My first time in the Alps was a memorable one. I was fifteen and had never been to Europe before. My best friend and I decided that we were going to walk to Geneva, Switzerland from Paris, France, on foot. We planned our route over the Alps, train in the French Alps and then take a two-day bus trip to the Italian part of the Alps.
On the way to Geneva, my friend and I met up with a German girl, who introduced us to the Chamonix, the highest mountain in the Alps. We didn’t have much to drink in that direction, so we decided to take a nice long break and hike up to the top of the Matterhorn, which is the highest peak in the whole of Europe. The hike up the Matterhorn proved to be very difficult, but we finished up completing the trail running in a record time of fourteen hours, fifty minutes and forty seconds.
My first trip to the Alps was in the summer, when it was still cold, and I had a few friends with whom I was staying. We had a lot of fun exploring some of the high peaks that surround the chamonix. When we got back to the base of the col de l’Alma, where the Matterhorn is located, we immediately went for a delicious lunch of salami and prosciutto, accompanied by the music of the Zauchensee orchestra. It was one of the best moments of my life!
When planning my first trip to the Alps, I thought I would document the experience in detail. I planned to do some hiking, cable driving, rafting and climbing. As it happened, I ended up staying overnight in an alpine house in Chamonix and was able to photograph much more on the return journey. Since I have a full set of equipment at home, I can’t recommend much of the hiking and cable driving. It would be too much of a commitment, and I wouldn’t want to get sore or injured, which would decrease the quality of the photographs.
Cable auto-crosses are the fastest and most pleasant way to travel on flat ground. The Chamonix valley has some good trails leading down to the Valley of the Five Mountains. I would really recommend going through the woods as it offers a much different experience than the cable auto-cross. The Chamonix region has some great trails, and I would encourage anyone to hike them, even if it is only possible for them to make it down to the valley in a vehicle.
I also want to highlight a very famous and popular mountain in the Chamonix region: Mont Blanc. The main road to the glacier is built on steps and with a cable car you can reach the village of Chamonix almost overnight. It’s really exciting! I can’t recommend the mountain enough: if possible visit it from the 4000m peak, it’s even easier.
The final part of the vacation will focus on the villages of Chamonix and Natedangerjones. Chamonix is famous for its paragliding, and you can see the remains of many gliders and aircraft on the way to the old mountain. Once in the high air you can view the incredible view of the mountains, snowcapped rocks, and the town below. It is really beautiful! On your way back from the high air you will be able to stop in the old town, where you can enjoy coffee and donuts. This region is really a pleasant place to stay for the first night, especially if you like to take photos.
Another popular thing to do is to take a tram tour through the charming villages that surround Chamonix. It starts in the old town and you go all the way up to the mountain top. You will learn a lot about the old culture of this region. After all, there are many villages that have maintained their old traditions and you can learn a lot about them, such as how they communicate with each other, what kind of clothes people wear, how they prepare meals, and many more. Indeed, staying in Chamonix for a week or two and enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of the transit is a unique and interesting experience that you will never forget.
