Skyway Monte Bianco

The line runs in two stages from the valley floor above Courmayeur to Punta Helbronner at around three thousand four hundred and sixty metres, on the ridge at the head of the Mont Blanc massif. The cabins turn slowly through a full circle as they climb, so the view comes round without anyone having to move. The top station has an open terrace facing the summit and looking down the glaciers on the Italian side. At the middle station there is an alpine botanical garden planted at over two thousand metres, open in summer only. In summer a further gondola crosses the glacier to the French side.

What you actually see

• The rotating cabins - a full turn on each stage of the climb.
• The Punta Helbronner terrace - the open deck at the top, facing the massif.
• The alpine garden - high-altitude planting at the middle station, summer only.
• The crossing to France - the further summer gondola over the glacier.

When to go

Summer for the botanical garden and the onward crossing, winter for skiers and for the clearest air. Check the webcams at the top station before buying, because cloud on the ridge turns an expensive trip into a white wall. Book a timed slot in August, and go early, since cloud builds through the day.

Honest expectations

It is among the most expensive lifts in the Alps and the price does not change if the top is in cloud. At that altitude you will be short of breath climbing a flight of steps, and the terrace is bitterly cold even in July. The last descent runs earlier than most people expect, which strands the unwary.

Nearby

Courmayeur sits below; the Val Ferret and Val Veny run either side of it.