chamonix
Day 10 - Wednesday - June 22, 2016
This morning we left the Lauterbrunnen Valley and arrived in Chamonix around 2p.m. Chamonix has about 10,000 residents. It is the largest of five villages at the base of Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is the Alps highest point at 15,771 feet.
After arriving in Chamonix, we checked into our hotel and immediately headed out to get a sandwich so we could go hiking. We did a little bit of hiking but cut it short because it was hot and we had not prepared with enough water. Here are a few pictures from our hike below.
After our shortened hike, we decided to walk along the Arve River and soon came to a park where hang gliders were landing. We stopped and relaxed while we watched for awhile. Some pictures are below.
Day 11 - Thursday - June 23, 2016
Today we had two adventures picked out. The first was taking the Aiguille du Midi lift to the Aiguille du Midi. The Aiguille du Midi has an altitude of 12,605 feet. The lift was packed but it was a great ride. Here is one picture I took at the top.
After returning from the lift, we took the train that headed for the Mer de Glace. The Mer de Glace is France's largest glacier. It is eight miles long. It is fast retreating with various signs showing where the glacier was in different years. We took the free gondola down but because the glacier is retreating so fast, we still had another 450 steps down to reach the glacier. A few years ago, you only had to go 280 steps. Once at the glacier, their is a glacier cave to walk into that is lighted. It was a very interesting adventure. Below are some pictures.
Day 12 - Friday - June 24, 2016
Our tour is over. We love Rick Steves' tours and even though we have taken 19 of his tours, there are plenty left. Thank you Martin Minich for being a great tour guide and a friend. Thanks also to our fellow tour members that made this a special tour. It is time to go home and have a cup of coffee to think about where we want to go next year. Perhaps we will see you next year on a Rick Steves' tour.