We began with a full day in Chamonix to acclimatize and because, well, Chamonix is a charming town in a beautiful Alpine river valley. One could easily spend a week here, walking the pretty streets, eating at the cafes, and taking day hikes into the mountains.

Linda and I took the opportunity to ride the cable cars up to the Aiguille du Midi. There are two segments to the cable car, the second one moves near vertical as it reaches the top.

There is another segment of cars. Unfortunately closed because of weather on this day. They leave from the top and pass over the glacier to Punta Helbronner and from there you can catch another car to parts beyond, which means Italy. Amusingly, who owns Punta Helbronner is in dispute between Italy and France.

Update: I returned to Aiguille du Midi when I hiked the Haute Route.