Aiguille du Midi
Accessible by cable car from Chamonix, the Aiguille du Midi is one of the highest accessible viewpoints in the Alps, placing you at 3,777 meters with unobstructed sightlines toward Mont Blanc, the Vallee Blanche glacier, and surrounding peaks that stretch into Switzerland and Italy. The sheer scale of the terrain here rewards wide angle lenses, but a short telephoto works well for isolating ridgelines and distant summits against the sky. Early morning is your best window, when the light is soft and pink across the snow before haze builds up at lower elevations. The viewing platforms give you multiple angles, so work all sides of the summit station rather than staying in one spot. Dress warmer than you think necessary regardless of season, and give your camera gear time to adjust to the cold to avoid condensation issues. (Chamonix, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France)
