A visit to the Montenvers (Chamonix)

When you go to Chamonix, below the Mont-Blanc, one of the most classic trip is to climb to the Montenvers, at the Mer de Glace glacier, by the cog wheel train.
The Montenvers train is certainly the most famous french cog wheel train.
Guess what… I had never been to the Montenvers and I had never taken this train… until last July!
I took practically all the swiss trains and funiculars… but in France, sorry, I have many gaps! 😉

Here are some photos from my trip to Chamonix and Montenvers. Don’t forget to see the whole slideshow!

Montenvers Cog Wheel Railway (A)


Old steam locomotive displayed at the Montenvers bottom station at Chamonix.
The Mont Blanc (4810 m) in the background.


In front of Aiguille des Grands Charmoz.


The Montenvers train top station.


The Mer de Glace glacier and the Grandes Jorasses (4208 m) in the background.

The aerial cableway (B)


An aerial cableway is used to link the Montenvers train top station to the Mer de Glace glacier which is down the Montenvers. After the bottom station of the cable way, you have to take staircases to reach the glacier and the entrance of the cave inside the ice. Over the years, the glacier is melting down and more staircases are needed!
This is a pulsed aerial cableway, built in 1988 by SKIRAIL, 8 gondolas which are spread into 4 trains of 2 gondolas

 

Slideshow / Diaporama


Click to see the slideshow / cliquer pour voir le diaporama

 

Map
A-Montenvers Cog Wheel railway
B-Aerial Cableway