Chamoni"X" and altitude sickness
After leaving the wonders of Berlin (a cheeky stop there after Warsaw), having again been entranced by the diverse nature of life there, I was surprised to see how quickly I forgot about that upon arrival back in Paris. It is no small wonder that each and every time I end up back in Paris I quickly remember why I find it so alluring. The fact that I can speak the language certainly helps but despite the Parisians who live there, each time I arrive back I am quickly swept back into the Paris culture. After a festive going away party for Gen’s Olivier, which ended up being at one of my favourite bars in the 3rd(from last time), it was a relaxing time catching up with old friends and enjoying a café out doors. The next stage of the travels was planned and I was quickly on a train to the South-East of France, into the French Alps to a place called Chamonix.
After two transfers, I finally boarded the Alpine Express that would take me to Chamonix. The scenery was amazing as the train made its way up and up into the mountains. There was some low-lying cloud that hide some of the mountain peaks, however the views down into the valleys were breathtaking. Upon arrival into town, I walked off to find my hostel, chosen because it was only one located on the map provided. The accommodation was nothing like what was advertised. Breakfast was not included, the internet was down and there was only one toilet per sex in the whole place. However, this mattered little as there were only a couple of people staying and the view from my bed of the Alps was awesome.
Chamonix, elevation 1037m, rests at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain range in Europe. Surprisingly it does not resemble an expensive pen that takes the same name. The permanent snow capped peaks were the biggest things I’ve seen in my life. After settling in and wandering the streets, I took the opportunity to catch the téléphérique (cable-car) up to see Mont Blanc. The ride up to the top, which is called Aiguille du Midi, is done in two stages with the change occurring at Plan de l’Aiguille that lies at 2317m.
The low-lying cloud of the day hid the peak from view. It seemed like we were ascending into the heavens as the cable-car lead lines disappeared into the clouds.
The first thing that I noticed whilst awaiting the second car was the dramatic drop in temperature. I was truly thankful that I had bought 2 jumpers, gloves, beanie and a scarf.
Eventually, we boarded the next car and headed up.
As the cloud cover began to thin, all of a sudden, Mont Blanc appeared. It towered over our destination, the outpost on top of Aiguille du Midi. When we finally reached the top, it was not surprising that the temperature had dropped even further. The outpost consisted of numerous look out points, a café/bar and an elevator that took you to the very top of the outpost that gave you unobstructed panoramic views. It was to this elevator that I headed and after the short trip to the top, I was blown away by the views. At this point I had reached the highest point in my life, some 3842m high.
Surprisingly warm in the direct sunlight, it did not take long for me to shed some layers as I set up my cameras to take some shots. It took about 30 minutes for the altitude to hit and it was a very weird sensation. Remembering things I’d read about alpine climbers, I slowed all motions down, took multiple deep breaths before activities and watched as some people around me collapsed at random intervals! Changing posture was the biggest strain. Every time I changed lens, I was struck by waves of light-headedness that at times threatened to put me on the ground too! Nonetheless I persevered and remained up there taking photos for a good hour and a half. Foolishly, I tried to celebrate my achievement with a cigarette, although after only half I decided that it was not a good idea! The sensation of being on top of the world, coupled with mild altitude sickness and exaggerated by the effects of the cigarette, was further heightened by the cloud cover that kept the valley below from view. Eventually I made my way back down the elevator to grab some food, and the obligatory beer, from the café.
After a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours at the time, it was time to get back onto the cable car and head back to Chamonix. The first stage back down to Plan de l’Aiguille was uneventful. An initial hic-cup waiting for the next cable car to dock was slightly disconcerting.
The guy checking the cable wheels (the bits connecting the cable car to the cable) was concerning. However, as the car left the dock and literally hurdled towards the first pylon without slowing was close to terrifying, but in a good way. As we shot past the first pylon, trying to force our stomachs back into our abdomen from our throats, myself and the group of soldiers (who’d been doing high-altitude rescue exercises) did the only thing possible….ask for more speed!! Unfortunately our shouted requests were drowned out by the screams of terror by the group of children at the back of the car. Once safely back on solid ground, it was time to surgically remove the children’s hands from the railing before setting off to walk around the streets.
My plans of seeing Annecy and Avignon before heading to Nice were disrupted by my morning routine of getting up before check-out, running to the train station, changing my ticket and getting back to the hostel to book another night. Even after a week of being there, relaxing and frequently looking up to be amazed by the mountain peaks (the weather got a lot better) it was really difficult to leave. The hostel was truly the Hotel California™!!
Mont Blanc:
After two transfers, I finally boarded the Alpine Express that would take me to Chamonix. The scenery was amazing as the train made its way up and up into the mountains. There was some low-lying cloud that hide some of the mountain peaks, however the views down into the valleys were breathtaking. Upon arrival into town, I walked off to find my hostel, chosen because it was only one located on the map provided. The accommodation was nothing like what was advertised. Breakfast was not included, the internet was down and there was only one toilet per sex in the whole place. However, this mattered little as there were only a couple of people staying and the view from my bed of the Alps was awesome.
Chamonix, elevation 1037m, rests at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain range in Europe. Surprisingly it does not resemble an expensive pen that takes the same name. The permanent snow capped peaks were the biggest things I’ve seen in my life. After settling in and wandering the streets, I took the opportunity to catch the téléphérique (cable-car) up to see Mont Blanc. The ride up to the top, which is called Aiguille du Midi, is done in two stages with the change occurring at Plan de l’Aiguille that lies at 2317m.
The low-lying cloud of the day hid the peak from view. It seemed like we were ascending into the heavens as the cable-car lead lines disappeared into the clouds.
The first thing that I noticed whilst awaiting the second car was the dramatic drop in temperature. I was truly thankful that I had bought 2 jumpers, gloves, beanie and a scarf.
Eventually, we boarded the next car and headed up.
As the cloud cover began to thin, all of a sudden, Mont Blanc appeared. It towered over our destination, the outpost on top of Aiguille du Midi. When we finally reached the top, it was not surprising that the temperature had dropped even further. The outpost consisted of numerous look out points, a café/bar and an elevator that took you to the very top of the outpost that gave you unobstructed panoramic views. It was to this elevator that I headed and after the short trip to the top, I was blown away by the views. At this point I had reached the highest point in my life, some 3842m high.
Surprisingly warm in the direct sunlight, it did not take long for me to shed some layers as I set up my cameras to take some shots. It took about 30 minutes for the altitude to hit and it was a very weird sensation. Remembering things I’d read about alpine climbers, I slowed all motions down, took multiple deep breaths before activities and watched as some people around me collapsed at random intervals! Changing posture was the biggest strain. Every time I changed lens, I was struck by waves of light-headedness that at times threatened to put me on the ground too! Nonetheless I persevered and remained up there taking photos for a good hour and a half. Foolishly, I tried to celebrate my achievement with a cigarette, although after only half I decided that it was not a good idea! The sensation of being on top of the world, coupled with mild altitude sickness and exaggerated by the effects of the cigarette, was further heightened by the cloud cover that kept the valley below from view. Eventually I made my way back down the elevator to grab some food, and the obligatory beer, from the café.
After a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours at the time, it was time to get back onto the cable car and head back to Chamonix. The first stage back down to Plan de l’Aiguille was uneventful. An initial hic-cup waiting for the next cable car to dock was slightly disconcerting.
The guy checking the cable wheels (the bits connecting the cable car to the cable) was concerning. However, as the car left the dock and literally hurdled towards the first pylon without slowing was close to terrifying, but in a good way. As we shot past the first pylon, trying to force our stomachs back into our abdomen from our throats, myself and the group of soldiers (who’d been doing high-altitude rescue exercises) did the only thing possible….ask for more speed!! Unfortunately our shouted requests were drowned out by the screams of terror by the group of children at the back of the car. Once safely back on solid ground, it was time to surgically remove the children’s hands from the railing before setting off to walk around the streets.
My plans of seeing Annecy and Avignon before heading to Nice were disrupted by my morning routine of getting up before check-out, running to the train station, changing my ticket and getting back to the hostel to book another night. Even after a week of being there, relaxing and frequently looking up to be amazed by the mountain peaks (the weather got a lot better) it was really difficult to leave. The hostel was truly the Hotel California™!!
Mont Blanc:
posted by santas walkabout at 11:50 am
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