A walk along the Grand Balcon Sud, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

My first visit to Chamonix was in 1993 when I walked there from the shores of Lake Geneva doing a section of the GR5. Thirty years later I walked there again taking the long way round from Les Houches when hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc. Last summer I actually got to drive into town when Mish and I headed off on our summer road trip to the French Alps.

Camping de la Mer de Glace is going to be our home whilst we are in Chamonix. Although situated just outside the town itself, guests are given a pass that allows free travel on the train that runs the whole length of the valley and Les Praz train station is just a ten minute walk away. This means the van can stay put whilst we are here which is always a bonus. It’s a good campsite, spacious with clean modern facilities and good sized pitches enclosed by hedges that give privacy. There’s also a food van that turns up every night with a different choice of takeaway if you don’t feel like cooking in 35°c heat.

It’s popularity means they close down the booking system in the summer and you have to turn up early and wait while a man on a bike cycles around and sees what pitches have been vacated. There is a German couple ahead of us and several other vans turn up whilst we are waiting but after an hour or so it is declared that we can all be accommodated. And our pitch is a very nice one, not too far from the facilities and perfect to set up home for five or six days.

Chamonix and the long valley where it sits is surrounded by the magnificent and iconic needle sharp peaks of the Mont Blanc Massif, each one with a history of triumph and tragedy and the highest mountain in Western Europe, the snow domed Mont Blanc looks down on the town. It’s a busy and popular alpine hub in summer or winter and it attracts adventure junkies from all over the world to climb, ski, cycle, snowboard, hang or para glide and of course walk. Mish and I are not quite ‘adventure junkies’ but we do like to stretch our legs a bit and ‘take the air’ as my Nan would say.

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After missing out on the final day of my TMB trek last year because of thunder and lightning I wanted to walk at least a bit of the official final day, the Grand Balcon Sud on this visit. And Mish was keen to see what all the fuss was about after I came home raving about the views and scenery last year.

Getting off the train at Chamonix station I notice that at 1039 metres it’s higher than any land in England and yet still manages to have trains that run on time. The weather forecast is for blue skies and warmth so we stop at the supermarket to stock up on food and drink before exploring the town.

I show Mish the statues commemorating the first men to climb Mont Blanc (you can read their story on my post here if you like) and we have a look in the preponderance of walking shops before making our way up the steep road to the téléphérique du Brevent which whisks us up 3,000ft to Planpraz in matter of minutes.

Adventure junkies of course would eschew the téléphérique and run up the vertical kilometre to Planpraz. The vertical kilometre challenge involves gaining a kilometre in height over a distance of 5km or less. The zig zag path from Chamonix to Planpraz involves a 1,000 metres of ascent over a distance of only 3.8km, Ouch.

From the cable car station a gravel track heads steeply up to a restaurant, Altitude 2000. On the way we stop and watch para-gliders launching off the side of the mountain into thin air. I imagine it’s a great feeling being airborne with just the sound of the wind around you, like a bird, but I think I’m happy just imagining it.

At the restaurant the Grand Balcon Sud path is reached. The path, translated as large southern balcony is, rather confusingly high up on the north side of the Chamonix valley but is named for the direction it faces. And because it’s on the northern side it offers superb views across the valley where the whole panorama of the Mont Blanc massif and Grandes Jorasses are spread across the skyline providing a visual mountain feast.

Also, as the name suggests, its a fairly level walk with no large ascents or descents. The path works its way along the hillside offering unobstructed views to the other side. It’s five star walking with mountain views that don’t get much better and Mish, who has never seen such mountains is in awe of the sharp, and sheer, snow glistening peaks.

After a mile or so a stony path heads into the forested hillside where it traverses along the steepening valley side, contouring across ravines with steep drops down through the pines on our right.

 

Views along the Grand Balcon Sud

Gradually the tree cover thins out which only serves to increase the sense of exposure but does reveal once more the magnificent views.

The final ravine is the trickiest. Scraped bare, possibly by a land slip or flood the trail crosses boulders and loose scree and particular care has to be taken in the middle as the scree drops away beneath our feet.

Safely across, the path is still rough and rocky but the exposure lessens as the sheer valley side is gradually left behind. A short ladder and step section takes us back into the trees for a while and then we pop out at the Flegere cable car station and make our way down to Refuge de la Flegere for something to eat.

It seems strange being back at refuge Flegere after Steve and I spent our last night of the TMB here last year. I only wish the weather then was as good as it is now, but hillwalking is always at the mercy of the elements and what goes around usually comes around. 

We settle down on a bench in the welcome shade at the side of the refuge and take in the views. Day walkers and trail walkers form a procession coming up and down from Lac Blanc, the trail walkers conspicuous by their larger packs and purposeful stride. After a while we take the cable car back down to the valley floor and walk the short distance back to the campsite having enjoyed one of the classic day walks of the Chamonix valley.

Route Map, Walk Stats, Geolocated Pictures and 3D Flyover Video Below.

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