Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can hike the trail in either direction. If you start at La Flégère, Mont Blanc stays
in your sights the entire walk. Ask for the round-trip rate when you combine La Flégère
and Planpraz (Le Brévent) lifts, available at either lift (saves about €6). Remember that
these lifts are closed from late April to mid-June and around October.
To start at La Flégère, take free bus #1, #2, or #21 (all buses use Chamonix Sud and
or walk 40 minutes along the Arve River to Les Praz (see Hike #5, described later). Take
theliftuptoLaFlégère,andwalkouttheback(tonearthesnackstand)andgetyourbear-
ings. Find the dirt path of the Mer de Glace glacier and the cliff-hanging Hôtel du Mon-
tenvers back across the valley. To find the trail for your hike, walk down to the refuge just
below the lift station and turn right, crossing under the gondola cables to
Planpraz
(you
don'twant
LesPraz-Chamonix
—that'sstraightdown).Signageisnotperfect,soexpectto
do some route-finding along the way. End your hike at Planpraz station, the midway stop
on the Le Brévent lift line, and return to Chamonix from there.
If starting from the Le Brévent lift, take the
télécabine
up to Planpraz (automated
carsleaveeveryminute).AsyourideupwithyourbacktoMontBlanc,youmayspotyour
destinationliftstation(LaFlégère)offtotheright.FromthePlanprazliftstation,leavethe
station, walking behind it (not past La Bergerie Restaurant), then climb above, following
green-lettered signs to
La Flégère
. When you reach the La Flégère lift, ride it down to Les
Praz(thehikedownisnotworththetrouble),thenwalkbacktoChamonixfollowingHike
#5 (described later), or take any of the free Chamonix buses that stop on the main road at
the entrance to the La Flégère lift station (about 4/hour, 10-minute ride).
This is the most demanding hiking trail of those I list; it climbs steeply and steadily over
a rough, boulder-strewn trail for 1.5 hours to snowy Lac Blanc (pronounced “lock blah”).
Some footing is tricky, and good shoes or boots are a must. I like this trail, as it gets you
away from the valley edge and opens views to peaks you don't see from other hikes. The
destination is a snow-white lake framed by peaks and a nifty chalet-refuge offering good
lunches (and dinners, if you stay the night). The views on the return trip are breathtaking.
Check for snow conditions on the trail (often a problem until July) and go early (particu-
larly in summer), as there is no shade and this trail is popular.
Follow the directions for Hike #2 to La Flégère station, then walk out the station's
rear door past the snack stand to get oriented. Track the trail as it drops way down to that
winter chairlift station, then hooks hard left back up a very steep hill. You can avoid this
considerable down-and-up by taking the L'Index chairlift behind you (about €8 one-way,
€10 round-trip, €21 from the base). Just make sure the trail from L'Index is free of snow,
