Alpining for more
NESTLED high in the French Alps, near the Swiss and Italian borders, and with dramatic peaks on all sides, Chamonix has been a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts since, well, winter sports began.
It was home to the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and I was surprised to learn, therefore, that the region now attracts a greater number of visitors in the summer months.
The reason for this is obvious as soon as you stroll the attractive pedestrianised main drag in the town.
Everywhere you look are enthusiastic folk dressed up in all manner of cycle shorts, hiking boots, weatherproof jackets and trousers, woolly hats, helmets, expensive sunglasses and mountaineering gear.
Depending on the time of day, they are either striding out determinedly, clutching maps, walking poles or lengths of rope – or, come late afternoon, moving at a slower pace as they seek out a venue for a drink and a meal after a hard day of adventure sports.
For that is the main draw to the area in the summer. And there’s a huge range to choose from, be it paragliding, hiking, mountain biking, e-biking, climbing, trail running, horse riding, mountaineering, white-water rafting or, er, golf.
The magnet for all these activities is, of course, the mountains themselves. Towering over everything is Mont Blanc. At 4,808m (15,774ft) it’s Europe’s highest peak.
To get close, we took the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi. Best bet is to buy a lift multipass. At the top, in the rarified air, there are a number of viewing terraces, a museum carved into the rock, a café and a restaurant.
Take the elevator inside the mountain for the final 42m to the highest point of 3,842m. If you’re brave you can Step Into The Void – a glass-walled, glass-floored room which juts out over, well, nothing, as it’s 1,000m to the rocks below.
On the way back down into Chamonix, we decided to get off at the midway station, the Plan d’Aiguille (2,317m).
From this point you can traverse the mountain on clearly marked paths to the Montenvers train station.
It’s a beautiful walk, with stunning scenery, open pastures, woodland, burbling streams of ice-melt water, scurrying marmots and, if you’re lucky, a soaring eagle or bearded vulture.
Jump on the train to head back to town for a meal at one of many excellent restaurants, which mix French and Swiss cuisines. The activities you choose for your visit depend on just how adventurous, or otherwise, you want to be.
Hiring an e-bike is a good way to explore for the less than super-fit – you can take a guided ride if you prefer.
There are lots of strenuous hikes up and down the slopes, but also plenty of less taxing walks still featuring fantastic scenery.
If you need pampering after a few days’ adventuring, visit the superb QC Terme spa and relax in the heated outdoor infinity pool or, while having a massage, look across a lake towards the snow-capped peaks – and idly muse on what your next Chamonix adventure will be.