Ice aprons are small perennial ice bodies (generally <0.1 km²) located on steep slopes with a nearly stationary shear regime. They are typically found above the regional glacier equilibrium line altitude, within permafrost. While ice aprons occupy only a small fraction of the ice-covered surface, they contain ice that can be multi-centennial to multi-millennial in age, making them a potentially significant glacial heritage. This presentation summarizes eight years of research on these unique ice bodies in the Mont-Blanc massif (Western Alps), focusing particularly on their recent evolution, their impact on mountaineering, and their potential insights from a paleo-environmental perspective.