A Weekend Adventure: A Mountain Hike in Mont Blanc with Ashby’s Adventure Trails and Treks

At the beginning of this month, I spent four incredible days in Mont Blanc with nine friends from my running and hiking group, Ashby’s Adventures Trails and Treks. Situated on the border of France, Italy, and Switzerland, Mont Blanc is one of the highest mountains in Europe. Our mission then, was to reach the peak! And that meant ascending to 3,842 metres by cable car and exposing ourselves to freezing temperatures and altitude sickness. Did we make it? Read on to find out.

Our Journey

To get to Mont Blanc, we flew from Birmingham to Geneva, in Switzerland. After picking up our rental cars from the airport, we drove across the border into France and headed to Chamonix, where we would be staying. Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France, and it's where the cable car to the peak of Mont Blanc is located.

Chamonix is about 100km from Geneva airport. The drive took us about 90 minutes and the roads were smooth. On arrival, we were thrilled to find that it was a buzzing little town packed with shops, restaurants, cafes, and French patisseries. Stylish hotels and spas were nestled among the charming Alpine chalets and apartments. Chamonix has something for everyone, whether you are on a family holiday or you're a serious climber or outdoor enthusiast in pursuit of a paragliding adventure.

After settling into our apartment, we headed into Chamonix for a relaxed evening of dinner and drinks. We chose an Italian restaurant and filled up on freshly cooked pizzas and French beer.

Trail Run in Chamonix

The next morning, some of the Ashby's Adventure Trails and Treks group went trail running. Exploring the spectacular scenery and snapping photos of the French Alps, they located the Mont Blanc cable car. The Aiguille du Midi cable car is one of the highest cable cars in the world, taking visitors from Chamonix to the summit of Mont Blanc in just a few minutes.

Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions, the cable car wasn’t operating. Unperturbed, we opted instead for a scenic hike along the river in Chamonix. I even dipped my toes into the glacier-fed water - icy cold but refreshing!

I was especially keen to reach the top of the Aiguille du Midi. When I told my dad I was heading to Chamonix, he shared that he’d been there in 1976 for ice climbing and mountaineering. Sadly, he hadn’t made it to the summit of Mont Blanc due to bad weather. An experienced and enthusiastic climber, he returned to North Wales and instead explored the mountains, trails, and peaks there for the summer. Hoping to reach territory that he could not, I spent Saturday evening manifesting positive thoughts, praying that the cable car would run on Sunday.

Sunday morning, the Ashby's Adventure Trails and Treks crew arrived early at the Chamonix cable car station. We found the ticket office where we would need to buy a ticket. But 0ur hearts sank when we saw that the cable car was closed.

The Mont Blanc team told us that there had been some severe weather conditions overnight and members of their team were clearing snow and ice from the summit. There would be an update at 10:30, they told us. We ventured away from the ticket office for long enough to buy coffee and croissants, but were still hopeful we would be able to get a ticket to the summit at 10:30.

In true British fashion, we started queuing again at 9:30 - and naturally, others followed suit!

At last, at 10:30 precisely, we got the green light! The summit of Mont Blanc was open and the Aiguille du Midi cable car was running. The next available tickets were for the noon ascent. After purchasing our tickets, we celebrated with more coffee, tea, and a delicious Croque Marie.

Excitement was high when at midday we boarded the cable car. A few in our group were nervous about heights, and they really were taking a brave step outside their comfort zones. The cable car rose higher and higher, jolting slightly when it passed over the pylons.

The Half Way Point

After ascending for 2,317 metres, we reached the intermediate point, called the Plan de l'Aiguille. By way of context, Snowdon is 1085 metres, so the cable car had taken us up twice the height of the tallest mountain in England and Wales in just minutes. We then transferred from one cable car to another for the second leg of our ascent.

The temperature plummeted and we heard ice cracking on the screen of the cable car. Then, the cable car stopped; we were now near the top of Mont Blanc.

It was freezing cold and icy, but we were able to venture out onto the terrace and footbridge to take in the view of the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps.

There was one final step to take. The last part of the journey was an elevator inside a rock that took us the final 42 metres to the summit. We were now at 3,843 metres. At that altitude, I felt a bit lightheaded, with jelly legs and shortness of breath! 

The experience was breath-taking. Although clouds occasionally obscured the view, when they cleared - even briefly - the panorama was absolutely worth the wait.

We enjoyed a hot chocolate in the cafe at the summit before getting back into the cable car that would take us back down to the intermediate point for our hike. Then, instead of transferring to the second cable car, Ashby's Adventure Trails and Treks began their hike down Mont Blanc from 2,317 metres.

Hiking Down Mont Blanc With Ashby's Adventure Trails and Treks

What a place to hike! We paused often to take in the spectacular views. The weather was kind - some flurries of snow, but mostly glorious sunshine that warmed our backs. It was rough underfoot and we waded through fresh snow, but it wasn't difficult. The hike took us about three hours.

We reached the bottom just in time to meet the rest of our group, who had taken the cable car down, for a final dinner together.

The following morning, we flew back - tired, but in the best possible way after an unforgettable weekend.