You get air lifted onto the glacier by helicopter and then walk for 2 1/2 hours before being lifted off again. The walk includes getting to grips with walking on crampons, exploring ice caves, crevasses and generally being in awe of your surroundings. A fantastic trip and only one company runs hikes up there meaning that we spent 2 1/2 hours on a major tourist attraction and there were only 6 of us there, surrounded by miles of ice. Fantastic.

www.foxguides.co.nz

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Not too far away are Les Diablerets, the Little Devils, a range of peaks where even in high summer, snow obstinately refuses to melt. At ten thousand feet and reached by a chain of three cable cars, it is cold, and the sudden change in altitude can cause dizziness.

An interesting tunnel through a huge captive ice glacier leads to the restaurant (with exorbitant prices) from the cable car station. The ice here is so old that there are arrows pointing out different times in history. A very thin black line in the ice from the eighteen hundreds bears witness to the eruption and extinction of Krakatoa, the volcano which destroyed itself with the biggest explosion of recent times.

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An off-piste / glacier ski itinerary. From Grands Montets, ski down to the Argentiere glacier, cross it, and climb up below the Chardonnet, then left up a short couloir. From here it's all down hill to Le Tour.

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One of the world's most famous off piste runs needs no introduction. Take the hair-raising Aiguille du Midi liftright to the top (3,842m), then follow the itinerary all the way back downto the Montenvers train, which takes you back down to town (1,042m). There's plenty of time to take in the stunning scenery on this 22km trip, but it's glacier all the way so go with someone experienced or hire a guide.

L'Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix

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This gargantuan hanging wall of ice is one of the visually defining features of Chamonix. It's often lit up at night when it takes on a very surreal air, but the best time to see it is by day, from close up. A pleasant stroll through the woods above Les Bossons takes you to the edge of the ravine, from where you can often see huge chunks ofice falling off. Don't get too close!

Les Bossons, Chamonix

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Accessed from the 'top tickets' lift at Grand Montets, you skit nervously across the glacier before dropping into one of the longest and most satisfying couloirs in the valley. It's both dangerous and very reliant on snow conditions, so it's best to go with a guide. From the bottom it's a short hike up to the Montenvers train, which takes you back down to the centre of Chamonix, or - snow allowing - you can take the trail through the woods.

Les Grands Montets, Chamonix

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