12/25/2023 0 Comments Kilometre vertical du mont blancStarting lights change from red, to orange, to green – and the runner is off, flying through a starting chute lined with cheering spectators, beginning their heart-pumping climb to shouts of “Allez, Allez!” and “Bon Courage!” Initially, the feel is similar to an alpine ski race, with each runner taking a starting position under a tent, with a start clock ticking off the seconds. Participants start in the old part of Chamonix, at Place du Triangle de l’Amitié, next to the St-Michel church. The start is staggered, with a runner leaving every 20 seconds, since passing is difficult on the VK route. Racers are assigned a starting position based on their estimated finish time, with the speediest runners going last. It takes place on the Friday afternoon of the race weekend. Since those early days, the VK has become one of the routine offerings as part of Chamonix’s Mont Blanc Marathon race weekend in late June. The evacuation path was initially developed to assist in the construction of the new gondola and to assist in the demolishing of the old concrete pylons from 1928 – here still standing alongside the new gondola in 2009. In the end, it became a well-established route… even if at first it was only a foot wide, and not an easy route to follow for much of the way.” We cut branches and brush, and defined the edges. We went out with our maintenance team to improve the trail. And, of course, the more people used it, the more defined and wider the trail got. “Once the path was put in place, people started using it – those of us from the valley being the first. This first section was a fun little addition to the Chamonix valley routes, but then trail runners and hikers started pushing through the barrier to complete the full 1000 meters up to Planpraz.”įred Comte, President of Chamonix’s Club des Sports, remembers how it became impossible to stop runners. “On reaching the Petit Balcon Sud after 200m of ascent, netting blocked the path and a sign stated access was banned due to rockfall. In those days, though, Geldard notes that the route wasn’t open to the top of the lift line. “You couldn’t help but want to follow the new set of steep switchbacks, seemingly rising up forever – they pull you in,” said Geldard. Run the Alps Guide Emily Geldard was one local resident who noticed the new pathway appearing when the cable car was replaced. The view hasn’t changed much in almost a century, but these days you’ll see a steep trail zig-zagging up, if you look carefully. The original gondola, constructed on concrete pylons in 1928.
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