Trails above Chamonix

By Susanna Walker

It feels like summer in Chamonix today (and we are only allowed 1km from the house) so I thought I would write up my favourite alpine trail run rather than a ski tour!

My ultimate solo-with-dog adventure in the summer is to go fast and light and take the beautiful and normally quiet forest path that climbs from Chamonix under the north face of the Aiguille du Midi. The route is in the shade in the morning so you can climb hard without turning into a raisin .. then you pop out onto the plan d’aiguille and trot across massive slabs and cool undulating terrain to Signal Forbes - where you suddenly get an awesome view across the Mer de Glace. Everytime I do this route I see something different - and last week during the lockdown there was a lone wolf filmed here! The photo is from the nearby junction route next to the bossons glacier - another amazing tough trail not to be missed when you come adventuring in Chamonix.

The Bossons Glacier