Bike touring in France, Summer 2025: Chamonix days 1, 2 and 3

Been having too much fun in Chamonix, so behind on posting...

After a sop at the Tourism Office to pick up maps and information, we rode a gondola to Planpraz, and then a second one to Brevent (2525 meters, almost 8300 feet). Great views across the valley toward Mont Blanc (on the right in these two pics).

We had planned to hike down from Brevent to Planpraz, but there was a lot of snow on the trail so after trying it out--and slipping a bunch--we returned and took the gondola back down to Planpraz. Our planned trail was the Balcon Sud, which roughly traverses the mountains on that side of the valley. It's a rough trail, rocky in parts and with lots of up and down, but through amazing country and with great views all the time.

The trail ends at La Flegere, another gondola which returns down to the valley. But before descending on the gondola we rode the L'Index chairlift up to 2395 meters for more scenery and views. There were a number of snow fields around, and we watched two ibex mountain goats on the nearby rocks.

We took the chairlift back down, and returned on the gondola to the valley floor. There is a shuttle train which runs back and forth through the valley: we rode this back to Chamonix and had an early dinner before returning to our apartment.

Day 2 we took a gondola to Plan de l'Aiguille, and then a second gondola to Aiguille du Midi (3842 m, over 12,000 feet). This is an amazing spot with views across the Alps in all directions and into Italy and Switzerland. We could see many mountaineers working their way up the snowfields and glaciers on a variety of routes.

The gondola is going up to the highest peak to the left.

Aiguille du Midi has a number of observation decks to take in all the views. And of course a restaurant and gift shop.

On the way down we stopped at Plan de l'Aiguille and took a short hike to nearby Lac Bleu to eat our snack.

Day 3 we walked to town, then took a cog railway up to Montevers. From there, a short gondola ride (plus walking down about 250 stairs) took us to an ice cave carved out of the base of the main glacier which comes from Mont Blanc. It's amazing to walk through this tunnel in 500-year-old ice. Very cool, both literally and figuratively.

The gondola drops down to the roundish building in the center of the photo above. From there, it's many stairs down to the cave entrance. If you zoom in the above photo, you can just see the cave entrance, and a few people going in and out, at the bottom of the white plastic sheeting to the left side of the photo.