Page 205 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

AIGUILLE DU MIDI

A great broken tooth of rock rearing above glaciers, snowfields and rocky crags, 8km
from the hump of Mont Blanc, the Aiguille du Midi (3842m) is one of Chamonix’ most
distinctive landmarks. If you can handle the height, don’t miss taking a trip up here;
the 360-degree views of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps are breathtaking.
All year round the vertiginous Téléphérique de l’Aiguille du Midi (www.
compagniedumontblanc.co.uk; place de l’Aiguille du Midi; adult/child return to Aiguille du Midi
€58.50/49.70, to Plan de l’Aiguille summer €31/26.40, winter €17/14.50; h1st ascent btwn 7.10am
& 8.30am, last btwn 3.30pm & 5pm), one of the world’s highest cable cars, climbs to
the summit. Halfway up, Plan de l’Aiguille (2317m) is a terrific place to start hikes
or paraglide. In summer you’ll need to obtain a boarding card (marked with the
number of your departing and returning cable car) in addition to a ticket. Bring
warm clothes; even in summer the temperature rarely rises above -10°C up top!
From the Aiguille du Midi, between late June and early September you can
continue for a further 30 minutes of mind-blowing scenery – think suspended
glaciers, spurs, seracs and shimmering ice fields – in the smaller bubbles of the
Télécabine Panoramique Mont Blanc (%04 50 53 22 75; Aiguille du Midi; adult/child return ALPS, JURA & RHÔNE VALLEY 17 ALPINE ADvENTuRE
from Chamonix €80/68; hlast departure from Aiguille du Midi 2.30pm) to Pointe Helbronner
(3466m) on the France–Italy border. From there, the SkyWay Monte Bianco (www.
montebianco.com; Pointe Helbronner; one-way adult/child €36/25.20; h8.30am-4.30pm, earlier
starts in summer) can take you all the way to Courmayeur, in Italy’s Val d’Aosta.

rerouted due to snow and whose rugged snow- hikes, visit Bonneval-sur-
-5°C temperatures! capped peaks, mirrorlike Arc’s tourist office (%04
lakes and vast glaciers 79 05 95 95; www.bonneval-sur-
The Drive » Spellbinding
views unfold as you navigate dominate the landscape arc.com; h9am-noon & 2-6pm
the D902’s hairpin turns 14km between the Tarentaise late-Dec–mid-Apr).
downhill into Bonneval-sur-Arc. and Maurienne Valleys.
This incredible swath of 4 p205
wilderness was designat- The Drive » Cruise 55km
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
ed France’s first national down the Arc River valley on
6 Bonneval-sur-Arc park in 1963, protecting the D902/D1006 through
Heralded as one of the habitat for marmots, Lanslebourg and Modane to St-
Michel de Maurienne, then climb
plus beaux villages chamois and France’s 35km through the ski resort of
de la France (prettiest largest colony of ibexes, Valloire to the ethereal heights
villages in France), this along with 20 pairs of of Col du Galibier.
high mountain hamlet golden eagles and the odd
is filled with stone and bearded vulture.
slate cottages that wear The park is a hiker’s 7 Col du Galibier
their winter preparations heaven between June and The signposts say you’re
proudly (notice all the September. The Grand simply crossing the
woodpiles up on 2nd- Tour de Haute Maurienne departmental border from
floor porches). (www.hautemaurienne. Savoie into the Hautes
Bonneval makes a tran- com), a seven-day hike Alpes. The landscape
quil base for exploring the around the upper reaches says that you’ve entered
530-sq-km Parc National of the valley, takes in na- another universe. Col
de la Vanoise (www. tional-park highlights. For du Galibier (2642m) is
parcnational-vanoise.fr), information on local day

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