GRAND BALCON NORD

Les Drus

Mer de Glace & North Face Grandes Jorasses 

Chamonix & Aiguille Rouge 

Les Drus & Mer de Glace 

Views on every corner! 

Quiet by late afternoon 

Chamonix makes a great base for some fabulous day walks. You could quite happily spend a week here for a walking holiday.  One of the finest outings is The Grand Balcon Nord.  This high level traverse above the Chamonix Valley can be made even easier by using the cablecar and Col railway at either end, making it even easier!  You have to earn your views surely? Well signed trails go through the forest from town and traverses high above the valley floor, at an altitude of 2000-2300m. There was cloud on the mountains this morning but this lifted by mid-day to leave another beautiful, hot day. The walk is best done from SW to NE. If you start late like me then you get stunning late afternoon light on Les Drus.  Les Drus OS a huge pinnacle of rock, a mountain shaped mountain ! Many a climber has had Epic's over the years on this famous chunk of granite. On this walk you can stroll along with hands in pockets and marvel at it's beauty. The classic view from 'Signal Forbes' high above the Mer de Glace is stunning.  You then drop down in long zig- zags to the Montenvers railway and the hardest of sightseers.  Thankfully it's quiet just now. If times getting on you can catch the amazing cog railway back down
 But that's cheating !