Aiguille du Midi
| Aiguille du Midi | |
|---|---|
 The Aiguille du Midi in summer |
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| Elevation | 3,842 m (12,605 ft) |
| Prominence | 310 m (1,017 ft)[1] |
| Translation | Needle of the Noon Needle of Southern France (French) |
| Location | |
 Aiguille du Midi
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| Range | Mont Blanc Massif |
| Coordinates | 45°52′43″N 06°53′14″E / 45.87861°N 6.88722°ECoordinates: 45°52′43″N 06°53′14″E / 45.87861°N 6.88722°E |
| Geology | |
| Type | Granite |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 4 August 1818 by Antoni Malczewski, J. M. Balmat and 5 guides |
The Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.
The name "Aiguille du Midi" translates literally as "Needle of the Noon" or "Needle of the Mid-day". In the brochure for its cable car the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc asserts it gets its name from the fact that it is to the south when viewed from in front of the church in Chamonix.[2]
Contents |
Cable car [edit]
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. It still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1,035 m to 3842 m. There are two sections: from Chamonix to Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 m and then directly, without any support pillar, to the upper station at 3,777 m (the building contains an elevator to the summit). The span of the second section is 2,867 m (1.781 mi) measured directly, but only 2,500 m (1.6 mi) measured horizontally. Thus it remains the second longest span width, measured directly. The tramway travels from Chamonix to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – an altitude gain of over 2,800 m – in 20 minutes. An adult ticket from Chamonix (as of 9/5/2012 to 30/11/2012) is €46 return.
Summit [edit]
The Aiguille summit contains a panoramic viewing platform, a café and a gift shop. The 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), the Vallee Blanche Aerial Tramway crosses the Glacier du Géant to Pointe Helbronner (3,462 m) at the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif. Pointe Helbronner is served with a cable car from La Palud, a village near Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley (Italy).
Photo gallery [edit]
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The north face in winter
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The lower platforms from the summit
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Cable car terminus (1972)
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Cable car terminus (2011)
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Cable car going to Aiguille du Midi
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References [edit]
- ^ Swisstopo map
- ^ "Brochure Aiguille du Midi and Train Montenvers summer 2012". Retrieved August 7, 2012.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aiguille du Midi |
- Website telepherique Aiguille du Midi
- Panoramic virtual tour from top of Aiguille du Midi
- (Photos) Photojournal from short stay at the top station of Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi
