From Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers station

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A lovely downhill hike leading from the restaurant near the Plan de l’Aiguille cable car to Montenvers station, with a return journey by train to Chamonix station.

Details

n°11434195
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.81 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 499 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,772 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,552 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6,266 ft
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Photos

Sea of ice
Les aiguilles de Chamonix - North Balcony
Torrent du Plan de l'Aiguille
The Chamonix valley and the southern balcony

Description of the walk

Take the Aiguille du Midi cable car and get off at Plan de l’Aiguille, either directly from the valley or after ascending to the Aiguille du Midi.

(S) Set off to the left of the Plan de l'Aiguille restaurant and take the path heading north-west.

(1) After about 300 m, turn right and continue along the path which winds downhill, then uphill. Keep heading north-east, ignoring the paths to the left and right.

(2) Ford the Blaitière torrent and continue straight on to a junction.

(3) Ignore the path on the left, go straight on and cross the Grépont stream. Then continue straight on until you reach a fork, 1 km further on. At the 2098m mark, ignore the path on the right.

(4) At the next junction, there are two options:
- Continue straight ahead on a narrow, overhanging path to the Montenvers Hotel-Restaurant.
- As shown on the map and recommended, turn right and climb the winding path. Continue north-east along the edge of the plateau to the summit of Signal Forbes.

(5) Continue the descent, with wide hairpin bends, to the Montenvers Hotel-Restaurant.

(6) Turn right onto the local road and head to Montenvers-Mer de Glace station (S/E).

Return to Chamonix on the Montenvers train.

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 7,552 ft - Map of the Aiguille - Intermediate station at - Aiguille du Midi Cable Car
  2. 1 : mi 0.18 - alt. 7,434 ft - Junction
  3. 2 : mi 0.87 - alt. 7,087 ft - Blaitière Torrent
  4. 3 : mi 1.32 - alt. 6,962 ft - Intersection
  5. 4 : mi 2.12 - alt. 6,818 ft - Intersection
  6. 5 : mi 2.72 - alt. 7,211 ft - Signal Forbes
  7. 6 : mi 3.71 - alt. 6,266 ft - Montenvers Hotel and Restaurant
  8. E : mi 3.81 - alt. 6,280 ft - Gare de Montenvers-Mer de Glace

Notes

Streams along the route.
Water points at the start and finish.
Wear sturdy shoes and bring walking poles.
A rucksack with rainwear, cereal bars, first-aid kit, etc.
Check the weather forecast carefully before setting off; thunderstorms are common in the afternoon.

Check the timetables and fares for the Aiguille du Midi cable car.

Check the timetables and fares for the Montenvers train.

Worth a visit

Ascent and visit to the Aiguille du Midi by cable car.
Plan de l’Aiguille mountain hut, 200 m away.
Crystal gallery near the Montenvers station.
Mer de Glace Cave.
Mer de Glace.
Chamonix at the bottom of the Montenvers route.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 16 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Malland
Malland

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike I did from Montenvers to Plan de l’Aiguille, so that the ascent would be the main focus rather than the descent. I used a 3-day pass, so I wasn’t tied to the specific time slots for the ascent to the Aiguille du Midi from Chamonix.
I had a quick look at the start of the information for the “Grand Balcon Nord – From Montenvers to Plan de l’Aiguille and Les Houches” hike, but from the start at Montenvers everything is very well signposted all the way to Plan de l’Aiguille.
There were lots of people heading from Plan de l’Aiguille to Montenvers.

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nimesULM
nimesULM

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful views but the trail is very stony and rocky. The route is almost entirely in direct sunlight. No snowfields on this particular day.
If you want to return to Chamonix by train, bear in mind that the last train leaves at 5.30pm.

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bnic001
bnic001

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes


Beautiful view, less busy in the morning

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DenisCzaple
DenisCzaple

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, with exceptional views of the Chamonix peaks and the valley. The early start in the morning was a plus, as there were still very few people and the temperature was cool. More and more people on the way to the mer de glace.
An exceptional view of the mer de glace, the drus, the grandes jurasses... when you reach the end of the hike. On the downside, if you have decided to take the Montenvers train down, expect the price to be rather high... 26€ per person for the descent by train only... a few years ago you could buy a ticket for the Aiguille du Midi - Montenvers descent... which doesn't seem to be the case any more, which means that the price of the lifts has tripled. So if you've got any legs left, walk down from the mer de glace, especially as this area has become extremely busy with tourists crowding the terrace of the station... and on the train!

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Vic&Nath
Vic&Nath

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Descent to the Montenvers station after getting out of the cabin returning from the Aiguille du Midi.
Nice route with some very fine views of the Aiguille du Midi and its surroundings.
Once we reached the Mer de Glace (which now only has the name Mer de Glace), we descended to the Montenvers station to admire the train. Lots of people on this part of the route.
We opted to continue our hike down to Chamonix through the forest. Very pleasant path.

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Sébastien Lesné
Sébastien Lesné

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk to the sea of ice and back on the cog railway

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Flore46
Flore46

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very popular walk in early August.
Easy to follow on the app and very well signposted on the ground.
Beautiful walk with magnificent views of the Chamonix valley and peaks, then the Mer de Glace.
We saw some marmots.
Although not really difficult, this hike does require a few precautions.
Most of the hike is on a mountainside, over scree and large rocks, and in full sunshine.
At this time of year, there is no snow, but we did cross several small streams.
It's not a huge climb, but there's still a good climb up the mountainside. The hike ends with a long descent through the scree towards the station, which is not necessarily difficult but can be a little dizzying and hard on the joints.
Take care with your ankles and knees, and beware of falling or sliding on the rocks...
Avoid this hike in wet weather if you are not used to hiking or are ill-equipped.
We saw a lot of people with poor footwear. Personally, I strongly recommend hiking boots with a good grip.

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Joëlle .
Joëlle .

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An exceptional hike! Arriving at the Plan de l'Aiguille, a short diversions to the not-to-be-missed Lac Bleu.
A moderately difficult hike; long, of course, but not dangerous, and on arrival at the Forbes signal, a breathtaking panorama ... Can't wait to do it again!

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Ricou31
Ricou31
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Be careful, some of the comments say that it's a simple or easy hike. I completely disagree. It climbs steeply in places and there are still some tricky sections. The real descent is 30 minutes from the finish. At the sign indicating the descent, push right onto the stony plateau and in 2 minutes you'll have an exceptional view of the sea of ice.

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jprando2017
jprando2017

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice walk, but big stones and rocks for 90% of the way. Quite tiring for two people in their seventies. We missed the last Montenvers train back down at 16:30! When we arrived very tired and thirsty near the Montenvers hotel (we'd used up our water supply), the staff there refused to serve us a drink (on the terrace or at the bar) on the grounds that we weren't hotel guests... Unheard of inhumanity!

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lolau
lolau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk. I recommend taking the Montenvers train first and then the Plan de l'Aiguille, which is easier on the way up than on the way down.

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Audreyy
Audreyy

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike with beautiful scenery, but a little long. You follow the ridge all the way. The route is very easy to follow and everything is well signposted.

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kakikan
kakikan

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful walk with magnificent scenery

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AurelieS
AurelieS
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great itinerary for the whole family. It takes 3h30 with children and some sections require a little attention.

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gilberlou
gilberlou
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We chose to set off from the pay car park at the Aiguille du Midi to reach the Plan de l'Aiguille, a climb of around 1,300m over the course of the day.
The hike from the Plan de l'Aiguille is well described, and we opted for the slightly technical path in the second part, which goes well but you need to be careful and avoid it if it has been raining recently.
Due to works at the Montenvers station, the Mer de glace is no longer accessible on foot and the gondolas currently close at 3.30pm, so we were a little disappointed not to be able to visit the cave, but we'll have to check on the day of the hike. We returned to the car park on foot via the planards, which was a little technical, especially at the end of the day, but very pleasant.

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