My husband and I (age 30 and 29) will be 3 nights in Chamonix (26 - 29 May). I know many of the lifts will still be closed, but we definitely want to go up Aiguille du Midi, do a hike and explore the town of Chamonix and the surrouding villages.
Any suggestion on what not to miss while we are there?
Is 2 full days enough to explore the area?
Even though many lifts will be closed, will it still be a good option to buy a mont blanc pass for 2 days?
Thanks in Advance.
Travellers from South Africa
I think 3 nights is a good amount of time. We’ve been there twice and Aiguille du Midi/Mont Blanc is spectacular. That said, we prefer the Berner Oberland in Switzerland (staying in Murren) more for more options of things to do and the scenery is much more spectacular.
Not to miss in Chamonix, other than Mont Blanc, is bike riding. We rented bikes and had a wonderful day riding in and out of town.
The Luge in town is also very fun.
Hiking will be difficult this early because, more than likely, the snow will still be quite thick on the trails. One good option might be hiking directly from the Aguille du Midi - you can go out with a guide, crampons on, and walk the glacier. It's spectacular!
You'll see a lot in two days but hiking is the highlight here...this can be your intro trip. Go back in late summer or fall some other time and experience the views from the lakes and mountains at the higher elevations.
I would recommend buying the pass for the flexibility it gives you.
I enjoyed the Alpine Museum in Chamonix for a primer on the the beginnings of mountain climbing as a sport. Having come from North America and living near the Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades, it was interesting to see how it all started. A visit to Mer de Glace is also a good idea (if it's open at that time) both for the experience of walking inside an Alpine glacier and for the sobering lesson on long-term Alpine glacial retreat in our evolving climate.
We did the train Mer du Glace and on down to the Glacier,it is definitely a study in climate change and be sure that you go to Alguille du Midi on a clear morning.I have been to the Matterhorn on the train to the end of the line and the Jungfrau and it was beautiful from the top but The trip to Agile du Midi is the best that I have done on a Mountain.
Mike
