This may be a risky addition to the list, given the mellow nature of the descent and the load of traversing that is required, but there is no 19 km run in the world that offers this much scenic joy and a truer sense of free alpine spirit.
After walking out the narrow ridge of the Aiguille du Midi, you traverse beneath hulking the Mont Blanc, turn left after the spire of Gros Rognon, skirt the ice blocks of the Sérac du Géant, and turn left again near the fangs of Les Grands Charmoz. An hour or so later you’ll be sitting in bar, with a cold beer or hot coffee in downtown Chamonix knowing you have just managed something pretty special.