Glacier des Bossons
Glacier des Bossons
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tracyjarratt
West Midlands, UK21 contributions
Mar 2020
As non skiers we decided to take the gondala up to the top of the mountain to see the glacier and it was well woth it. It takes about 45 mins to get to the top. We got off at the first stop and had a drink and admired the view before getting back on the gondola and making it to the top. The views are breath taking and it is so quiet and peachful up there . We spent about half hour up there taking photos and watching the skiers before we came back down. So glad we decided to do it.
Written March 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I visited this place🇺🇸🇫🇷🇨🇭🇬🇷🇬🇧
Israel35,327 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
PROS
* Amazing view of Les Bossons glacier
* Some simple brief walks to see the place "close-up"
* Less well-known so less crowded
* Easy and fun chair lift access from the ground street level
CONS
* Access by car or by not-too-frequent bus
* Only one very long hiking trail can be accessed from here
"I VISITED THIS PLACE"...
... because I chose this as my first full- day activity after arrival.
I walked there from Les Houches- my first time with a full backpack and hiking boots- because I missed the bus and train and didn't want to sit there for more than half an hour.
The ground chair lift is a ten minute uphill walk off of the main road. i enjoyed the round trip chair lift and took "helpful" 👍many photos 📷 of fellow passengers.
It was good at the top- several brief walks to see the glacier "close-up." There was only one hiking trail, and that was posted as several hours long, so I didn't do that
WAS IT WORTH THE COST?
It was included in the Mont Blanc MultiPass
WOULD "I VISIT THIS PLACE" AGAIN?
No, because i saw, explored and photographed and I wouldn't do it unless I was embarking on that four hour hike
ADVICE
* Good place to visit and great views
* Fun chair lift
* Come by car because the bus is not too reliable
FULL DISCLOSURE
"I visited this place" with the plan to write a "helpful" review and to attach "helpful" photos here on tripadvisor, so if these did "help" you, please indicate that by tikking the "thumbs up" 👍 symbol. Thanks.
* Amazing view of Les Bossons glacier
* Some simple brief walks to see the place "close-up"
* Less well-known so less crowded
* Easy and fun chair lift access from the ground street level
CONS
* Access by car or by not-too-frequent bus
* Only one very long hiking trail can be accessed from here
"I VISITED THIS PLACE"...
... because I chose this as my first full- day activity after arrival.
I walked there from Les Houches- my first time with a full backpack and hiking boots- because I missed the bus and train and didn't want to sit there for more than half an hour.
The ground chair lift is a ten minute uphill walk off of the main road. i enjoyed the round trip chair lift and took "helpful" 👍many photos 📷 of fellow passengers.
It was good at the top- several brief walks to see the glacier "close-up." There was only one hiking trail, and that was posted as several hours long, so I didn't do that
WAS IT WORTH THE COST?
It was included in the Mont Blanc MultiPass
WOULD "I VISIT THIS PLACE" AGAIN?
No, because i saw, explored and photographed and I wouldn't do it unless I was embarking on that four hour hike
ADVICE
* Good place to visit and great views
* Fun chair lift
* Come by car because the bus is not too reliable
FULL DISCLOSURE
"I visited this place" with the plan to write a "helpful" review and to attach "helpful" photos here on tripadvisor, so if these did "help" you, please indicate that by tikking the "thumbs up" 👍 symbol. Thanks.
Written September 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DPMALLIC
London, UK2,354 contributions
Sep 2013 • Family
On our third day at Chamonix, after seeing Prarion and enjoying Tramway du Mont Blanc, we decided to go to Glacier Bossons.
So, on 3rd September 2013 at 3-00pm, we took the free bus no 2 for “Glassier du Bossons” from Chamonix. All the local transport was free of cost to us including Mont Blanc express –Servoz to Vallorcine route. This was due to the fact that we were provided with free guest card by the hotel for the local transport.
The bus was beautiful with big LCD screens showing the route, the stop arrived and next stop. It took about 15 mins to reach the last stop “Glassier du Bossons”. The cable car station is located there itself.
We had a 4 day ski multi pass at 78 euros per head, purchased through internet from the official site and received by post in 3 days. The advantage of the multi pass was that it covered many lifts like Brevent, Grand Montet, Aiguille du Midi, Mer de Glace, Tramways du Mont Blanc, Bossons chairlift etc and gave unlimited access.
Otherwise this chair lift is cheap (about 12 euro return) compared to other cable cars in this area.
Now, we looked at the chairlift- it was a two seated chair and always moving. There are many such chairs – coming one by one at grade level, moving at a slow speed and going up. You have to position yourself at a particular place( the ticket checker showed us how to stand)- as soon as lift comes, you will get few seconds to sit down and reverse the iron safety railing from top towards the bottom so that you don’t fall. It acts as a protector against falling. The whole process took 10 seconds or so and when we realised, we found ourselves at a height – moving and going up.
It was a great thrill, in the open air, enjoyed the nature and mountains. The chair lift journey was for 20 mins over some house, road, agricultural field, forest and mountains. The elevation from the local grade was not very high- a few feet to hundred feet, it was a feeling like we were birds and flying…… fantastic!
Sometimes we are going up, sometimes flat and down. Ultimately we reached at 1400m level –very closed to Glacier. At the chairlift station, we got few seconds to get down( again the ticket checker at that station helped us)- the overall experience was something new, adventurous and most coveted one!
From the chair lift station it is 5 minute walk to the mountain chalet / restaurant. We enjoyed some fantastic view of the glacier from the terrace. After that, we walked for another 5-10 mins to another viewing platform around the corner to get a closer view.
An Air India plane crash took place in ‘50s and we witnessed the broken engine which is kept near the chalet.
There are lots of hiking routes in this area around the glacier. We did not do that. Instead we enjoyed the calm and quite atmosphere there, stared at the glacier, had some coffees and then came back by the same chair lift to had another classic thrills.
If I go to Chamonix again, I will definitely go for this excursion again to have fun of chair lift.
So, on 3rd September 2013 at 3-00pm, we took the free bus no 2 for “Glassier du Bossons” from Chamonix. All the local transport was free of cost to us including Mont Blanc express –Servoz to Vallorcine route. This was due to the fact that we were provided with free guest card by the hotel for the local transport.
The bus was beautiful with big LCD screens showing the route, the stop arrived and next stop. It took about 15 mins to reach the last stop “Glassier du Bossons”. The cable car station is located there itself.
We had a 4 day ski multi pass at 78 euros per head, purchased through internet from the official site and received by post in 3 days. The advantage of the multi pass was that it covered many lifts like Brevent, Grand Montet, Aiguille du Midi, Mer de Glace, Tramways du Mont Blanc, Bossons chairlift etc and gave unlimited access.
Otherwise this chair lift is cheap (about 12 euro return) compared to other cable cars in this area.
Now, we looked at the chairlift- it was a two seated chair and always moving. There are many such chairs – coming one by one at grade level, moving at a slow speed and going up. You have to position yourself at a particular place( the ticket checker showed us how to stand)- as soon as lift comes, you will get few seconds to sit down and reverse the iron safety railing from top towards the bottom so that you don’t fall. It acts as a protector against falling. The whole process took 10 seconds or so and when we realised, we found ourselves at a height – moving and going up.
It was a great thrill, in the open air, enjoyed the nature and mountains. The chair lift journey was for 20 mins over some house, road, agricultural field, forest and mountains. The elevation from the local grade was not very high- a few feet to hundred feet, it was a feeling like we were birds and flying…… fantastic!
Sometimes we are going up, sometimes flat and down. Ultimately we reached at 1400m level –very closed to Glacier. At the chairlift station, we got few seconds to get down( again the ticket checker at that station helped us)- the overall experience was something new, adventurous and most coveted one!
From the chair lift station it is 5 minute walk to the mountain chalet / restaurant. We enjoyed some fantastic view of the glacier from the terrace. After that, we walked for another 5-10 mins to another viewing platform around the corner to get a closer view.
An Air India plane crash took place in ‘50s and we witnessed the broken engine which is kept near the chalet.
There are lots of hiking routes in this area around the glacier. We did not do that. Instead we enjoyed the calm and quite atmosphere there, stared at the glacier, had some coffees and then came back by the same chair lift to had another classic thrills.
If I go to Chamonix again, I will definitely go for this excursion again to have fun of chair lift.
Written February 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
430happy
2 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
My husband and I visited this attraction on the 14th of July 2018. Our experience was shocking. There were very little people when we visited at around 3:30pm in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the moment the operator set eyes on us we were shouted and gesticulated at by this male. He was very impatient. It seemed to me he had it in for us because we were British.
He was very reluctant to help us stand in the correct way and we were nervous never having been on a lift like this before, We managed to get on and realised we had to pull the bar forward....no thanks to him.
We went up but I was very concerned about his attitude and felt scared and stressed by the way he had treated us. The man at the top wasn't very pleasant either and we got a fright on the way down when the bar wasn't immediately pulled down. He wasn't in the least bit interested in our safety either.
Worse was to come. When we reached the bottom I said to my husband to lift his feet and we needed to push the bar back. We were in the process of doing this as we reached ground level. However, this operator shouted at my husband to lift his feet (which he was already doing) and immediately pushed the bar back and forcibly pulled my husband out of the chair. This was nothing other than an assault on my husband.
There was a witness who was a female employee but she ran in to the hut when she saw what he was doing.
I asked him why he had done that to my husband but he too ran in to the hut. We were left really shocked by his behaviour and are still trying to get someone to take responsibility and question him on his attitude. The police were not interested in even going to question him on his behaviour. My husband sustained bruising. An absolute disgrace to employ someone of his nature. Please look out for this individual....he was around 5ft 8ins tall...with dark, swarthy skin with a terrible attitude to people he doesn't like the look off.
He was very reluctant to help us stand in the correct way and we were nervous never having been on a lift like this before, We managed to get on and realised we had to pull the bar forward....no thanks to him.
We went up but I was very concerned about his attitude and felt scared and stressed by the way he had treated us. The man at the top wasn't very pleasant either and we got a fright on the way down when the bar wasn't immediately pulled down. He wasn't in the least bit interested in our safety either.
Worse was to come. When we reached the bottom I said to my husband to lift his feet and we needed to push the bar back. We were in the process of doing this as we reached ground level. However, this operator shouted at my husband to lift his feet (which he was already doing) and immediately pushed the bar back and forcibly pulled my husband out of the chair. This was nothing other than an assault on my husband.
There was a witness who was a female employee but she ran in to the hut when she saw what he was doing.
I asked him why he had done that to my husband but he too ran in to the hut. We were left really shocked by his behaviour and are still trying to get someone to take responsibility and question him on his attitude. The police were not interested in even going to question him on his behaviour. My husband sustained bruising. An absolute disgrace to employ someone of his nature. Please look out for this individual....he was around 5ft 8ins tall...with dark, swarthy skin with a terrible attitude to people he doesn't like the look off.
Written July 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Benny R
Helsingborg, Sweden1 contribution
Jul 2017 • Family
A lot of the following comments is regarding the mer de glace at the end of valle blanch not the bosson glacier.
Written July 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moira B
Malta68 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
I stayed in Chamonix for three days and had not planned on visiting this glacier. The advertising I came across promoted mostly a visit to Aiguille du Midi and Mer de Glace, amongst others. But once I was in Chamonix the Glacier des Bossons looked impressive from every part of the Chamonix valley and so I decided to visit. And I'm glad I did.
Getting there: I took Bus no 2 from Chamonix - Jeanne d'Arc bus stop at 09:27 (after a good breakfast at Le Fournil bakery) and stopped at Chamonix - Glacier des Bossons bus stop at 09:44 using the guest card for the bus trip. The chairlifts are only 1 minute walk from this bus stop. After this stop the bus turns back to Chamonix.
The visit: I am not an experienced trekker or climber and certainly not in mountainous areas. So I took the chairlift and walked to the Plateau des Pyramids. The first ascent with chairlifts is at 8:30 and the last is at 17:30. Best to do it as early as possible when it is cooler. Last descent is at 18:00. I was lucky enough to two deers crossing under the chairlifts as I was climbing. Websites and signs at the start of the trail say that it takes 1 hour 30 mins to get to the Plateau de Pyramids. It took me 1hour 45 minutes as I stopped for some short rests. The view once you get at the Plateau des Pyramids is impossible to describe. From that point you can observe the colours, the crevasses, the seracs and melting water torrents of the glacier. It's worth the effort to get up there. I did not continue to the Jonction which takes a further 2 hours 20 minutes uphill to reach. A notice at the start of the chairlifts recommends special trekking equipment to go further up than Les Pyramids. Going down took me 1 hour 20 minutes and I took the chairlifts down again. Going down was less arduous than going uplhill. I enjoyed this trip much more than the Mer de Glace since there the length of the glacier cannot be seen.
I walked to Les Bossons train station and took the train to Servoz to visit the Gorges de Diosaz.
Getting there: I took Bus no 2 from Chamonix - Jeanne d'Arc bus stop at 09:27 (after a good breakfast at Le Fournil bakery) and stopped at Chamonix - Glacier des Bossons bus stop at 09:44 using the guest card for the bus trip. The chairlifts are only 1 minute walk from this bus stop. After this stop the bus turns back to Chamonix.
The visit: I am not an experienced trekker or climber and certainly not in mountainous areas. So I took the chairlift and walked to the Plateau des Pyramids. The first ascent with chairlifts is at 8:30 and the last is at 17:30. Best to do it as early as possible when it is cooler. Last descent is at 18:00. I was lucky enough to two deers crossing under the chairlifts as I was climbing. Websites and signs at the start of the trail say that it takes 1 hour 30 mins to get to the Plateau de Pyramids. It took me 1hour 45 minutes as I stopped for some short rests. The view once you get at the Plateau des Pyramids is impossible to describe. From that point you can observe the colours, the crevasses, the seracs and melting water torrents of the glacier. It's worth the effort to get up there. I did not continue to the Jonction which takes a further 2 hours 20 minutes uphill to reach. A notice at the start of the chairlifts recommends special trekking equipment to go further up than Les Pyramids. Going down took me 1 hour 20 minutes and I took the chairlifts down again. Going down was less arduous than going uplhill. I enjoyed this trip much more than the Mer de Glace since there the length of the glacier cannot be seen.
I walked to Les Bossons train station and took the train to Servoz to visit the Gorges de Diosaz.
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elaine B
Newcastle Upon Tyne99 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
Lovely day enjoyed the chairlift made a change from the telecabins. Long walk to glacier quite steep in places but you can stop for food & drinks near the top.
Written August 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RIchard035
Northwood, UK1,305 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
The glacier is situated just outside Chamonix. We visited it on a rainy day in August. You can take the chair lift up to the chalet (or hike up) from where you can see the glacier. As with all of the glaciers in the area, they are receding so it is not as close to the chalet as it used to be. There is a small cafe and you can climb up further for closer views although the path up did not seem that safe so we didn't bother. There is some interesting information about two planes that crashed into the mountain together with pieces of wreckage. Not as impressive as the other sites in Chamonix but worth a visit if you have some spare time in the area.
Written September 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin0159
Lutterworth, UK221 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
2nd visit to the glacier. This time we hiked up to chalet des pyramides. Was a struggle with a 8 year old but we got her up to the top. Amazing place.
Written August 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ck S
George Town, Malaysia40 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
Just use the GPS app will help you on the track up from Chamonix.
A walking or hiking stick does help a lot
A nice little restaurant just beside one of the water fall. About 5 minutes walk from the little restaurant there is a public 5 star wash room or toilet just you need it urgently! It is very clean for this category of toilet!
A walking or hiking stick does help a lot
A nice little restaurant just beside one of the water fall. About 5 minutes walk from the little restaurant there is a public 5 star wash room or toilet just you need it urgently! It is very clean for this category of toilet!
Written July 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
?We sleep in La Hoche Can we get to Bossons without using a cable car
How long is walking? And is there a map?
Written April 28, 2019
Hola buenas noches voy de vacaciones a Europa. Tengo que elegir entre chamonix y Geneve, que es mejor opción, es la primer semana de Mayo
Written January 8, 2019
Hi! One can not establish "what is better" between a historic European city and a mountain massif (but also idealized by a centuries-old cultural tradition). You must establish what interests you most (after reading something about both).
Written January 9, 2019
Hola Claudio ,he visto tu comentario sobre el glarciar de bosson.Vamos a ir con unos amigos 3 noches a chamonix el dia 24 de septiembre y hemos visto que el mar de glace y la cueva de hielo y el teleferico de bosson estan cerrados. Nos puedes hacer recomendaciones ya que has estado hace poco de sitios para ver ?? el glaciar argentiere os gusto ?? Visteis alguna cueva de hielo ;Muchas gracias .Estamos preparando ahora el viaje y nos vendria muy bien cualquier sugerncia. Un saludo
Written September 6, 2016
AmyLouise867
England, United Kingdom
Hey, can you go into the cave in November? Know some ice caves in the area are closed but not sure if that includes this one?
Written November 11, 2015
We are hoping to do the Bossons Glacier hike next week when we are in Chamonix.
Would appreciate any info about the starting point.
Thanks
Written June 13, 2015
Bonjour,
J'aimerais savoir comment se rendre sur ce lieu qui a l'air magnifique? Et si l'accès est payant?
Written January 14, 2015
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