From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi in summer
Elevation	3,842 metres (12,605 ft)
Location	France
Range	Mont Blanc
Coordinates	45°52′44″N, 6°53′18″E
Type	Granite
First ascent	August 4, 1818 by A. Malczewski, J. M. Balmat and 5 guides
Translation	Needle of the South (French)

The Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.
The cable car to the summit, the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, was built in 1955 and held the title of the world's highest cable car for about two decades. To this day it still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1035m to 3842m it serves the worlds highest vertical descent for lift served winter sports. In a spectacular ascent it travels from Chamonix to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – an altitude gain of over 2,800 m – in just 20 minutes.
The Aiguille summit now contains a panoramic viewing platform, a cafe and a gift shop. The popular Vallée Blanche ski run begins here, and the nearby Cosmiques Refuge is the starting point for one of the routes to the Mont Blanc summit. From the Aiguille another cable car (summer months only) crosses the Glacier de Geant to Point Helbronner (3,452 m) at the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif. Point Helbronner is served with a cable car from La Palud, a village near Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley (Italy). It should be noted that some people experience light-headedness when they arrive at the upper terminus of the aerial tramway. Care should be taken when climbing the stairwells at the summit station. An elevator ride to the "needle tower" (additional 200 feet) is 3 Euro additional. Reservations are suggested if you wish to ride the cable car from the village in a timely way, or for any large group.


 

Aiguille du Midi gallery

Aiguille du Midi

Mont Blanc and part of the Aiguille