Chamonix France - 6th April 2012
The 6th of April we drove from Annecy to Chamonix along the 'Autoroute Blanche' (White Highway). This is the main route into the Chamonix ski resorts.
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| Flor - Our new GPS! |
Chamonix is a commune in the Haute Savoie Rhone-Alps region of south west France. The population is approximately 9,800, however it has 60,000 tourist beds available.
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| Map of the Region |
Chamonix is near the massive peaks Aiguilles Rouge, and shares the summit of Mont Blanc with Courmayer in Italy.
Mont Blanc is 4,810 meters above sea level (15,781 feet)
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| Our Rental Car |
Montenvers Railway is a rack railway line from Hotel de Montenvers Station to Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) at 1,913 meters (6,276 feet), and is 5.1 kilometres long (3.2 miles). It rises 871 meters (2,858 feet) from the station to the Glacier, with a gradient of between 11% and 22%. It was opened in 1909 and was steam operated until 1953 when it was electrified.
The Mer de Glace is on the Northern slopes of Mont Blanc, and is 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) long, and 200 meters (660 feet) deep. It is the longest glacier in France, and moves 90 meters (300 feet) per year, or around 1 centimetre (1/2 inch). It has lost up to 150 meters in depth since 1980, and this has been attributed to Global Warming.
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| Fresh Cheese and Cut Meats |
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| The Best Raclette Ever |
Fantastic photos Dave and Sylvia. You got here in the nick of time - April was cold and foggy since about the 6th to the end of the month... Looks like you guys had a terrific time. Hope to be able to write again soon. Busy times here. Lots to tell.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Tony.
Only wine, cheese and cut meats?
ReplyDeleteY probaron el Mont Blanc Sweet Dark Chocolate?