Trails and cable cars take summer hikers to the peaks and valleys in the shadow of Mont Blanc

“You’re sure you won’t give it a try?” my wife, Karyn, asked, strapping a white helmet to her head.

No, I assured her, I was happy with my feet planted on firm ground.

Behind her a burly man had laid out a wide yellow sheet of silk with countless cords connected to a harness.

“You’re sure this is safe?” I asked hesitantly.

“I do it five times a day, six days a week in the summer,” the man replied.

Within moments, Karyn had tied herself to him, the silk had ballooned into a golden wing, and the two of them had run full speed off a steep cliff. They rose on the currents into the sky and soon had joined half a dozen pink, green and blue parapentes gliding gracefully more than a mile above the valley floor. Forty minutes later, they landed safely in a field on the edge of town. Grinning with accomplishment, Karyn was ready for the day’s other activity: hiking to one of the blue-white glaciers that snake down from the Alps toward the outskirts of Chamonix.

Chamonix is in an Alpine valley in southeastern France, close to the Italian and Swiss borders. It has been a favorite with skiers for more than a century, and hosted the first winter Olympics, in 1924. But in summer, Chamonix-Mont Blanc really shines: Its thick snowpack and glaciers draw late-season winter sports enthusiasts alongside hikers, para-gliders, rock and mountain climbers and vacationers wanting only clean air and grand views.

A network of ski lifts and telepheriques (cable cars), linked to 200 miles of well-maintained trails, allows people of all ability levels to experience alpine hiking and scenery comparable to the Himalayas.

With its Alpine architecture and narrow streets, Chamonix has retained much of its small-town feel despite its status as a climbing and skiing capital. In late afternoon, the streets are crowded with visitors. Tired climbers, weighed down with ropes and heavy gear, shuffle alongside families with young children in search of ice cream. Groups of day hikers gather over beers at the many outdoor cafes.

As most people spend active days, eating and relaxing seem to be the favorite evening activities. Around 7 o’clock, the outdoor terrace restaurants around the busy Place Balmat begin to fill with hungry patrons.

On our first night in town, Karyn and I shared a pot of fondue, the regional specialty of melted cheese, and some light local wine, then lingered over dessert during what became our favorite event of the day: watching the sunset. From our outdoor table, we were mesmerized as darkness fell slowly across the silent peaks above us.

There is plenty of night life to be found in Chamonix for those unbowed by the day’s exertions. After dark, the nightclubs along Rue du Docteur Paccard fill with an energetic crowd looking for music, dancing and nonstop skiing and snowboarding videos. Some of the larger hotels have cafe-bars where bands play on weekends.

Despite the often large crowds on the streets, a short hike out of town is all it takes to find a quiet, secluded spot, perfect for a picnic, a nap or a few hours with a good book.

On our first visit, last August, Karyn and I arrived in early afternoon and set out immediately for Le Brevent, a stone pillar of a mountain (8,500 feet) on the north side of the valley. It is reached by a two-stage lift. The first leg is unexceptional, stopping at the junction called Planpraz. The second leg of the ride is reminiscent of something out of “Where Eagles Dare,” as the cable car rises hundreds of feet above ravines carved into the mountain’s towering peak.

The gondola stop at Le Brevent affords a 360-degree view that encompasses seven higher peaks. To the south is perhaps the best view in the region of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe (15,771 feet), and the Bossons Glacier, which drips like thick white frosting from the mountain’s flank. To the northwest, across the green Diosaz Valley, is the great, wall-like cliff of the Rochers des Fiz, and to the north is the bare, stony peak of Mont Buet.

Though it was midafternoon, we had time to take another hike rather than ride down to catch the last lift at Planpraz at 5 o’clock. The downhill trail passes above the small Lac du Brevent, one of a series of high-altitude lakes that emerge after the snowmelt in July, and then winds around Le Brevent to a series of relatively steep yet easygoing switchbacks.

Along the way, we heard a rustling in an outcropping of boulders across a small green pasture. We hoped to see a chamois, a small animal something between a goat and an antelope, which after years of being hunted (its skin is prized as a polishing cloth) is now protected in a number of local reserves. After a short detour off the trail, we found the source of the noise: an ordinary goat taking her afternoon graze.

The second day, after being enticed by the sight of Lac du Brevent, we set off early, again taking the lift to Planpraz, on a hike to one of the mountain lakes on the north side of the valley. We chose Lac Cornu, about a two-hour hike from Planpraz, again going slowly, with plenty of stops for taking in the scenery.

The final half-hour of this hike passes between two peaks, Charlanon and Pourrie, before opening into a small valley holding the turquoise lake. Though the lake seemed inviting after the hike, the water, which only thaws in midsummer, was bone-chilling.

Instead of taking a dip, we climbed to a ridge that not only overlooked the lake but also presented a panorama of the south-valley peaks and glaciers. We spread out our lunch, assembled from shops in Chamonix--bread, Auvergne bleu and Camembert cheeses, olives, sausage, fruit, cookies and juice. We spent much of the afternoon reading, eating and napping in the cool, breezy air.

After about three hours of wondering why we needed to return to our old lives--we’d finished a summer of research in Paris and were facing a semester of graduate school course work in California--we packed up our things and hiked back to Planpraz.

Our third day of hiking started in the late morning after Karyn’s daring para-gliding flight. We drove from Chamonix in the direction of the nearby town of Argentiere, about five miles up the valley, along the chalky green Arve River. Just before Argentiere, we turned off to take the cable car to the Croix de Lognan, about a 45-minute walk from the Argentiere Glacier.

The walk toward the Refuge Chalet de Lognan, the first good place to see the glacier, is relatively short but steep. Our late start meant we were walking with the hot August sun directly above us. But as we cleared the ridge just above the refuge, coming face to face with the glacier for the first time, a firm, cold wind rose from the massive river of ice. Within a few minutes we had taken our jackets from our packs and were trying to stay warm.

We kept going up the trail to the Point de Vue. The trail ended to the side above the glacier, much like on the bank of a river. Here the wind was calm, and though the bluish ice below cooled the air, it was a pleasant place to have lunch and rest. With our binoculars we watched some adventurous mountaineers ice-climbing on the glacier below.

Eager to return to the mountains, we visited Chamonix again this summer, on a weekend trip from Lyon. This time we arrived in late June, and our experience was somewhat different. For one thing, many trails can still be partially or totally covered in snow in June and, depending on the year’s snowfall, even in July. The hike we had done from Le Brevent to Planpraz in August was partially snow-covered in June. It was still doable, though. The popular paths are well trodden, and the hard-packed snow is easy to negotiate with regular hiking shoes or boots.

We decided to spend the main day of our short trip hiking on the Grand Balcon Nord, which, despite its name, is on the southern side of the valley, running beneath the Aiguilles de Chamonix peaks to the Mer de Glace glacier. We took the Aiguille du Midi telepherique to Plan d’Aiguille, the first stop on the four-stage trans-Alpine cable system that runs from Chamonix past Mont Blanc into Italy. The cable system itself is an engineering wonder, completed in the decade after World War II by an ambitious Italian industrialist.

Just outside the exit at the first stop, the origin of the “great balcony’s” name becomes immediately apparent. Above the tree line, at the base of sharp peaks, is a wide, gently sloping shelf of rocky plain, carpeted by grass and wildflowers.

Wandering off the trail to take some photos, I nearly tripped over a trio of napping sheep, their dirty white coats a camouflage against the stony landscape.

We followed a gentle trail from the Grand Balcon toward the Mer de Glace. Runoff from melting snow crossed the path, which became steep as it ascended a ridge in switchbacks.

But the view we encountered was worth the effort. At the head of the trail, the brown sheer face of the knife-like Aiguille Verte came into view. Another two minutes of walking, and we could see the entire mountain, shaped like an arrowhead, drop nearly vertically to the Mer de Glace glacier below.

The walk down to the glacier was steep, but we were eager to see one of Chamonix’s most interesting sights: an ice cave that locals dig anew each year in the ever-moving glacier. (It is always within a short walk to an old mountain train stop, so it can be reached easily from town.) Inside the cave, where the temperature hovers around freezing, are ice carvings depicting local notables and events.

We took the old train back down and settled at an outdoor cafe to list all the things we wanted to do in Chamonix that would have to wait for another trip. Under the influence of a sunset that softened the surrounding peaks with gold, I considered adding para-gliding to my list.

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GUIDEBOOK

A Summer Break in the French Alps

Getting there: Chamonix is about an hour’s drive from Geneva, Switzerland, three hours from Lyons, France, and six or seven hours from Paris.

There is rail service from Paris to Chamonix, $132 round trip, first class. Information: telephone Rail Europe, (800) 4 RAIL EUR, Internet https://www.rail europe.com or https://www.sncf.fr (the French rail system).

Getting around: The Tourist Office in Chamonix is on Place du Triangle de l’Amitie, tel. 011-33-4-50-53-23-33, fax 011-33-4-50-53-58-90. It provides literature and advice on all outdoor activities in the Chamonix-Mont Blanc region, as well as information on lodging. It also sells the indispensable carte des sentiers d’ete (map of summer trails) of the Vallee de Chamonix.

Two very useful Web pages are https://www.imedserv.com/ Panorama and https://www.mont blanconline.fr, with extensive information on and links to hotels, restaurants and activities in the Haute-Savoie region. Both can be accessed in English.

Where to stay: Lodging varies from hostel-like accommodations to first-class hotels. The popular Les Grands Charmoz, 468 Chemin des Cristalliers, tel. 011-33-4-50-53-45-57, is run by Americans and offers dorm beds and a few private rooms from $13 to $36 per person.

Hotel la Savoyarde, 28 Route des Moussoux, tel. 011-33-4-50- 53-00-77, fax 011-33-4-50-55- 86-82, is conveniently located near the lifts for Le Brevent, with 14 cozy rooms costing $90 to $125. Internet https://www.lasavoyarde.com.

For deluxe accommodations, one of the nicest hotels in the area is Le Hameau Albert 1er at 119 Impasse du Montenvers; $150 to $300; tel. 011-33-4-50- 53-05-09, fax 011-33-4-50-55-95-48; Internet https://www.hameau albert.fr; e-mail infos@hameau albert.fr.

For more information: French Government Tourist Office, 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 715, Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2967; tel. (310) 271-6665 or (410) 286-8310 (France-on-Call hotline), fax (310) 276-2835, Internet https:// www.francetourism.com.