At the beginning of September I spent a weekend in Chamonix to explore the beautiful mountain landscape around Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi. On the first day I took the lift up and hiked to Lac Blanc. Since 1955 a cable car has run from Chamonix straight up to the Aiguille du Midi, 3,842 metres high – it climbs more than 2,800 metres and is still considered the cable car with the greatest vertical rise in the world.
A view of the peaks
The view along the route of Mont Blanc, the Aiguille du Midi and neighbouring mountains such as the Aiguille du Dru was magnificent. Here are a few black-and-white pictures of these wild mountain shapes – except for the last two, which simply had to stay in colour for the beautiful sunset.
Long streaks of cloud fan out above the icy flanks of Mont Blanc.A sharp rock needle between dark slopes, fine streaks of cloud above.Two rock needles in silhouette beneath a dense pattern of cloud.A jagged chain of peaks above Chamonix, a snowy summit gleaming on the right.Snow-capped spikes above the dark foothills – wild mountain shapes in black and white.A gap in the cloud reveals the rocky summit while the slope in front stays in shadow.Clouds creep over a rocky ridge dotted with snow.“Lac Blanc” and an arrow on the rock – after the lift ride the way to the lake continued on foot.Lac Blanc in its rocky bowl, tiny hikers on the shore.Blocky rock on the shore, the peaks behind disappearing into cloud.The lake mirrors the rock face, a snowfield still lying at the top right.Dark rocky spikes beneath torn clouds.Under the closed cloud cover the rock slabs gleam, a few patches of snow between them.A jagged ridge stabs into the clouds, snow clinging on in the gullies.A dark rock fortress flecked with snow, the sky above almost black.Two rock walls frame a snow gully, a wisp of cloud drifting above.A hiker, tiny before steep snowy ridges and a glacier.A snowy summit beside a dark rock needle – the view along the way was magnificent.A glacier tongue lies in the valley, sharp peaks and white clouds above.A sharp summit above the glacier tongue – granite, ice and light.Steep walls, with a glacier threading between the ridges.Evening light on Mont Blanc, the crevassed glacier in front – this sunset simply had to stay in colour.A rock needle in golden evening light, wrapped in glowing clouds.
