Down from the ice kingdom at the Aiguille du Midi summit but not yet ready to rejoin normal life at ground level in Chamonix, my afternoon hike was in the middle-mountain environment, above the tree line but below the year-round ice. I hiked out from the transfer station of the téléphérique at 2310 m. Passing the Lac Bleu, where the surface was partly frozen, and on to a view point (2350 m.) at the foot of the Glacier de Blaitière.
The air’s still thin even down here, the going is rough over glacier debris and the mountain is huge so it’s difficult to make much apparent progress. Traces of the snow remain from a couple of nights ago but the flowers of the mountain rose have gone. The views are breathtaking.
Lac Bleu (2299 m.)
Upper station and ski runs of the « le Brévant » téléphérique
Mont Blanc summit (4808 m.)
Glacier de Blaitière
