Chemin de fer aérien de l'Aiguille du Midi, Aerial tramway in Les Pélerins, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France.
The Chemin de fer aérien de l'Aiguille du Midi is an aerial tramway in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, linking the town to the rocky peak of the Aiguille du Midi. The line runs about 3,380 meters (11,090 feet) long and travels in two stages, with an intermediate stop at Plan de l'Aiguille.
A first, smaller version of the cable car opened in 1924, but the line was rebuilt and extended to reach the summit in 1955. That reconstruction transformed the route into what it is today and made the high alpine terrain reachable for a wide public.
The Aiguille du Midi is a rocky, snow-covered peak that climbers use as a starting point for routes across the Mont Blanc massif. At the top station, there is an open terrace where visitors can stand above the clouds and look directly at the surrounding peaks and glaciers.
The full ride to the top takes around 20 minutes and requires a transfer at the midway station. Warm layers are needed at the summit regardless of the season, as temperatures there are much colder than in the valley below.
The elevation gain between the valley station and the summit is about 9,200 feet (2,800 meters), which is the greatest vertical rise of any aerial tramway in the world. No other cable car system covers that much height difference in just two stages.
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