Parents' Visit: Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc (8/14/1983)

Sunday, August 14, 1983

We paid the hotel bill of 55,000 ITL/$35.75 and went to the train station. Had to wait in a long line to buy tickets for Pré Saint Didier for 7,000 ITL/$4.50 each.

Torino to Pré Saint Didier train ticket

Then I bought 6 small cartons of orange juice. We boarded the 8:35 train and had a breakfast of the juice with grapes and cookies. We were joined by a bum-looking guy. As we picked up more passengers, he was happy to have more people to mumble to. The others soon left as we headed up the valley of Aosta. But the bum was still with us and he decided to smoke in our no-smoking compartment. Lots of vineyards and a few castles.

Castello di Verrès (GJT)

Castello di Fenis

Castello Sarriod de Tour and ruins at La Cloutrab (GJT)

The mountains got taller and taller.
Arrived in Pré Saint Didier about 13:05, where we checked the bus schedule, and then used the hole-in-the-concrete toilets.

Yuriko and Tamiko with Julius Caesar (GJT)

A bus came at 13:25 to take six of us to Courmayeur. We paid 1,200 ITL/80 cents each, and the trip only took 10 minutes, heading up the valley dominated by Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc.

Cournayeur (GJT)

We thought we had only a 25-minute wait for the 14:00 bus to La Palud where the cable cars to Monte Bianco are located. Mom and I went to a café to buy two ham and one salami sandwich, and two cold 7-Ups. We waited and waited for the bus, finally boarding at 14:10. I wanted to make sure it was the right bus, because I heard someone ask about Funivie Monte Bianco, and they were told “No.” But we were told “yes!” Then it seemed we waited for the ticket collector to arrive before departing at 14:20. The girl sold tickets for La Palud first, for 1,200 ITL/80 cents each.

Courmayeur to La Palud bus ticket

She didn’t have any change, and neither did I since the other bus driver took the last of it. Ten minutes later we arrived in La Palud, and we walked down to the cable car station. I bought one-way tickets (14,000 ITL/$9 each) as far as we could go in Italy, to Punta Helbronner, since they couldn’t sell me a ticket to Chamonix in France.

La Palud to Punta Helbronner ticket

I was also given the number ‘3’ and was told we had to wait an hour and 20 minutes. They were on number 69 for loading, and the numbers went up to 80. We stood in the shade to eat our sandwiches and drink the 7-Ups. Dad bought ten postcards. We saw lots of hikers with mountain climbing equipment, and a few skiers.

Funivie Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc cable car (GJT)

Finally the cable car got to number 80, and started loading number ‘1.’ They asked for a couple number ‘2’s to fill the car. At 16:10, they asked for eleven number ‘3’s. So even though number ‘1’ was still on the board, we managed to get on the cable car already. During this whole trip, Dad was carrying a fair-sized suitcase and Mom had her usual pocketbook and a black plastic bag. I had my backpack and a small Capitol Air bag. We were stuffed into the aerial cable car cabin, meant to hold 50-55 people, and zipped up to the next stop. There we were shunted directly to the next cabin that could hold 65-70 people. But we didn’t seem to have any more breathing room. The next stop was the Rifugio Torino where we were directed up a lot of stairs and then had to wait for smaller cabins holding about 10-15 people. This cable car brought us up to Punta Helbronner and the frontier.

Looking down at Rifugio Torino

It was a bit hazy looking down at the Courmayeur valley, but Mont Blanc was as clear as ever with its snow cap.

Courmayeur valley

Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc (GJT)

Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc

All around us were the teeth, especially the Dente del Gigante/Giant’s Tooth, on which we think we saw climbers. They must have had a great view!

Ski area (GJT)

View towards France

French cable cars

French cable cars (GJT)

I searched for a place to buy tickets, and then we took turns watching the luggage so everyone could have a turn to go to the top deck for the view. You could see 360 degrees of Alps, but with less snow.

Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc to the right

Only a couple skiers were clumping around, since the ski lifts were not in operation.

Ski area (GJT)

Ice field (GJT)

But there were a lot of hikers/trekkers/climbers walking across the snow and glaciers, and a few had set up tents.

In the clouds

French side (GJT)

Surrounded by mountains (GJT)

We went down for customs, but no one was paying any attention. We joined a long slow line/crowd. Finally on the other side of “customs” I could buy tickets, but only to the next point, which cost 33 FRF/$4.25.

Pointe Helbronner to Aiguille du Midi ticket

There was a crowd in the waiting room and many wore backpacks with sharp climbing equipment protruding from them. One trio had a dachshund underfoot. We were squeezed forward and into a maze. A group of German hikers let us join them as we neared the groups of three cable car cabins, each holding only four persons. We were the first group, but the second to board. The second group was disconcerted because they ended up being the last to board. Then we zipped off into space and went over an edge. Wheee! A glacier was far below us. The cable car stopped at least five times to allow loading at each end, I suppose. The cabins swayed and creaked, and with Dad talking about delays and accidents, my stomach got whoozy with anxiety. Sort of like a fearful thrill. It was a long ride; 5 km/3 miles they say. A wonderful view for sure! At the next station of Aiguille du Midi, we were sent forward right to a ticket office. I bought tickets to Chamonix for 50 FRF/$6.50 each.

Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix ticket

We were sent up stairs, passing a line waiting on the downstairs side. We went up, and up, and up. Finally on top we reached the end of the line going down the stairs! Ridiculous! So we enjoyed the view and looked up at the Aiguille to which one takes an elevator. Very slowly we headed down the flights of steps. Dad was getting wobbly legs, and we were all experiencing the rude pushing of the French girls behind us. Eventually we boarded an 80-person cabin, and zip!, we were at the next stop and herded on to a 100-person cabin to go down, down, down into Chamonix, arriving at 20:15. The town is surrounded by mountains and has a wonderful view of Mont Blanc.

Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix cable car (GJT)

Chamonix view with Mont Blanc to the right (GJT)

Toothy mountains (GJT)

Mont Blanc from Chamonix (GJT)

We walked towards town, but when getting to the railroad tracks, we realized we still had quite a ways to go to the center of town. We trudged on to the train station that was even farther, only to discover the last train had left at 18:00!

Mom and Dad sat to rest at the station while I went in search of a hotel. Some had signs, but others I had to go in and ask, only to be told they were complet/full. All those near the station: Complet! I headed into the city: Complet! I walked around behind the railroad station: Complet! I went to higher class hotels: Complet! I went to the center of the city, and finally came to the Touring Hotel, whose reception was in the Hotel Louvre behind it. I asked if she had a free room, and she had one for three persons with a bath. Perfect! I left my passport and took the key to run over to the hotel to check Room 4. It was huge with antique-looking furniture, a queen bed and a large twin bed, a modern bathroom, and the whole place somehow smelled like a U.S. hotel! I then ran back to the railroad station, retracing the route that I had come, which was actually the long way. Mom and Dad said I was gone for 45 minutes! I know I checked with at least 14 hotels. We walked the long way back to the hotel to avoid the crowds of people in the pedestrian-only streets who had gathered to hear a marching band. After settling in the hotel, we now had to look for a place to eat. We walked up and down the pedestrian street, passing a theater where they were having a musical festival.

We ate at La Taverne de Chamouny. Dad had two Pepsis, A French onion soup, and chocolate ice cream. Mom had tea, vegetable soup, and an omelette with ham and cheese. I had Vichy (yuck!) mineral water and a sugar crêpe, and ate Mom’s leftover omelette. It was very good! The bill came to 100 FRF/$13.

We went to the train station to check the schedule of morning trains. Some French guy asked Dad something that I didn’t understand. Then an American guy told us the station was closed. Duh! It was midnight when we returned to the hotel.