Mont Blanc

HAve another day sitting in a bus but what a view, stacked mountains that have spires of rock hundreds of feet high with people on top! EArly start to a long day but again the weather is fantastic, have perfect day for teh mountains says Neil our extremely english , dry witted Swiss Pom! WEre off to Chaminox, the very famous Swiss ski field at the base of Mt Blanc. Cash at the ready, quickly changes to Euro with passport in hand we step off a fabulous rive through winding valleys with escaling sides in a sweet and very swiss village just like Thredbo. OK one or two difference, everyone does speak french but thats about it. I am concerned that the archtypical swiss ski chalet is being replaced by teh trusty square block of concrete but this place does do 10K to 30 K people in the season. That doesnt count the next town, 2 km away! the ques stat to shuffle and suddenly at an amasing rate we are up tho the first station at 2500 metres, whoa then the second with amazing speed and a near vertical lift to the 3500 m mark. We have been warned to take it easy and hopefully feel sick. if not your in need of help and you should come down. I feel sick so go on. The italian side beckons with the Italian Point Helbronner, so off swinging in small 4 person gondolas across the Glacier. Fighting the silly nausea by eating huge and expensive cups of hot chocolate, Ihave managed to get there and back in record time in spite of the entire Swiss Army about to embark on a quick lunch time assault on Mt Blanc from the itailan side. This place puts a new perspective on "escape over the mountain passes to switzerland" as the spectacle is fearsome,the cold is extreme and the ice thick- and its mid summer! Taking the perspective of the innumerable para sailers that hang just about everywhere creating a spectacular site of polka dot skies( go the heavy drug users) it must be completely exhausting. 3800 m above a serious Massif which has such a large geographic coverage with sharp peaks. no spot to land that isnt cold either. Once Id had a look around the village- some nice places to stay- its off to geneva via the thermal springs of St Gervais and the spectacular highways in the sky. These are built on bridges above the vcalley floors and take the through traffic at a serious rate.