From Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers station

A beautiful hike downhill from the restaurant near the Plan de l'Aiguille cable car to the Montenvers station and back to Chamonix station by train.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 152 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 540 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,302 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,910 m

Photos

Description of the walk

_ Start_: take the Aiguille du Midi cable car down to Plan de l'Aiguille, either directly from the valley, or after a climb to the Aiguille du Midi.

(S/E) Turn left from 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, leaving the paths to your left and right.

(2) Ford the torrent de Blaitière and continue straight ahead until you reach an intersection.

(3) Leave the path on your left, go straight ahead and cross the Torrent du Grépont. Then continue straight ahead until you reach a junction, 1 km away. At 2098, take the right-hand path.

(4) At the next intersection, you have two options:
- Continue straight ahead on a narrow, overhanging path to the Hôtel-restaurant du Montenvers.
- As shown on the map and recommended, turn right and wind up the hill. Continue North-East along the edge of the plateau to the top of Signal Forbes.

(5) Continue downhill, with large switchbacks, to the Hôtel-restaurant du Montenvers.

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

Take the Montenvers train back to Chamonix.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 2,302 m - Plan de l'Aiguille - Intermediate station of the - Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 2,266 m - Bifurcation
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 2,160 m - Torrent de Blaitière
  4. 3 : km 2.12 - alt. 2,122 m - Intersection
  5. 4 : km 3.41 - alt. 2,078 m - Intersection
  6. 5 : km 4.38 - alt. 2,198 m - Signal Forbes
  7. 6 : km 5.96 - alt. 1,910 m - Hotel-restaurant du Montenvers
  8. E : km 6.13 - alt. 1,914 m - Gare de Montenvers-Mer de Glace

Practical information

_ Please note_: torrents along the route.
: water points at start and finish.

_ Gears_: take good shoes and walking sticks.
: rucksack with rain gear, cereal bars, first-aid kit, etc.

Check the weather forecast before setting off, as thunderstorms often occur in the afternoon.

Consult the Aiguille du Midi cable car timetable and fares.

Consult timetables and fares for the Montenvers train.

In the nearby area

Ascent and visit of the Aiguille du Midi by cable car.
Refuge du plan de l'Aiguille at 200 m.
Crystal gallery near the Montenvers station.
Grotte de la mer de glace.
Mer de Glace / Sea of Ice
Chamonix at the bottom of the Montenvers route.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
bnic001
bnic001

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes


Beautiful view, less busy in the morning

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DenisCzaple
DenisCzaple

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Aug 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Aug 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Aug 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Jul 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : 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 walk : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Beautiful walk with magnificent scenery

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AurelieS
AurelieS
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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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Sandrine71
Sandrine71

effective hike from the Grépon car park. A beautiful walk with magnificent views!

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didou34
didou34

not to be done if the route is still snow-covered

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