The Lacs Noir amongst the Aiguilles Rouge

The téléphérique from Plan Praz near Chamonix lifts you quickly up to nearly 1900m asl to La Flegère. Working on my fitness I walked from here up the piste to reach top of the Index chairlift. From here I was to descend for around 100m vertical before beginning the climb up a high, snow banked valley to reach the Col de la Glière. There had been warnings posted at the caisse where I bought my tickets - the advice for walkers was not to cross the Col because of snow but I wanted to check this out as I'm planning to walk this route next week with my group. I thought I'd walk up to the col and check out the problem but as it turned out the problem was before reaching the col.

Crossing the dodgy snow gully

Ahead of me I could see people picking their way carefully across a small snow gully. Without a rope for protection, crampons and an ice axe this can be a bit delicate. A slip will be hard to control and a fast slide will end up in rocks below. On the far side of this gully there were stanchioned hand rails where the path continued across steep rocks to the col. When I got up there I decided I didn't fancy the slippery snow and instead climbed above the snow to regain the path.

An icy Lac Noir in front of the Aiguille du Pouce

 After the excitement it was quickly to the col and then another 100m of up to get to the Lacs Noir which were ice filled and atmospheric below the rocky pinnacles of the mountains. The path slides onto the north side of the main ridge here to get to the next col from where a steep path zig-zags downwards. The views are magnificent and the path interesting once I'd lost a couple of hundred metres altitude. I chose the path advertised as 'steep' which followed a small subsidiary spur downwards through bilberries and little rocky knolls which framed a wonderful view of Mont Blanc and the Bossons Glacier cascading downwards towards Chamonix. 200 years ago this nearly reached the floor of the valley but it's melting back fast.

Mont Blanc and the receding Bossons Glacier

The Aiguille Vert and the Dru above some 'weeds'

This descent takes you back into areas of skiing detritus but not long after turning back towards La Flegère there's a turn, briefly uphill and then traversing a beautiful path.

Walkers silhouetted against Mont Blanc and Mont Maudit

 This path amongst mature conifers offers more of the fantastic panorama, southwards towards the high mountains. This is a pretty stunning walk.

 The distant Aiguille Vert nestled in cloud across the valley from the La Flegère path