Sunday, July 4, 2010

Lac Blanc - Chamonix - Mont Blanc (Day 2)


Mont Blanc!


Flegere Cablecar


Mont Blanc! Its the peak on the right covered in snow.


Mont-Blanc



Restaurant and Overnight Facility at the top!


Laura and Michael Crossing Lac Blanc


Lac Blanc! The Summit!


Lac Blanc


Lac Blanc


Chamonix, Sassure Statue


Chamonix


Chamonix

We were up early this morning in order to get a head start on our big day ahead. We decided to head to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc for some serious hiking and beautiful vistas. We needed to get to the mountains in the morning in order to guarantee good weather for the hike and views, as the clounds generally tend to roll in during the afternoon.

We parked at the base of the Praz, just 2 km from Chamonix and took the Flegere cable car up to our starting point. It was all uphill from here on in. We hiked up to Lac Blanc, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Aiguilles Rouges mountains and certainly the most famous, offering a spectacular panorama facing Mont-Blanc. Altitude: 2352m. Hike Time: just under 4 hours round-trip with a stop at the top for lunch. Elevation: a difference of 500m from the Flegere cablecar. There was even a restaurant and over night facility - talk about a room with a view. I'll let the picture speak for themselves.

Once back at the bottom we unloaded our hiking gear and boots (best feeling ever -comparable to taking off your snowboard/ski boots at the end of a great day). We headed into Chamonix for some lunch and cocktails which was shortly followed by a wonder through the shops. I particularly liked the kitchen and interior design stores, all featureing traditional red and white chalet style furniture and upholstery, simply beautiful. My purchase for the day was a Peugot salt and pepper grinder – apparently they are the absolute best! They even have settings for how fine or coarse you want you grinds to be, amazing!