The Pic Blanc cable car climbs to 3,330 metres in two stages, the upper section running through a tunnel cut into the rock. The summit station has a viewing terrace looking out over the Écrins massif, the Grandes Rousses glacier, and on a clear day Mont Blanc. The ride and the view alone justify a non-skier going up in winter.
In summer the cable car runs for hikers and the very brave who descend on mountain bikes — the trails off the Pic Blanc, including the famous Megavalanche descent, are some of the most extreme in the Alps. Bring layers: the temperature drops sharply with altitude and the wind on the summit can be cold even in August.