L’Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix

The following video on “YouTube” shows how this very high cable car can really get thrown around during bad weather (and still not fall off!)

Some facts –

• Built in 1955, it held the title as the world’s highest cable-car for two decades.
• It still holds the record as the highest vertical ascent by any cable-car in the world.  It travels from 1,035 m to 3842 m in two sections.
• The second section is the most impressive part, starting at 2,317 m and going directly (without any support pillar) to the upper station at 3,777 m .
• The two sections travel from Chamonix to the top of the Aiguille du Midi – an altitude gain of over 2,800 m – in 20 minutes.

James Coates