Looking down the valley from the top of L’Aiguille Du Midi
Nagano wraps up the last Olympic Winter Games of the 20th century. Salt Lake City will launch the first Olympic Winter Games of the 21st century… Where did it all begin? In the French Alps at Chamonix in 1924.
Chamonix (pronounced Sham-oh-nee) is a quaint little town with the language and food of France, and the beauty and class of Switzerland. It was here that the early Olympic organizers decided to hold the very first Winter Games. An ice rink in the shadow of 15,000-foot Mont Blanc provided the setting for skating. A snow made bobsled run, which no longer exists, ran from part way up the mountain and into the town. And the skiing of course took place on the slopes where skiers flock every winter, 74 years later. At the time of the first Winter Games, a train moved people about half way up the mountain to the glacier, Mer de Glace. The train has been upgraded and it is still there for sightseeing. The Mer de Glace is an impressive, immense glacier that runs down the flanks of Mont Blanc almost touching the town of Chamonix. The glacier reaches down into the valley like a crooked old finger made of old snow and blue ice.
It
wasn't until 1955, 3 decades after those first games, that the Telepherique (tram) de
l'Aiguille Du Midi (that's the high peak at the top, translated as the Needle of Noon)
carried locals and tourists all the way to the top of the Mer de Glace. Now, that tram
lures people from all over the world to Chamonix.
The
tram is the most unforgettable adventure. For about $30, you ride all the way from the
town at 3,000 feet to the top at 13,000 feet. It is more than twice the ascent of the
impressive Snowbird tram. For comparison, the Snowbird tram takes you from 7,000 to
11,000. The trip to the Aiguille Du Midi has a stopping point in the middle where everyone
switches tram cars. At the top, you can walk around large observation decks and stare at
the spectacular scenery. You can look down, if you are not acrophobic, into the valley at
the small town of Chamonix about 10,000 feet below. In the summer, you can hike down and
in the winter you can ski. While the dramatically steep and rocky Alps look difficult and
downright dangerous, the actual ski run down is surprisingly tame. Intermediates can
handle the conditions. However tourists should be aware, if you take the tram up in the
morning, by the time you ski all the way back into town, it will be late afternoon, it is
one long run! Take a pack with water, warm clothes, food and don't forget a camera with
lots of film. There are also dangerous crevasses along this long route. The town of
Chamonix recommends paying for a local guide or getting into a group. In spite of the
guide recommendations, many skiers make the run on their own. Signs, which are in French,
warn people to stay on piste. Piste is the French word for trail.
There are a couple Olympic attractions in town. One is the Musee Alpin, which means Alpine Museum. It is loaded with old photos and paraphernalia from the early days of mountaineering and skiing. And of course, relics from the first Winter Olympic Games of 1924. Another nice look into the past can be found in the lobby of the Tram dock. A series of photos tell the story of the Winter Games and then the building of the giant Tram.
If
the Winter Games had never been held in Chamonix, locals tell us they think the town would
be much different. "I don't think we would have as many tourists and hotels
here," said one main street shop owner. One local told Ski News, "We have too
many Americans here, I don't like Americans. I like Marlboro, though." What a
contrast to the United States, where we most often greet European tourists with a smile
and where smoking is banned in most public places! Another obvious contrast between the
Winter Games Sites of Chamonix and Salt Lake City is the physical development brought on
by Olympic attention. Here in Utah, we see so much construction and expansion underway in
preparation for the 2002 Games. However, in Chamonix, many of the changes came in the
years after the first games, as tourism increased.
One last striking similarity between the Chamonix Valley and the Wasatch Front, is the proximity of several ski resorts to the towns. Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons are just minutes from Park City's Main Street. And Solitude & Brighton, Snowbird & Alta are so close to Salt Lake City. From Chamonix, you can hop on a free bus that comes around every 10 minutes. The busses take you to one of several different ski areas in the valley, all within minutes from Chamonix. Just as the world focused its attention on Chamonix in 1924, the world will do the same to Utah in 2002. Now that attention will be high tech, with live coverage and beautiful camera angles. The world will learn all about the mountains in Utah. Those mountains will become famous, as they will shine in the spotlight. They will live long in the memories of people all over the world, just as the mountains of Chamonix have all these years.
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