Chamonix Lifts

Lifts & Areas of the Chamonix Valley

The comprehensive lift system in the Chamonix valley consists of cable cars, gondolas, trains, trams and chairlifts (and a couple of drag lifts at Le Tour and in the beginner's areas).

The granddaddy of them all is the Aiguille du Midi cable car, which whisks you up to 3842 m from Chamonix town in around 20 minutes. Phew! The Vallee Blanche starts at the top of this lift, and it is also a starting point for mountaineers ascending Mont Blanc. The Flegere and the Grand Montets areas are also accessed by cable car, whilst Brevent and Domaine de Balme (Le Tour & Vallorcine) are served by gondolas.

Included in the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass, is the Montenvers train, which takes you past the Mer de Glace to the Montenvers site at 1913 m, and the Mont Blanc Tramway, that takes you from Le Fayet or Saint Gervais (further down the valley), to the Nid d'Aigle at 2372 m.

Aiguille Du Midi Cable Car

At 3842 m the Aiguille du Midi offers a 360 degree viewpoint over the French, Swiss and Italian Alps and is the highest point accessible by cable-car in the Chamonix valley. This high mountain area is fully equipped for your safety and comfort and offers breath-taking views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding massif. Access is by two cable car journeys, each taking 10 minutes. The Aiguille du Midi is well known as the start of the famous Vallee Blanche off-piste ski run over the glaciers; and is also one of the access routes to climbing the Mont Blanc (4811m). The cable car ride is easily planned and is suitable for all ages (except for those who are advised to avoid altitude, and children under two years of age). It is advisable to book in the high tourist seasons. You will be given a departure time for which you should arrive 10 minutes beforehand. If you are doing a return trip, you will also be given a boarding card specifying your return cabin number.

At the top of the cable car, there are number of viewing terraces, a cafeteria and a souvenir shop.

Take care to wrap up warm � even in summer, the temperature at the summit can be as low as -10 C. Sunglasses and sun cream are also recommended.

As an extension to this trip in the summer, you can take the panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola from the top of the Aiguile du Midi, to Helbronner in Italy. This amazing 5 kilometre gondola journey passes over the Geant glacier, giving you spectacular views over ice-falls, crevasses and the Mont Blanc massif. A one-way trip takes 30 minutes in a 4-person gondola. The operation of this line is very weather dependant � if the wind is too strong, or if there is poor visibility, the gondola will close.

last updated 29-Oct-2007

Brevent & Flegere Lifts

Top of Le Cornu Lift, Brevent

The Brevent lift is the only ski lift accessible from Chamonix town. A gondola takes you up to Plan Praz at 2000 m and then you can take a cable car up to the very top of Brevent at 2525 m. From here you have breath-taking views of the Mont-Blanc massif and the Chamonix valley.

Flegere (at 1894 m) is accessed by a cable car from Les Praz, a couple of kilometres up the valley from Chamonix. Flegere is also linked to Brevent by the Liason cable car.

Both areas are south facing and provide an excellent range of pistes for skiers of all abilities. In summer, many classic hiking trails can be accessed by these lifts, and the areas are also popular with climbers and mountain bikers.

last updated 6-Dec-2007

Domaine de Balme (Le Tour & Vallorcine) Lifts

The Domaine de Balme area is found at the top end of the Chamonix Valley. A gondola based in the village of Le Tour brings you to Charamillon at 1856 m, and a new cable car at Vallorcine brings you up to the Tete de Balme area on the other side. The Charamillon area consists rich alpine meadows in the summer, and are transformed into wide and varied slopes in the winter. There are steeper slopes on the tree-lined Tete de Balme area.

Summer activities include hiking, mountain biking, climbing and mountaineering.

last updated 29-Oct-2007

Les Grands Montets Lifts

Access to the Grand Montets area is from Argentiere. A cable car will take you up to the Lognan plateau at 1972 m, and in the winter, you can alternatively take the Plan Joran chair lift to 1923 m. From Lognan, there is a further cable car that takes you to the Aiguille des Grands Montets at 3300 m, where you can see incredible panoramic views of the Mont Blanc range, the Mer de Glace and the Chamonix valley. This is also the departure point for mountaineers heading to the Aiguille Verte.

The ski area is extensive and varied, and is renowned for its challenging black runs and it�s huge off-piste areas.

The summer offers hiking, mountain biking, and paragliding. It is also the departure point for climbers and mountaineers for the high peaks in the Argentiere basin.

last updated 29-Oct-2007

Mont-Blanc Tramway

The Mont-Blanc Tramway runs from Saint Gervais to the Nid d'Aigle at 2372 m during the summer months. The train takes you past the Col de Voza and Bellevue and at the top you get a fabulous view of the Bionnassay glacier. There are a number of lovely hikes in the area, and mountain bikes are permitted on the tram subject to space.

During the winter, the train stops at Bellevue and provides access to the Les Houches ski area.

last updated 29-Oct-2007

Montenvers Cog Railway Train

The red Montenvers cog railway train takes you up to the Mer de Glace and the ice caves. The caves go deep into the glacier itself and contain impressive ice carvings. New caves have to be carved out each spring as the glacial ice moves, but it is still possible to still see the entrances to the previous ones. The train runs all year round and leaves from the station just behind the main SNCF railway.

last updated 29-Oct-2007