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You are here: Home / Travel / Four top summer activities in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

Four top summer activities in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

August 3, 2018 by Kay Woolley 11 Comments

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Last Updated on April 20, 2019 by Fiona Maclean

Amazing summer activities in Chamonix

The town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc nestles in the valley below Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps at 4,810m. It is the perfect place to visit if, like me, you love the mountains.  In winter, of course, it is a popular ski resort.  But you shouldn’t discount the idea of visiting in summer – there are a wealth of summer activities in Chamonix.

 Mont Blanc from Aiguille du Midi Chamonix France

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc has a strong history of alpine climbing and attracts climbers from all over the world. However, you don’t have to be a climber to be able to appreciate the stunning mountain landscape and numerous outdoor activities on offer. Here are my own favourites

Table of Contents

  • Mont Blanc bird’s eye view – Aiguille du Midi cable car:
  • Try a tandem paraglide for a unique view of Chamonix:
  • Visit the Mer de Glace – the longest glacier in France:
  • Try White Water Rafting in Chamonix down L’Arveyon:
  • Visiting Chamonix:

Mont Blanc bird’s eye view – Aiguille du Midi cable car:

Aiguille du Midi cable car Chamonix France - summer activities Chamonix

The Aiguille du Midi cable car takes you up the mountain from the valley in two stages to a height of 3,842m. There are numerous viewing platforms at the top of this cable car giving you the opportunity to get close to Mont Blanc with amazing views of the surrounding peaks. From the platforms, you can see the mountaineers slowly working their way up to the summit of Mont Blanc and can appreciate how tough this must be.  If you like a thrill you can visit the “Step into the Void” which is a free attraction at the top of the Aiguille du Midi; this glass room, the walls, ceiling panels and floor are all made of glass, gives you the feeling that you are standing in the air. I tried it –  certainly a unique and breathtaking experience.

The Void Aiguille du Midi Chamonix France - summer activities in Chamonix

Try a tandem paraglide for a unique view of Chamonix:

We stayed at Inghams Hotel la Sapiniere, a comfortable chalet hotel, a short walk away from the town centre. The Hotel looks out over a large green field where paragliders land. If you look up when the weather conditions are good you can see a host of paragliders floating in the air above before circling down to land.

View from take off point for paragliding Chamonix France

I’ve always wanted to try tandem paragliding but never had the chance before.  This summer I had the perfect opportunity to have a go – this has to be one of the top summer activities in Chamonix.  We went up in the Brévent gondola to a ridge above the valley and were strapped into harnesses by our instructors from Evolution 2. At this point I was a bit nervous as the thought of running off a mountain into the air was scary, to say the least. I shouldn’t have worried as we were almost instantly airborne and soaring up to the ridge above us.  The harness feels a little like sitting in a camping chair so you do seem ultra secure. We slowly gained height and flew along the ridge until we could see high peaks reaching out in every direction. As we gently floated towards a point directly above the valley, Mont Blanc emerged out of the cloud into the sunshine, looking dazzlingly white against the blue sky.

Paragliding Chamonix France

After about 30 minutes in the air, we gradually lost height before circling over the town to land. Landing was easy despite my fears about making it back down to the ground again.  I was thrilled to have tried paragliding,  the highlight of my stay in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and something I would definitely recommend that everyone tries for themselves. And, given half a chance, I’d jump at the chance to do this particular summer activity in Chamonix again.

Visit the Mer de Glace – the longest glacier in France:

Mer de Glace Chamonix France

I’ve always been a bit of a geography geek – in another life, I might have been a geography teacher, so a trip by rack train to view the Mer de Glace, (sea of ice), the longest glacier in France, was a must for me.  The Chemin de Fer du Montenvers takes you up the mountain from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc to an elevation of 1913m.  The view is spectacular with the Mer de Glace beneath you, the Drus and Grandes Jorasses mountains rising majestically into the sky.

Refuge de Montenvers Chamonix France

From the train station, we visited the Refuge du Montenvers, the highest mountain hotel in the world. Built in 1880, this mountain refuge has been recently renovated to a high standard, with much of the original interior restored. The rooms are named after famous past visitors, including alpinists; Mary Shelley, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron and Alexandre Dumas to name a few. The cost to stay overnight, including dinner and breakfast, is very reasonable. In keeping with its background, there is a bunk room for climbers, this is very light and scandi, with cosy pine bed recesses below, the original beams above. Staying at the Refuge du Montenvers would definitely be a special experience, I would love to spend the night there and have breakfast on the terrace with the spectacular mountain scenery and the Mer de Glace below.

Bunk room Refuge de Montenvers Chamonix France

From the train station, there is a short lift ride down and then a metal staircase winding down to the valley floor below and the Mer de Glace glacier. There are 500 steps to and from the lift, but you can take your time and appreciate the views. Along the way, the different levels of the glacier over the years are recorded in signs, showing that it has been dramatically receding. When you reach the bottom of the stairs you can visit the ice grotto.  This takes you into the heart of the glacier itself and is much cooler than the outside temperature. The cave was hewn out by hand with picks, the ice walls are clear and blue. I’ve seen glaciers from the outside before but never been inside one – it was amazing and another one of those summer activities in Chamonix I’d recommend.

Mer de Glace Chamonix France

Try White Water Rafting in Chamonix down L’Arveyon:

Another thing I had a go at during our stay in Chamonix was white water rafting, a first for me. I really didn’t know what to expect but was ready to give it a try despite not being a strong swimmer. We were kitted out in wetsuits, shoes and helmets all provided by Evolution 2 and set off in a van up-river.

After a safety demonstration and instructions, we lifted the raft down into the water ready to get started. I thought that we would be seated in the raft but in fact, we were perched on the sides of the raft, paddles in our hands. The water is white as it is carrying the sediment from the glaciers and is a very cold 4 degrees – hence the need for wetsuits. It was a truly exhilarating experience, with stretches of quiet water, rapids and sudden waves which came crashing over you. We progressed down the L’Arveyon river which then ran into the Arve river at what seemed like a fast rate, the scenery changed, we passed under the bridges of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, to the amusement of onlookers, before heading further along the valley to a place where we safely landed.

White water rafting on the Arve river Chamonix France

If you are looking for an outdoor activity in Chamonix that will give you  a real adrenaline rush then do have a go at white water rafting.

I’ve picked my own personal favourites – unique outdoor summer activities in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, but there are numerous other things to do during the summer – hiking, cycling and climbing for example.  While I love skiing and am drawn to the mountains in winter, there’s just as much reason to be there in summer.

Are you thinking of visiting Chamonix?  Why not pin this post for later!

Top Summer Activities Chamonix - Chamonix Mont-Blanc Activities

 

We were guests of Inghams staying at the Inghams run Hotel la Sapiniere. Whitewater rafting photograph courtesy of Amandine Elie.

Visiting Chamonix:

Inghams offers a seven-night “Peaks of Perfection” Activity Week in Chamonix, France, from £669 per person in Summer 2019. Price includes accommodation on a catered basis (including buffet breakfasts, packed lunches, afternoon tea with cake, and evening meals with complimentary wine for six nights) at the three-diamond Hotel La Sapiniere, return flights and airport transfers, as well as white-water rafting, guided mountain biking and guided hiking. For more information and to book, visit www.inghams.co.uk/lakes-mountains-holidays or call 01483 494 826.

You can also book an overnight glacier experience from £105 per person – spend an unforgettable night in the newly renovated Refuge du Montenvers, with a three-course dinner included

 

For more information on the full range of summer activities in Chamonix, visit: www.chamonix.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Europe, France, Travel Tagged With: Mountain

About Kay Woolley

With a background in marketing, Kay lives in Surrey and is the owner of a self-catering holiday cottage in Boscastle, North Cornwall an area she grew up in and loves to visit whenever possible. She has a passion for skiing and the mountains and has spent the last two winters working as a ski rep in the Alps. When not in the mountains or the West Country Kay loves to travel, and experience new things.

Comments

  1. Zenja | Bearly Here says

    January 19, 2019 at 6:08 am

    Oh my, white water rafting looks incredible, and so much fun!! Thank you for sharing, pictures are gorgeous, I’m travel-drooling already 🙂

    Reply
  2. Inora says

    December 25, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    It is great, hope you had a wonderful time in Chamonix on your summer holidays. But I got an opportunity to visit Chamonix during winter season. I was there for an official meeting, and I got about 2-3 days break, and had checked out ski and had some fun. But I missed the Mont Blanc bird’s eye view, the cable ride, I planned to visit there again with well planned tour itinerary to enjoy the maximum which Chamonix has to offer 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kristina says

    August 11, 2018 at 5:15 am

    Wow I never realized the flexibility of winter versus summer activities in Chamonix. This is definitely a destination we’ll explore soon.

    Reply
  4. Sandy N Vyjay says

    August 8, 2018 at 4:35 am

    Chamonix is indeed a jewel of the Alps. Though we have been to the Swiss Alps, not yet made it to Chamonix. But the call of the mountains is irresistible. Would love to travel on the cable car and feast on the spectacular views. Tandem paragliding in such environs would be like a dream experience. River rafting is another activity that sets our adrenaline coursing.

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    August 7, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    You can do paragliding in Chamonix in winter too! We were scheduled to do it doing one of our winter trips there, but a massive snow storm hit and it had to be cancelled. We haven’t been back to reschedule it but I’m dying to do paragliding there. Love Chamonix!

    Reply
  6. Veronika Tomanova says

    August 7, 2018 at 7:45 pm

    I really would like to visit Chamonix Mont Blanc. It seems like a great place for an adventurer, with rafting on such a wild water and even better with some paraglide flight around the region!

    Reply
  7. Lucy says

    August 7, 2018 at 9:30 am

    I love the mountains in the summer, especially if it is a little cooler than the coast. I have been to Courmayeur in the summer and winter and enjoyed it both times, so I think Chamonix would be for me too, I would love to “Step into the Void” that looks so exciting, but a bit scary!

    Reply
    • Kay says

      August 7, 2018 at 10:09 am

      Yes you’re right it was one of those exciting but slightly scary moments. I’m so glad that I did it though as it was totally unique.

      Reply
  8. Shweta says

    August 7, 2018 at 6:11 am

    I had heard of Chamonix as a great winter destination but its clearly a winner for summer adventures as well. I would love to try tandem gliding. the feeling of soaring through the sky…just wow!

    Reply
  9. Christina Pfeiffer says

    August 5, 2018 at 3:40 am

    Chamonix-Mont-Blanc looks amazing. I would love to step into the voiid and look down at the scenery below my feet! Wow, what a fantastic way to enjoy the landscape. Whitewater rafting looks like a fun activity too. Summer looks like the perfect time to visit.

    Reply
  10. Linda says

    August 5, 2018 at 12:33 am

    When we visited Geneva, we really wanted to do a day trip to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. I am now more sorry that we missed visiting Chamonix. We love taking cable cars in skiing areas in the summer. Great for a panoramic view. I would definitely want to go out on the glass floor. Having done skydiving for many years, I might even want to try the paragliding. I am so glad you tried it. I would love to stay at the Refuge du Montenvers. A great way to have enough time to see the glaciers. I will definitely post this for our next visit.

    Reply

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