Plan de l'Aiguille & Grand Balcon Nord
Plan de l'Aiguille
A 2,317-metre plateau at the transfer station of the Aiguille du Midi cable car, from where the Grand Balcon Nord trail traverses the mountainside gently to Montenvers.
Plan de l'Aiguille is the transfer station for the Aiguille du Midi cable car, with a moraine lake and alpine meadows below. From here, the Grand Balcon Nord trail cuts across the mountainside and reaches Montenvers station in about 2.5–3 hours, with the Mer de Glace and the Grandes Jorasses in view the whole way. From there, take the rack railway down. This is the classic 'cable car up, train down' combination. When buying tickets, choose a round trip to the transfer station or a combined pass. The trail has some scree and small streams, so wear hiking boots.
Opening hours
Summer: trail open all day (cable car about 07:10–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Aiguille du Midi & Step into the Void
- Musée Alpin de Chamonix
- Chamonix Town Centre
- Bossons Glacier
- Panoramic Mont-Blanc Gondola
- Lac des Gaillands
- Mer de Glace & Montenvers Railway
- Vallée Blanche