Aiguille du Midi


The Aiguille du Midi in summer

Elevation
3,842 metres (12,605 ft)

Location
 France

Range
Mont Blanc

Coordinates
45°52′44″N 6°53′18″E / 45.87889, 6.88833Coordinates: 45°52′44″N 6°53′18″E / 45.87889, 6.88833

Type
Granite

First ascent
August 4, 1818 by A. Malczewski, J. M. Balmat and 5 guides

Translation
Needle of Midday (French)

The Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.

The cable car to the summit, the Téléphérique de l’Aiguille du Midi, was built in 1955 and held the title of the world’s highest cable car for about two decades. It still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1035m to 3842m. It travels from Chamonix to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – an altitude gain of over 2,800 m – in 20 minutes. An adult ticket from Chamonix (as of April 7th 2008) is €35 single / €38 return. An elevator ride to the “needle tower” (an additional 60m) is €3.

The Aiguille summit contains a panoramic viewing platform, a cafe and a gift shop. The Vallée Blanche ski run begins here, and the nearby Cosmiques Refuge is the starting point for one of the routes to the Mont Blanc summit. From the Aiguille another cable car (summer months only) crosses the Glacier de Geant to Point Helbronner (3,452 m) at the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif. Point Helbronner is served with a cable car from La Palud, a village near Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley (Italy).

The name “Aiguille du Midi” translates literally as “needle of midday”. It is so called as the sun sits directly over the peak at noon, when viewed from Chamonix.

Gallery

Aiguille du Midi

Mont Blanc and part of the Aiguille

Descending the Aiguille du Midi Téléphérique into Chamonix

North face of the Aiguille du Midi in winter

Mountaineers descending a ridge of Aiguille du Midi

External links

  • Website telepherique Aiguille du Midi
  • Panoramic virtual tour from top of Aiguille du Midi


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Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiguille_du_Midi”
Categories: Mountains of the Alps | Mountains of France | Vertical transportation devices | Rhône-Alpes geography stubs


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