After getting back to the valley from my hike to La Jonction, it was still relatively early so I took the bus to the village of Chamonix and tried to go the Aiguille du Midi, using the ropeway. Unfortunately, it was full for the rest of the day. So instead, I took the train to Montenvers to have a look at the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), France’s largest glacier (7km long, 200 m thick). The Ice Cave had already closed when I got there however.
La Jonction (The Junction) is a rocky area below the Mont Blanc where the Glacier des Bossons and the Glacier de Taconnaz meet. The first successful ascent of the Mont Blanc by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard in 1786 was made through there: The hiking trail goes past the rock formation (known as Gîte à Balmat) where the 2 men stayed at some point during that ascent. I followed this itinerary.
The Aravis is a mountain range located west of the Mont Blanc in Haute-Savoie. The area near La Clusaz has 5 Combes (Grande Forclaz, Tardevant, Paccaly, Grand-Crêt, Bella Cha) that can be traversed in one go, although the path is long and not always obvious when crossing between them, as I found out… I went there in July, with the intention of hiking 2 of them: The Combe de Tardevant and the Combe de Paccaly. On the way, I also passed the Lac de Tardevant and went up the Pointe de Tardevant.
The visit to Lac Blanc (White Lake) is a classic summer hike of Chamonix: It is possible to get there and back using the Flégère ropeway and a bit of walk. An alternative path to reach that lake (and others in the area) by foot is to follow the Alpine Lake Trail (Sentier des Lacs Alpins): Starting at Col des Montets, it goes through the Réserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges on the north side of the valley and passes by the Lacs des Chéserys, Lac Blanc, Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs (a slight detour for that one). The other highlight of this hike is the constant view of the Mont Blanc (photo above) and the surrounding mountains. At the end of the trail, the Planpraz ropeway can be used to get down to Chamonix. Probably the best hike I did this summer!