"Aiguille" translates from French to English as "needle." Many of the sharp mountain peaks in the Mont Blanc massif have Aiguille names. The Plan de l'Aiguille is a mountain bench above Chamonix where we enjoyed our first hike. We climbed from the train station trailhead (top right on map), then rounded a bend to reach the Plan de l'Aiguille. From there it was a gently rising trail with beautiful views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley.