In the belly of a glacier

The Mer de Glace is France's largest glacier. We could only see the bottom couple of kilometres.

It is accessed via a steep railway line, which uses a rack and pinion system, the same as Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway, but this is much steeper and uses small electric trains.

It was constructed about 1908.

The glacier is surrounded by incredibly sharp mountains.

After the train, we descended in a gondola.

Then walked down these stairs bolted into the cliffs that are the side of the glacial valley to enter a manmade ice cave carved into the belly of the glacier.

It had coloured lights, art works and ice carvings in a long circular tunnel.

That is Sheryl and me sitting on an ice bench.

Then, out of the glacier, back up those stairs and gondola, and back down on the train. Very enjoyable and quite an unusual experience.