Chemin du Montenvers, Mule track in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France.
The Chemin du Montenvers is a former mule track and hiking trail in Haute-Savoie that links Chamonix with the Montenvers viewpoint over the Mer de Glace. From about 1,170 metres it crosses the Blaitière mountain through coniferous forest, passes the Caillet fountain and bar, and crosses the railway twice between the Grépon and Planards tunnels before reaching the hotel, Glaciorium and Temple de la Nature.
The path was built in 1820 by Jean-Marie Couttet, a 59-year-old former guide, working alone. It gave scientists and early visitors easier access to the site, where a small refuge and the Temple de la Nature had stood since the late 18th century. The hotel built in 1840 increased traffic, and the 1909 railway, following much the same line, took over most of it.
The path's name comes from the Montenvers site it reaches, a viewpoint over the Mer de Glace. From the early 19th century, mules carried visitors up this route, and the Caillet buvette halfway offered a rest. The sign at the start still marks the way to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace.
The trail starts in Chamonix above the Mouilles and Frasse districts, near the Planards chairlift, and climbs northeast past the Caillet fountain and its buvette. It crosses the railway twice between the Grépon and Planards tunnels, then turns south into the Mer de Glace valley. The upper section is exposed near avalanche couloirs and the Montenvers viaduct.
On 25 August 1931, Antoine Peugeot rode the path on a Peugeot P110 motorcycle. The route was laid out in 1820 by Jean-Marie Couttet, a 59-year-old former guide, working alone. The Caillet fountain and its buvette, roughly halfway up, gave mule riders a stop on the long climb.
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