Dreaming of Mountaineering: Mont Blanc and L'Aiguille du Midi
- Jul 18, 2015
- 2 min read
When I grow up, I want to be a mountaineer.
I just wish I had known sooner.
Why else would I eye the mountaineers on the gondola with so much envy, taking in the details of their gear, ropes slung on their shoulders, carabiners and certain unidentifable metal thingies dangling and making clanging noises from their harness. Their mountaineering boots, their pants, their weather gear - I find it fascinating and beautiful.
They are the elites of this mountain. They train hard and are unrelentless about their desire to be one with the mountain at all times. Insert deep sigh here.
But for now, I am content to take the gondola up and admire the mountains from a relative distance, this bar as though a physical barrier symbolic of our separation.
Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe. Peeking above the clouds at 4,810 meters (15,780 feet), it was a breathtaking sight. Even in the middle of July, and an incrediby hot summer at that, Mont Blanc stands tall, white, and ever so captivating, its top still blanketed in the whitest of snow. It towers over the French Alps and standing in front of it, I am dwarfed. Overwhelmed. Maybe close to tears.
On the one hand, I feel like I didn't earn to be up at 3,842 meters (~12,600 feet) at L'Aiguille du Midi. It was too easy to get up here. Swipe a ticket for an entry to the magic gondola ride and off you go. It felt like cheating. But on the other hand, as difficult as it is to admit, there is allure to instant gratification and for the time being, it is my only option.
Official Travel and Trail Gear: While it is warm in the Chamonix valley, at this altitude of 3,842 meters (approx. 12,600 feet), conditions change quickly and without warning. The temperature will be near freezing (if not freezing) and the wind is a force to be reckoned with. The best way to prepare is to pack layers in your day pack. With a light insulating layer on and this Eddie Bauer First Ascent jacket that is waterproof, wind-proof, and lightweight, the wind got nothing on me. Full gear list for this adventure coming soon in a separate post.
Merci Beaucoup to the Chamonix-Mont Blanc Office de Toursime for hosting me while in Chamonix.
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