The Ascent on Lac Blanc

After recovering from the long drive through the tunnel and the stunning first evening in the beautiful valley of Chamonix surrounded by peaceful mountain peaks, we got up early the next day and moseyed over to the trail head to Lac Blanc.

Lac Blanc Stock Photo (the shack is no longer there)

Most people take the cable up the first 3000 feet. Not us. Oh no. We are not sissies. We are tough and strong and have been working out for a year in preparation for this. WE. ARE. WALKING. UP. THE. MOUNTAIN. 

So. 

Long walk. 

Kind of steep. 

Stopping along the switchback to hide in the shadow of the cable car structure, listening to all the wimpy people going the easy way up the mountain. 

Yanika told us it was a short hike from the top of the cable car station to Lac Blanc. 

Lac Blanc is perhaps one of the most photographed locations in the Chamonix Mont Blanc area. I was hooked when I saw it and it was very much a part of the reason we chose to come to this place. Therefore, we were very excited about finally seeing it in person.

It was a beautiful day and a lot of people had the same idea. 

Maybe half way up we discovered a trail that when up through the woods, instead of the switchbacks which were exposed to the sun and we were getting hot. The walk through the woods was beautiful.

Perhaps we overestimated our abilities.

But the views were gorgeous.

Chamonix valley from somewhere up the mountain. 

Well, I at least overestimated mine. 

My poor sad feet becoming happy. 

We finally made it to the top of the cable car, where it flattens out and there is a restaurant, bathrooms, a little lake, and an amazing view. We rested and had some snacks from our packs before continuing on. 

Yeah, that's Noah.

I fell in love with the wildflower fields that abounded the area. 

I mean, these are the same flowers I buy at the nursery in the spring at home! They look better here. 

And we begin the final ascent … which we thought was going to be an easy climb. Well. It wasn’t. First we had to traverse a field of boulders, which was actually really cool. The moss on the boulders was a neon green. 

Amazing. 

It was around this time that I started contemplating the fact that we still had to get down. And, how was that going to work? I was getting kind of tuckered out. 

After that we walked across some more beautiful green fields, two small lakes (is that Lac Blanc? No, Lac Blanc must be bigger) where I took my shoes off and splashed my worn feet in, and climbed up tiny narrow paths through the rocks and brush.

There were a lot of people and we all kind of took turns passing each other depending on who stopped to rest when. 

We had another snack on a big rock and saw some Chamois goats playing on the mountain! 

How totally cool is that??

The view of the mountains across the valley from us was amazing. Beautiful peaks and a glacier that looked like a giant trail of white running between the mountain peaks. You can kind of see the glacier's path between the mountains here.

More climbing. Steep and short switchbacks. We approached each bluff thinking “Lac Blanc MUST be on top of this one” only to see another bluff even steeper up ahead. We must have done that at least seven times, thinking … hoping … that Lac Blanc would be at the top of the next one. 

It was actually another whole 1000 feet from the cable car. And it was WAAAAY steeper than the first 3000 feet. 

Finally, in a completely anti-climatic fashion we reached Lac Blanc. I was so completely exhausted I was barely able to appreciate it. That and the fact that there were an awful lot of people there. But Noah walked around the giant rocks to the other side of the lake while I sat on a rock with my feet cooling off in the water. 

I wasn’t wearing a watch but the whole day took about seven hours, so we were a good 3 - 4 hours into our day by the time we turned around. 

Here is looking from the lake to the other side of the valley. Pretty mountain.

The first 1000 feet back down to the cable went pretty well because the scenery was so pretty and we had to stay really focused because going down is more dangerous than going up, being aware of every single step. 

We reached the cable and I don’t know what was wrong with us but the idea of taking the cable down didn’t even occur to us - ? We just kept walking down. 

See how tired we look? 

Well, tired but happy. My nose got sunburned. 

By the time we reached the bottom I could barely walk. One of my toes hurt from being jammed in my shoe with every step. Every step was, quite literally, excruciating. And when we reached the bottom, we still had a hike to the hotel. I couldn’t even talk; every iota of energy was focused on the next step. Noah was faring much better, but he’s 26 years younger. 

I was pretty sure I had just ruined my vacation and wasn’t going to be able to walk the next day. So I spent some time in the hot tub at the hotel. 

I'm pretty sure saved me because I was almost normal the next day.

In fact, this hot tub is the reason that I would return to this same hotel if I ever return to Chamonix (and I hope I do!)

But, to be on the safe side, the next day I went paragliding, which required almost zero walking, while Noah went up and down the mountain with a bicycle.