Aiguille du Midi...3842 metres

Yesterday we arrived in Chamonix to some beautiful weather...but it wasn't going to last. Today was forecast to start off sunny but then cloud over as the wind blew up. As for the next two days, we shall just have to wait and see what happens...but it was clear that if we were going to go up into the Alps that it was going to have to be today.

Over breakfast we had watched the cloud blow in over Mont Blanc and up around Aiguille du Midi. We contemplated going to a lesser peak to ensure that the weather was nicer...but found that there weren't open. So that left us with Aiguille du Midi or nothing...so off we went. There was hardly anyone around so we had no wait to be our tickets and left on the next cable car to the mid station. It was then into the next car for a 1500 metre single-span climb to the top.

Up top it was sunny, rather cool at about 0 degrees and, in places, rather windy. The first thing that was noticeable after leaving the cable car was the effect of the thin air and reduced oxygen so we headed into the cafeteria for a while to sit down and acclimatise. We then spent the next few hours wandering around all the levels and enjoying the views...all except for Mont Blanc itself which remained shrouded in cloud the whole time we were there. Anita even managed the "Step into the Void" without hesitation...but I just couldn't do it.

Before we left to come down, I stopped off to get the answers for an Earth Cache that is up there and to find the ordinary Cache that is placed there as well...probably the two easiest "high altitude" caches that you will ever find.