A visit to the Mer de Glace in Chamonix was one of the very coolest things we did during our time there. And I don’t just mean the temperature! Between the cogwheel train, cable car, amazing views and the ability to walk inside a glacier, this is one stop you should not miss. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip.
The Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), which is located on the northern slopes of Mont Blanc, is the largest glacier in France and the third largest in the Alps. It is also a popular tourist attraction that provides a unique educational opportunity. In order to access the glacier, you’ll need to ski down the Vallée Blanche from the top of the Aiguille du Midi (experts only), hike, snowshoe, or take the Montenvers Train from Chamonix.
The Montenvers Train is a charming cogwheel train that winds you up around the mountain from 1035m to 1913m over 20 minutes as you get to witness some amazing views of the Chamonix valley. When you arrive at Montenvers, you’ll be greeted by more amazing views of the Alps.
From here, you’ll need to take the cable car down towards the glacier. The cable cars operate continuously – with two loading at a time. It’s just a few minutes before you are transported down to the site where the glacier stood in the early 1980s. Since that time the glacier has retreated, losing over 100 meters in depth. In order to continue bringing visitors to the mouth of the glacier, steps have been added. In fact, each year the glacier loses about 8 meters of ice depth, resulting in 30-40 new steps being added.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard time and again that global warming is causing our glaciers to melt, which in turn is causing our oceans to rise. I’ve seen the ocean rise myself, but before I visited the Mer de Glace I really didn’t understand how much climate change had affected the glaciers. Sadly, I have a whole new appreciation for this after our visit.
From the cable car, you will need to walk down several hundred stairs (580 in 2022) to reach the mouth of the glacier. Along the way there are plaques marking the height of the glacier since the 1980s. This offered an amazing visual of climate change for us. Standing at a plaque that marked a time you could remember and looking down from there to the current mouth of the cave was astonishing. We couldn’t help but think, “how could it be that in my lifetime the glacier receded that far?” and “How much more time do we have before it’s completely gone?” This was a remarkable opportunity for the boys to see something they most likely will not be able to show their children.
When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you have arrived at the entrance to the glacier. Since the glacier is retreating, each year they did a new cave into the glacier. It was incredible to walk inside. The ice was clear, with a blue hue and lots of tiny bubbles. It was cold inside, but had an insulated feeling and there are smaller caves and sculptures to explore inside along with lots of information about glaciers. There were places you could poke your finger or hand inside of the glacier and the boys loved the opportunity to test every single one!
We spent about a half an hour inside of the cave, reading about glaciers and exploring every nook and cranny of this years’ ice cave. When we were done, we climbed up the stairs to return to the cable car and train. I was once again amazed at how far I had to climb to reach each milestone plaque and saddened by how far the glacier has melted. I highly recommend that you use your time climbing up to stop along the way, admire the view and take pictures.
We absolutely loved our trip to Mer de Glace. The ice cave was super cool and the impact of seeing the glaciers’ melt will live with us forever.
Things to Know:
- The train schedule varies based on the time of year. Trains run as quickly as every twenty minutes and as infrequently as once an hour, so be sure to check the schedule.
- Allow 2-3 hours for your trip: 1 hour for travel time up and down the mountain on the train as well as another hour for the cable car and steps and time to enjoy the view and the ice cave. During busy times you may need to wait for the cable car and during slow times you may need to wait longer for the train.
- You must be physically able to climb down and back up the stairs. Unfortunately there is no other way to access the cave. Allow extra time if you are traveling with young children or anyone with limited mobility.
- At Montenvers, there are several restaurants and the Glaciorium, which was unfortunately closed the day we visited, but offers additional information about glaciers.
- Tickets for the Montenvers Railway and Mer de Glace are included in the Montblanc Unlimited pass or can be purchased at the railway ticket office.
Have you ever seen a glacier? What was your experience like?
