UPDATE: The Aiguille du Midi Skywalk, “Step in the Void”, opens 21 December 2013.
On Tue 17 Dec, the glass room was revealed to the press: journalists and employees, wearing slippers to protect the glass floor, visited the 'Step in the Void' installation as they attend a press visit at the Aiguille du Midi mountain peak above Chamonix. The visit was a success, as everyone left in pure delight. Visit our dedicated Step Into the Void Page for complete visitor information, access point, how to prepare and travel times, opening hours.
The “Step in the Void” is a glass room built around a metal frame. Three glass walls, floor and ceiling panels, allow visitors to control their vertigo and experience 1035 meters of space under their feet in total safety! Admire the views from a dramatic perspective! Anyone with vertigo can step in, assured.
Each of these glass panels is custom built to the highest standards for safety and clarity. The five glass panels (12mm thick) consist of three layers of glass binded together. The structure can withstand winds of more than 220km/ h and a maximum temperature of 60°.
The construction has been designed by Pierre-Yves Chays (watch the video below) and the work began on 19 September 2013. This type of installation is being used more and more frequently across Europe and the US. The “Step in the Void” was inspired by the "Skywalk", the huge glass walkway overlooking the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona.
The“Step in the Void” is a tourist attraction owned and operated by the CMB. The “Step in the Void” is installed on the uppermost terrace of the Aiguille du Midi (3842m).
It can be reached in almost 20 min by The Aiguille du Midi cable car. The summit of Aiguille du Midi (3842m) is the closest you can get to Mont-Blanc without a pair of crampons. It is the starting point for the ascent of Mont-Blanc to the Three-Mont-Blanc Route and many other sports such as off piste skiing in the winter season, or hiking, and paragliding in the summer/autumn seasons.
The Aiguille du Midi attracts every year thousands of tourists. To improve the experience of the visitors, the CMB began in 2011 an ambitious project that includes a full rehabilitation of the location. The “Step in the Void” is part of this project, estimated at 2.1 million euros. An alpinism memorabilia, a mountaineering museum and an ice-cave are to be set.
