GUNUNG · Prancis

Aiguille du Midi

Aiguille du Midi ("Jarum Tengah Hari")

Information

Elevation: 3.842 m
Country: Prancis (FR)
Location / Range: Masif Mont Blanc, Alpen Graian — di atas Chamonix, Haute-Savoie
Mountain type: Puncak granit (aiguille) di masif Mont Blanc
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 45.8789, 6.8875
Difficulty: Wisata teras puncak mudah diakses dengan kereta gantung; namun mendaki puncak (mis. Arête des Cosmiques) adalah alpinisme berat (AD)
Best Season: Kereta gantung buka sepanjang tahun (tergantung cuaca); pendakian Arête des Cosmiques idealnya Juni–September
Permits & Rules: Tanpa izin khusus; teras puncak diakses via Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi dari Chamonix; pendakian di luar fasilitas menuntut pengalaman alpine & perlengkapan glasial
Hazards: Punggungan es dan salju sangat bereksposur menuju gletser di bawah, retakan gletser di Vallée Blanche, ketinggian & udara tipis, batu jatuh, cuaca berubah cepat

Description

The Aiguille du Midi ("Needle of the Mid-day", 3,842 m) is a granite peak rising in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps, directly above the town of Chamonix in Haute-Savoie. It is famous for being reachable straight from Chamonix by the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi — a cable car that opened in 1955, briefly held the title of the world's highest cable car for about two decades, and still holds the record for the greatest vertical ascent. From the summit terrace visitors can view Mont Blanc up close; since December 2013 a glass box called "Step into the Void" offers a sheer 1,035 m drop underfoot. For climbers the Aiguille du Midi is a gateway to world-class alpinism: the departure point for the descent onto the Vallée Blanche and the foot of classic routes such as the Arête des Cosmiques, which returns to the summit station, with the Refuge des Cosmiques as a base. Tourists may not leave the visitor facilities because of the terrain's danger, while mountaineers pass through a tunnel onto the steep, extremely exposed ice ridge.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Arête des Cosmiques (rute klasik alpine)

Berat (AD): punggungan campuran batu-es-salju, beberapa pitch panjat pendek & rappel, sangat bereksposur

Setengah hari (~3–5 jam dari Refuge des Cosmiques ke stasiun puncak)

The classic and most-climbed alpine route on the Aiguille du Midi. From the summit station (or a night at the Refuge des Cosmiques, 3,613 m), climbers traverse a highly exposed mixed rock-ice-snow ridge, passing granite gendarmes with a few short climbing pitches and a rappel, before regaining the 3,842 m summit terrace via a metal ladder. It requires crampons, a rope and altitude management; best June–September.

Source

Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi (akses wisata teras puncak)

Wisata (tanpa pendakian): akses kereta gantung; tetap area ketinggian tinggi

~20 menit naik kereta gantung dari Chamonix (1.035 m ke 3.777 m stasiun; teras 3.842 m)

Not a climb but the cable-car access from Chamonix (Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi, running since 1955) straight to the station and the 3,842 m summit terrace. Visitors take in the Mont Blanc panorama and can try the "Step into the Void" glass box. Tourists may not leave the facilities because of the dangerous terrain; this is also where climbers set off down onto the Vallée Blanche. Beware thin air and sudden weather changes.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Experiences on the Aiguille du Midi split in two. For tourists, the 3,842 m summit terrace reached by cable car from Chamonix is the main draw — including the "Step into the Void" glass box. For climbers, the Aiguille du Midi is an alpinism gateway: the most-documented route is the Arête des Cosmiques, a classic mixed rock-ice-snow ridge (AD) that finishes back at the summit station, with the Refuge des Cosmiques as a base. Climbers' videos stress the thin air at altitude, the extremely exposed ice ridge on the Vallée Blanche side, roped crampon technique, and a few pitches of scrambling and short granite climbing on the ridge's gendarmes.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.