30am and then every hour (at half past) until 4.30pm
4.30pm
Open from 10.30am (later if snow clearing necessary). Last departure from Chamonix to visit the cave at 3pm.
1st May - 14th May 2010
8.30am
To Montenvers: 8.30am then every 30 minutes until 5pm To Chamonix: 9am then every 30 minutes until 5.30pm
5.30pm
Open from 10.30am (later if snow clearing necessary). Last departure from Chamonix to visit the cave at 4pm.
Cash desks open 15 minutes before first departure
NB. Spring & Autumn schedules can sometimes be interrupted due to maintenance work, check at the Montenvers train station for updates.
The Mer de Glace
The Mer de Glace in winter
As well as enjoying the unique experience of the Montenvers train itself, the main draw for visitors to this site is the Mer de Glace. At 7km long and with a surface area of 40km2, it is also France’s largest glacier, extending from an altitude of 3900m, at the point where the Leschaux, Le Tacul and the Talèfre glaciers converge, down to 1400m, just below the Hotel Montenvers. The width of the glacier varies between 700m to 1950m and the depth of the ice averages around 200m but is as much as 400m thick in places!
Up until 1820, it was still possible to see the Mer de Glace from Chamonix, but since then it has steadily retreated out of sight as the vast rocky moraines along its edge will testify. However, like all glaciers, the Mer de Glace is constantly being renewed by snowfall and is permanently “flowing” under the effect of its own weight. Although this movement isn’t perceptible to the naked eye, it advances around 120m per year on the upper, steeper part and 90m per year lower down by the Montenvers viewpoint.
Ever moving entrance to the ice caves
The most obvious evidence of this movement can be seen at the entrance to the ice grotto – an impressive cave that is carved out of the ice, enabling you to pass right into the heart of the glacier. For more than 50 years the grotto has been meticulously sculpted each year, shaping the ice into scenes depicting mountain life from the early 19th century. Inside, the light reflects off the beautiful blue ice to create a wonderfully eerie, sub-glacial atmosphere. The cave itself has to be adjusted regularly as the movement of the glacial ice varies across its width – advancing up to 90m in the centre but only 45m along its edges. As you descend the steps to the cave, the tunnel entrances from previous 3-4 years are all clearly visible, giving a good indication of the rate of the ice flow. You can access the caves from the Montenvers train station by a small gondola lift (or via a footpath for the more energetic) and then a flight of approximately 300 steps. Entrance to the cave costs a few euros for holders of a Mont Blanc Multipass or Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass or it is also possible to buy a combined ticket for the return train and gondola trip, plus entrance to the caves for €21. Wear sturdy footwear and take warm clothes with you (even in summer) as inside the caves the temperature remains at a cool 8 degrees.
During winter, one of the highlights for many visitors to the Mer de Glace is to watch skiers returning from the Vallee Blanche which ends just above the entrance to the ice caves. Thousands of people each year ski this legendary high mountain itinerary usually in the company of a mountain guide due to the glaciated nature of the terrain. It is also a great spot to watch mountaineers coming and going from their high mountain adventures on some of the classic peaks in the area – Les Drus (3754m), Les Grandes Jorasses (4208m) and the Aiguille du Grepon (3482m). In the summer, you will often see groups of people out on the ice practicing crevasse rescue techniques, ice climbing, glacier walking and a whole host of other skills that come in useful in Chamonix all year round. If you fancy learning any of these activities yourself, then contact some of the mountain guides and guiding schools via the above link.
The Montenvers Area
Grand Hotel Montenvers
Other points of interest at Montenvers are the Crystal Gallery, the Museum of Alpine Fauna, various nature trails and the famous Hotel du Montenvers. Built in 1880, the hotel is an integral part of Chamonix’ history. It was well renovated in 2003 but still retains its rustic charms and authenticity. The restaurant serves a variety of traditional dishes either indoors or on its impressive terrace and it also has a 33 bed dormitory that is still a popular stop off for hikers and mountaineers today.
Chamonix has a long history of crystal collecting in the surrounding mountains and you can get a taster of the types of gems that have been found in the Crystal Gallery. Hewn out of the rock, the gallery was completely redone in summer 2007 and inside you will now find a wonderful collection of rare and beautiful specimens (quartz, amethyst, pink fluorite etc) which, for the main part, have been found in this area. You can also read about some of the greatest crystal hunters of the region to complete the exhibition, but if this subject is of particular interest to you, then a trip to the Crystal Museum in Espace Tiarraz (behind the church) is a must!
The Museum of Alpine Fauna has an interesting display of many of the local birds and animals that you can expect to see in the area – chamois, ibex, marmots, foxes, pheasants, grouse and various birds of prey etc. Although some of the exhibits are perhaps a little tatty around the ears, it’s still a nice way to help you identify some of the wildlife you may encounter if you’re both lucky and quiet enough.
Leading on from the museum are a number of beautiful walks and hikes; Forbes Signal – for truly spectacular views of the Mer de Glace (approx: 1hr up and 30 mins back down – 300m total ascent), Grand Balcon Nord – leading from Montenvers across to the Plan d’Aiguille (approx: 2h30 – 3hrs) or the descent back to Chamonix through larch and pine forests, via the original Mule Trail (approx. 1h45).
Video Snow Report from Chamonix : Fri 11th Jul 2008 - Grottos and golf balls.
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After a cold and VERY wet couple of days for the World Climbing Championships last weekend, the snow line crept almost back down to the mid-stations at 2000m! Thankfully the sunshine and warm temperatures have returned and look set to remain with us for the next few days.
This week’s report comes from the ice caves on the Mer de Glace. Each year a new cave is dug for tourists to come and visit and the movement of the ice can be clearly seen by the previous years cave entrances which have travelled further down the glacier. Inside the cave visitors can view the sculptures and enjoy the colour changing walls, as well as say hello to Alaska the St Bernard dog.
This weekend the Chamonix Pro/Am golf competition will be taking over the course here in Chamonix. Teams made up of one Pro golfer and three amateurs will be competing on the greens in this annual competition.
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