The Aiguille du Midi Skywalk, "Step into the Void", is a tourist attraction owned and operated by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc. It opened to the public on 21 December 2013 and can be accessed for free with a lift pass to Chamonix - Aiguille du Midi 3777m.
The “Step into the Void” is a glass room with a glass floor, situated off the uppermost terrace of the Aiguille du Midi at an altitude of 3842 metres. It claims to be "the highest attraction in Europe".
Three glass walls, the glass floor and glass ceiling panels, allow the visitor a unique experience enhanced by 1000 meters of free air directly under their feet, in total safety! Look around and admire the highest peaks in Western Europe, and view the Bossons Glacier - with the greatest descent in Europe (4810m - 1440m), from a dramatic perspective!
Step into the void, and check out your susceptibility to vertigo!
Step into the Void
Timetable according to the opening of the site, access not guaranteed in the event of overcrowding, unavailability of lifts, very low temperatures, heavy frost or strong winds.
| Aiguille du Midi Cable Car |
Cable car every 15 or 30 minutes depending on traffic. Opening hours: |
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| From 1st to 25 May 2022 | Daily between 8:10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Last Descent at 5:00 p.m. |
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| From 26 May to 14 June 2022 | Daily between 8:10 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Last Descent at 5:30 p.m. |
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| From 15 June to 3 July 2022 | Daily between 7:10 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Last Descent at 5:30 p.m. |
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| From 4 July to 28 August 2022 | Daily between 6:10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Last Descent at 6:00 p.m. |
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| From 29 August to 4 September 2022 | Daily between 7:10 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Last Descent at 5:30 p.m. |
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| From 5 to 25 September 2022 | Daily between 8:10 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Last Descent at 5:30 p.m. |
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| From 26 September to 6 November 2022 | Daily between 8:10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Last Descent at 4:30 p.m. |
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| From 7 November to 16 December 2022 included: Closure for work and maintenance. | ||
Access to the Step into The Void is free, as it is included in the price of the Chamonix - Aiguille du Midi 3777m cable car ride. You can find here the prices for the lift.
Access to the platform may be regulated, depending on the number of visitors, as Step into the Void is very popular.
1. Preparations and Travel Times to Step into the Void
In exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to access the Step into the Void from Chamonix in 20 mins, but this would be truly exceptional. 20mins is the actual travelling time spent on cable cars and elevators. The reality is, that there are delays between the stages.
In normal circumstances, expect to take at least an hour. In high season, it may take two or three hours to reach the summit of the Aiguille du Midi and to Step into the Void. It is smart to take an early lift from Chamonix.
The first cable car departs from Chamonix (1035m) for Plan d'Aiguille (2317m). At this point, there might be a wait, of 20-30 minutes, for the next cable car to the Aiguille du Midi (3842m).
Once in the Aiguille du Midi complex, there is a short walk to the elevator which accesses the top platform. The elevator is small and the number of visitors on the top platform is regulated so that there is no overcrowding. Therefore, access to the elevator may be controlled and this queue can take 20-30mins in high season.
Ensure you have warm clothing and good shoes, as it gets cold very quickly at 3842m altitude. Don’t forget your sunglasses and camera! If you get cold or need refreshments, there are a cafeteria and a souvenir shop open all year round. In summer, the “3842 Restaurant” invites you for Savoyard specialities.
2. The Aiguille du Midi as Access Point
Aiguille du Midi mountain peak (3842m) is the closest you can get to the summit of Mont Blanc without a pair of crampons. The Aiguille du Midi is the starting point of the 3 Monts route to ascend Mont Blanc and many other sports such as off-piste skiing and ski touring in the winter season, mountaineering and paragliding in the spring, summer and autumn seasons.
3. Step into the Void - A Remarkable Engineering Challenge
Step Into The Void is a first at this altitude (3842m). Each of the five glass panels is 12mm thick. Each panel is made up of three layers of glass, which have been bound together and they are supported by a metal framework.
Each glass panel is custom built to the highest standards for both strength and safety, using the high-quality glass and a bonding process that optimizes the transparency of the panels providing the best possible acuity.
The structure can withstand winds of up to 220km/h and a variation in temperature of 60°C.
The construction was designed by Pierre-Yves Chays, who runs the local design agency, Implicite, based in Chamonix. The project took three years from inception to completion and is an outstanding technical innovation commissioned by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc (CMB).
The “Step into the Void” was inspired by the "Skywalk", the huge glass walkway overlooking the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona. The initial idea from the CMB was to create a larger skywalk around the top platform. This wasn't possible for environmental reasons.
4. Renovation of the Aiguille du Midi (2011-2013)
The Aiguille du Midi attracts thousands of tourists each year. To improve the visitor experience, in 2011 the CMB began an ambitious project to renovate the Aiguille du Midi. A new base station was completed in 2012. The “Espace Vertical” was delivered on June 2012 and the “Step into the Void” in December 2013. The entire project is estimated at 7 million euros.
