The glaciers retreat...and advance...If you want to understand this phenomenon, the glaciologist Luc Moreau is presenting on this theme at Montenvers every Tuesday and Thursday all this summer (15 Jun to 15 Sep).

After the Science and Mountain cafés on Monday evenings this summer in Chamonix you will know about the glacial phenomena in the area.

Luc begins by describing the countryside from the terrace of Montenvers... a few little anecdotes, the scientific details which reveal a lot of things to us. The footpath then takes us nearer to the glacier, so that we can better understand what is going on. From here one passes from 1820 to 2009...130 metres of descent...The sea of ice at low tide!

A gripping story which merits a detour. Since 1830, the Mer de Glace has lost 120 metres of depth and 2300 metres of length...It's true! If you don't believe it, meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Montenvers terrace for more evidence!

QSE Certification: Progress without a song and dance

Since 3 December 2008, the Compagnie du Mont- Blanc has been certified ISO 14001 (environmental management) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety at work). Our business is now one of the first lift companies in France able to point to its triple Quality,
Safety and Environment (QSE) certification as proof of our commitment.

This recognition was achieved after two years work and following a ten hour audit of all the Company’s installations and activities carried out last November by SGS. QSE certification does not mean that with effect from the beginning of the month our activities will have no impact whatsoever on the environment nor that the safety of our employees and subcontractors will be assured come what may or that as
a matter of course our customers will always be satisfied with our facilities. The standards applied do not set any target that can be measured on figures to achieve.

The QSE procedure is however very demanding, lengthy and expensive and for us hardly fulfils any communication aims. Certification from our point of view is mainly an encouragement to move forward respecting our social, economic and geographic environment, and proof of our support for the actions of our associates (Municipality, SIVOM HVA, Tourist Office, socio-professionals…).

What has been done:

- A commitment letter (copy herewith) which establishes our ambition and represents our « road map ».

- The involvement, training and making aware of more than 500 staff members, who throughout the audit showed their grasp of the work and their commitment.

- An accurate analysis of the rules applying to environmental issues and safety at work and the ongoing monitoring of all our obligations.

- An analysis of the impact of all our activities on the environment,

- Solid actions: storage tanks in the workshops to avoid the risk of pollution, full sorting of rubbish, arrangements to encourage public transport in the valley (special buses for our staff, more buses for guests, support for « tram-train » studies etc.), training for emergency situations, taking account of the environmental aspects in the management of building works, pistes and improvements (e.g. landscaping for the mountain reservoir at la Flégère).
In short, the QSE initiative at CMB is like a climbing team moving up the mountain, sure that the ways to make progress are limitless.

The Compagnie du Mont Blanc, like the Tourist Office, is currently undergoing ISO 14001 certification which it wishes to obtain by Autumn 2008.

Several actions have therefore been carried out to further this aim.

This common approach enables us to work together towards the same goal: making our visitors more aware.

Please consult the lift company's letter of commitment