Hello,

I'm planning a trip to the Alps in late May, and have plans to be in Chamonix from the afternoon of Thursday, May 28th until Sunday, May 31st. I'm hoping to get some good hiking and photography in and had a few questions that I hoped someone could answer. I had originally wanted to hike up to Lac Blanc, but noticed the Flegere station is closed until later in June. It sounds like there is a path from Plan Praz, the mid-point for the Brevent station, to Flegere. However, I'm wondering how difficult it would be in late May to hike from Plan Praz all the way to Lac Blanc. Is it generally covered in snow at that time of year?

And I was considering going over into Italy by bus for one of the days as well and doing some hiking. Is Val Ferret hard to get to by bus? The photos I've seen seem to indicate that it's a beautiful area for a good hike.

Any other suggestions for good hiking, particular with good views of Mont Blanc?

Thanks in advance!

Great photo opps from the Chamonix-Aguille du Midi-Point Helbronner (Italy) aerial cable cars that go over the huge Mer de Glace - sea of ice that forms Mont Blanc's glacier

You take a large gondola up from Chamonix and then up top at the Aiguille du Midi you switch to tiny 2- or 4- (?) person open-air gondolas that often stop when people get on and off at either end - leaving you dangling over the sea of ice hundreds of feet below for three incredible miles to Point Helbronner and the Italian frontier.

In 40 years of European travel this is perhaps the most thrilling single journey i've ever taken.

Aiguille du Midi Chamonix Mt Blanc, France
The Aiguille du Midi cable car leaves from the centre of Chamonix. ... The 5 km journey from the top station of the Aiguille de Midi to Point Helbronner ...
http://www.chamonix.net/english/sigh...le_du_midi.htm

If Chamonix had a winter anything like Switzerland did, they got a lot of snow. good for skiers, but not for early season hikers.

The path from Plan Praz to La Flegere is the Grand Balcon Sud. It is a glorious hike with great views of Mont Blanc, but I wouldn't want to do it in the snow. It traverses some steep sections where you would want an ice ax and maybe a rope.

We thought Lac Blanc and the views around there somewhat overrated, but maybe it was because it was too hazy to get the classic shot of the Aguilles du Midi and reflections in the lake. In any case, I wouldn't risk my life on avalanche-prone or dicey slpes to get there. But if the snow is just lingering in patches, then it would probably work Ok as a hike from Plan Praz. (A longish one without the option to ride back down the Flegere lift).

Yeah, the Lac Blanc hike may have to be left for a future trip. I had hoped to get a good shot of the Aguilles du Midi from across the valley (preferably with a reflection which is why Lac Blanc would have been nice).

And I might look into the Aiguille du Midi cable cars. I had read a little about it, but we have one in our group that's afraid of heights. I think they're willing to try and get over it though, knowing how many hiking trails require cable car usage on this trip.

Thanks for the help!

I had read a little about it, but we have one in our group that's afraid of heights.>

Well this cableway is not the one to take to get away from a fear of heights.

When the small individual gondolas stop periodically and you are dangling above the fearsome Mer de Glace sometimes hundreds of feet below even the most hardened folks may give pause - will the cable line start up again or will i be stranded here, miles from nowhere.

The first stage to Aiguille du Midi is in large glass gondolas where Nervous Nellies can stand in the middle - but the tiny gondolas once up top could well be really frightening and as they last a long time you cannot just get off.