One word sums up the impressive visual impact of the Alps - verticality. The valleys are low and the mountains are high with vertical differences often exceeding 10,000 feet. This shot was taken from Aiguille du Midi (3842m/12,600'), the terminus of an awesome cable car ride out of Chamonix, France. You may quibble with French politics, but you've got to love their mountains. The ants in the foreground are preparing to ski the Vallee Blanche, a 12 mile glacier run descending 9000 vertical feet beneath the rugged peaks of the Haute Savoie. (The Val Thorens mentioned in caption refers to the photo album containing shots of that resort and this trip down the Vallee Blanche.)
http://community.webshots.com/photo/33937402/65630651BiuvaLA little info on the Chamonix area:
http://www.onthesnow.com/FR-HS/106/index.html
